The Avalanches' We Will Always Love You wins for the most outstanding creative Australian record of the last year.
Winning The AMP comes with a $20,000 cash prize.
APRA AMCOS is a proud sponsor of the prestigious award, now in its 16th year.
The highly-coveted SoundMerch Australian Music Prize (The AMP) has been awarded to The Avalanches for their acclaimed album We Will Always Love You for the most outstanding creative Australian record of the last year. Not only do they take out the prestigious award but land $20,000 in prize money thanks to SoundMerch.
Rising above 88 album nominations that were then carefully narrowed down to a shortlist of eight other amazing Australian albums, The Avalanches' We Will Always Love You was chosen by the panel of 48 judges to be the most important album release of the year.
Melbourne’s own The Avalanches ambitious third album We Will Always Love You overflows with ideas, samples, and guests across their unique blend of blissed-out disco, soul, and psychedelia featuring the voices and sounds of artists such as Blood Orange, Jamie xx, Weezer, Denzel Curry, and more. Continuing to evolve and push the boundaries of their sound across each record, the group remains as forward-thinking and intriguing as they began.
The Avalanches share, "We’re so thrilled to be the winners of the prestigious AMP Award and be amongst the esteemed winners of the past. We’d love to thank everyone involved in making this award happen especially Sound Merch, also to the many people who helped us put this record together. A truly special day for us and we’re so grateful."
2020 was another impressive year for Australian music, particularly within an industry that experienced unprecedented struggles and challenges. The art that has been produced throughout and as a result of these times has demonstrated the resilience and power in the craft, and those artists behind it including new and familiar voices bleeding out from all corners of the country, including Miiiesha’s debut record Nyaaringu, Gordan Koang’s Unity, Alice Ivy’s Don’t Sleep, and more.
The AMP has and continues to rise above genre, popularity, politics or sales, and focuses entirely on artistic merit. Discerned by a panel of over 40 judges comprised of artists, journalists, programmers and presenters, retailers, and more, the group compiles a long-list before heavily debating the AMP shortlist, and eventually finalists.
The Australian Music Prize
founder Scott Murphy
shares, "Winning The AMP this time is a 'mean feat' as there were plenty of great contenders so I congratulate The Avalanches on winning the 16th AMP, you deserve it. I'd like to thank all our judges and partners for pulling off our 16th prize during difficult times."
We are proud to be one of The AMP's sponsors, as the prize continues to exist not just to celebrate the album as a respected format, but to recognise and celebrate our thriving nation of musicians and their original work.