Jon Rose and Hollis Taylor receive Distinguished Services honour
Art music visionaries, Jon Rose and Hollis Taylor, will be honoured with the prestigious Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music
State and Territory Luminary Award winners and performers have also been announced
The 2025 Art Music Awards will be held on Thursday 21 August at the City Recital Hall, Sydney
Art music visionaries, Jon Rose and Hollis Taylor, will be honoured with the prestigious Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music at the 2025 Art Music Awards on Thursday 21 August.
Renowned globally for their boundary-pushing work and sonic exploration, Rose and Taylor have frequently collaborated on innovative projects—including Great Fences of Australia, which maps the acoustic qualities of 35,000 kilometres of fence lines across the Australian outback.
A pioneering violinist, composer and multimedia artist, Jon Rose is celebrated for his work on, about and with the violin - further extended with his own designed experimental instruments. As a leading figure in Australia’s free improvisation movement, he has performed in concert halls worldwide and featured on over 90 albums. His cultural criticism can be found published in five books and he received the Don Banks Music Award in 2012 for his lifetime contribution to Australian music.
Hollis Taylor began her musical journey as a classical violinist in the United States before becoming a fiddle champion. She has performed and appeared in films such as My Own Private Idaho and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Her passion for Australian birds and their songs led her to record and celebrate their music across multiple albums and books. Taylor has held residencies at some of the world’s most esteemed research institutions (including in Paris and Berlin) and was appointed an Australian Research Council Future Fellow in 2019.
Together, Rose and Taylor exemplify the spirit of innovation and dedication that the Richard Gill Award seeks to honour. On receiving the honour, they say: “We are profoundly grateful to the committee for this unexpected honour and delighted to accept it as a couple.
“Though most of our projects are undertaken individually, they share two guiding passions: our devotion to the violin and our deep connection to Australia—a vast land of things unknown, understudied, unheralded and even scarcely imagined.
“In the spirit of Richard Gill, after whom this award is named, we remain committed to championing the transformative power of live music and music education in remote communities.”
The recipients of the 2025 State and Territory Luminary Awards have also been announced, highlighting the extraordinary talent flourishing across Australia. From bold new compositions to transformative community initiatives, this year’s winners reflect a vibrant and courageous creative spirit. These awards shine a spotlight on the luminaries shaping the future of Australian music.
Victorian State Luminary Award winner for her advocacy for neurodiversity in music, Nat Bartsch, explains: "Creating music and connecting with other neurodivergent people through my work, feels rewarding in and of itself! We are in the middle of a seismic shift in our industry – there are many, many late-diagnosed autistic/ADHD musicians and music lovers who need love, connection and support.
“Being recognised with a Luminary Award is extra special because it shows that the music scene is paying attention to our unique needs, contributions and experiences - and wants to see us thrive.”
The remaining 11 Art Music Awards will be revealed during the ceremony, with guests being treated to performances by an eclectic lineup of artists, including four-piece supergroup Asteroid Ekosystem; drummer and electronic musician Laurence Pike with VOX Sydney Philharmonia Choir; percussionist Claire Edwardes in collaboration with turntablist Martin Ng; the premiere of Indigenous experimental sound ensemble grndwater featuring amby downs, JWPaton, sallvage and Sonya Holowell; and pianist Alex Raineri. The program has been curated by acclaimed artist, Sia Ahmad.
Presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre (AMC) the Art Music Awards is an annual celebration of the national art music community, recognising excellence among creators, performers and community leaders in contemporary classical, jazz, experimental music and sound art.
Click here to see the full list State and Territory Luminary Award winners
2025 ART MUSIC AWARDS
5.30pm (AEST) Thursday 21 August
City Recital Hall, 2 Angel Place, Sydney
Hosted by Vanessa Hughes with guest presenters Hamed Sadeghi and Nardi Simpson, and music curation by Sia Ahmad
