Submissions for the ninth annual Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards are now open, with the independent music community being called to participate in the awards, presented and produced by The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR). Previous award winners include Chet Faker, Gotye, Flume, Paul Kelly, Vance Joy, Urthboy, Hilltop Hoods, Gurrumul, Parkway Drive and many more.
With independent Australian musicians going from strength to strength in 2014, the voting is sure to be tight this year. Some of the year’s independent music highlights have included the rise of artists such as Brisbane’s Sheppard and Melburnian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, who has played some of the world’s biggest music festivals in the last 12 months. 2014 has also seen the highly-awaited return of Sia, as well as well-received releases from homegrown talent like Violent Soho and Rufus.
Garage rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who won the inaugural Carlton Dry Global Music Grant, have since toured the US and Canada, taking their music further than it has ever been before. Applications for that $50,000 grant are now open, and interested artists will find more information on the guidelines at the AIR website. The results will be judged by a cross-section of the independent music community, including media, industry representatives and artists themselves.
The 2014 Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards will be held on Wednesday, 8th October at North Melbourne’s heritage-listed Meat Market. Awards to be presented include Best Independent Album, Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album, Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album, Best Independent Label, and more.
Nominees must have material released between 1st August 2013 and 31st July 2014, and the recording(s) must be owned by the artist or an Australian owned independent record label. For more information, visit the official AIR website.
2014 Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards
Wednesday, 8th October 2014
Meat Market, North Melbourne