The Art Music Awards are presented each year by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and the Australian Music Centre (AMC) to recognise achievement in the composition, performance, education and presentation of Australian music. Art music covers activity across contemporary classical music, contemporary jazz and improvised music, experimental music and sound art.
Congratulations to all our 2021 Art Music Award Winners & Finalists!
| Work of the Year: Choral | |
|---|---|
Winner | |
| Title: | SACRED STEPPING STONES |
| Composer: | Lisa Young |
| Text: | Lisa Young |
| Performer: | Massed choir, Gondwana National Choral School 2020 and Lisa Young, conductor |
Finalists | |
| Title: | BEANNAICHT AN LONG (Blest be the boat) |
| Composer: | Clare Maclean |
| Text: | Traditional |
| Performers: | VOYCES |
| Title: | Singing in Tune with Nature |
| Composer: | Amanda Cole |
| Performer: | N.E.O. Voice Festival artists |
| Title: | Until We Gather Again |
| Composer: | Alice Chance |
| Text: | Alice Chance |
| Performers: | Leichhardt Espresso Chorus and Michelle Leonard OAM, artistic director |
| Work of the Year: Dramatic | |
|---|---|
Winner | |
| Title: | Dragon Ladies Don't Weep |
| Composer: | Erik Griswold |
| Performers: | Margaret Leng Tan, performer, Tamara Saulwick, director, Nick Roux, video artist, and Kok Heng Leun, dramaturg. |
Finalists | |
| Title: | COMMUTE |
| Composer: | Peggy Polias |
| Text: | Pierce Wilcox |
| Performer: | Sydney Chamber Opera, Jessica O'Donoghue, Jack Symonds, conductor, and Clemence Williams, director |
| Title: | Her Dark Marauder |
| Composer: | Georgia Scott |
| Text: | Pierce Wilcox |
| Performer: | Sydney Chamber Opera, Jane Sheldon, Jessica O'Donoghue, Simon Lobelson, Jack Symonds, conductor, and Danielle Maas, director. |
| Title: | The Tent |
| Composer: | Josephine Macken |
| Text: | Josephine Macken |
| Performers: | Sydney Chamber Opera, Simon Lobelson, Mitchell Riley, Jane Sheldon, Jack Symonds, conductor and Danielle Maas, director. |
| Work of the Year: Jazz | |
|---|---|
Winner | |
| Title: | Spaccanapoli |
| Composer: | Vanessa Perica |
| Performer: | Vanessa Perica Orchestra |
Finalists | |
| Title: | Asteroid Ekosystem |
| Composer: | Alister Spence, Lloyd Swanton, Toby Hall and Ed Kuepper* |
| Performer: | Alister Spence Trio with Ed Kuepper |
| Publisher: | Universal Music Publishing* |
| Title: | Living |
| Composer: | Paul Cutlan |
| Performer: | Paul Cutlan String Project (Paul Cutlan, Liisa Pallandi, Caroline Hopson, James Eccles, Oliver Miller, Brett Hirst and Tunji Beier) |
| Title: | ALL WHO TRAVEL WITH US |
| Composer: | Loretta Palmeiro and Mark Isaacs |
| Performer: | Loretta Palmeiro and Mark Isaacs |
| Work of the Year: Large Ensemble | |
|---|---|
Winner | |
| Title: | Piece 43 For Now |
| Composer: | Cathy Milliken |
| Performers: | SWR Symphonieorchester and Titus Engel, conductor |
Finalists | |
| Title: | Kadosh Kadosh and Cursed |
| Composer: | Yitzhak Yedid |
| Performers: | Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (NEM) and Lorraine Vaillancourt, conductor |
| Title: | Splinter |
| Composer: | Holly Harrison |
| Performers: | San Jose State University Wind Ensemble and David Vickerman, conductor |
| Title: | When I stand before thee at the day's end |
| Composer: | Cyrus Meurant |
| Performer: | Kirsten Williams and Canberra Symphony Orchestra |
| Work of the Year: Chamber Music | |
|---|---|
Winner | |
| Title: | A Room of Her Own |
| Composer: | Anne Cawrse |
| Performer: | Australian String Quartet |
Finalists | |
| Title: | Canyon 1205 |
| Composer: | Kate Neal and Grischa Lichtenberger |
| Performer: | Blair Harris, cello |
| Title: | Clarinet Quintet |
| Composer: | Gordon Kerry |
| Performer: | Omega Ensemble |
| Title: | Hidden Thoughts II: Return to Sender |
| Composer: | Katy Abbott |
| Text: | Compiled by Katy Abbott and Maureen Johnson, based on letters sent by Australians to asylum seekers in detention. |
| Performer: | Flinders Quartet with Dimity Shepherd, mezzo-soprano, and Richard Piper, narrator |
| Work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art | |
|---|---|
Winner | |
| Title: | Closed Beginnings |
| Composer: | Tariro Mavondo, Reuben Lewis and Peter Knight |
| Performer: | Tariro Mavondo, poetry, Reuben Lewis and Peter Knight, music, Jem Savage, sound production and Leo Dale, video production |
Finalists | |
| Title: | An Improvisation Through Time and Space 穿越时光的即兴 |
| Composer: | Mindy Meng Wang |
| Performer: | Mindy Meng Wang, guzheng |
| Title: | Fugue |
| Composer: | Jane Sheldon |
| Text: | David Rattray |
| Performer: | Jane Sheldon, soprano, Kirsty McCahon, double bass, and Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year 2020 cohort; Omer Backley-Astrachan, choreography. |
| Title: | Oracle Chamber |
| Composer: | Amanda Cole |
| Performer: | Lamorna Nightingale, bass flute and James Nightingale, saxophone |
| Performance of the Year - Jazz / Improvised Music | |
|---|---|
Winner | |
| Performer: | Phonetic Orchestra |
| Title: | Silent Towns |
| Composer: | Phonetic Orchestra |
Finalists | |
| Performer: | Phil Slater Quintet (Phil Slater, Brett Hirst, Matthew Keegan, Matthew McMahon and Simon Barker) |
| Title: | The Golden Seam |
| Composer: | Phil Slater, Brett Hirst, Matthew Keegan, Matthew McMahon and Simon Barker |
| Performer: | Loretta Palmeiro and Mark Isaacs |
| Title: | All Who Travel With Us |
| Composer: | Loretta Palmeiro and Mark Isaacs |
| Performer: | Vazesh (Jeremy Rose, Hamed Sadeghi and Lloyd Swanton) |
| Title: | Sacred Key |
| Composer: | Jeremy Rose*, Hamed Sadeghi and Lloyd Swanton |
| Publisher: | Origin Music Publishing* |
| Performance of the Year - Notated Composition | |
|---|---|
Winner | |
| Performer: | Sydney Chamber Opera, Jessica O'Donoghue, Jack Symonds, conductor, and Clemence Williams, director |
| Title: | Commute |
| Composer: | Peggy Polias |
| Text: | Peggy Polias |
Finalists | |
| Performer: | Emily Granger |
| Title: | The Harp and the Moon |
| Composer: | Ross Edwards |
| Publisher: | BMG AM |
| Performer: | Ensemble Offspring |
| Title: | En Masse |
| Composer: | Alex Pozniak |
| Performer: | Carl Rosman |
| Title: | Subdue |
| Composer: | Jakob Bragg |
| Award for Excellence in Music Education |
|---|
Winner |
Moorambilla Voices for Moorambilla Magic Modules |
Finalists |
| Australian Art Orchestra for Creative Music Intensive 2020 |
| Musica Viva for Musica Viva in Schools Online |
| Speak Percussion for Sounds Unheard Education Program |
| Award for Excellence in Experimental Music |
|---|
Winner |
Leah Barclay, Lyndon Davis & Tricia King for Listening in the Wild |
Finalists |
| HiberNATION for Festival of the Lo-fi |
| Keyna Wilkins for recording and developing new projects in 2020 |
| Decibel New Music Ensemble for 2 Minutes from Home |
| National Luminary Award - Organisation |
|---|
Winner |
Speak Percussion for visionary leadership and sustained contribution to Australian art music |
| National Luminary Award - Individual |
|---|
Winner |
Deborah Kayser for 30-year contribution to Australian music as a trail-blazing soprano |
| State Luminary Awards - Individual |
|---|
New South Wales |
Ensemble Offspring for consistently high quality performances, breadth of repertoire, and commitment to collaboration for 25 years |
Victoria |
Melbourne Digital Concert Hall for supporting the classical music industry during the COVID-19 crisis |
Queensland |
Alex Raineri for commitment to the creation and performance of Australian contemporary music in the Brisbane Music Festival |
South Australia |
Anne Cawrse for sustained contribution to the new music culture of Adelaide through composition and education |
Tasmania |
Stephanie Eslake as founding editor of Cut Common, providing a voice to emerging composers and performers |
The Art Music Awards consist of eleven annual awards, and up to ten luminary awards.
Work of the Year: Choral
Accompanied or unaccompanied works for massed voices (more than 1 singer per part).
Work of the Year: Chamber Music
Works for between 1 and 12 players, with or without vocal parts, and with or without electronics.
Work of the Year: Large Ensemble
Works for more than 12 players, with or without vocal parts, and with or without electronics. This may include works for orchestra, concert band, wind band, string orchestra.
Work of the Year: Dramatic
Music primarily intended for theatre and dance, such as opera, music theatre and ballet.
Work of the Year: Electroacoustic / Sound Art
Works which utilise and manipulate analogue and/or digital sound as the primary medium. This may include interdisciplinary work. It also includes, but is not limited to, electronics, noise music, environmental sound, installations, soundscapes and electroacoustic music.
Work of the Year: Jazz
Original Jazz works of any instrumentation, including improvisatory composition.
Performance of the Year: Notated Composition
For the performance of a single Australian work, showcasing the performer(s)’ success in revealing the nature and intention of the work.
Performance of the Year: Jazz / Improvised Music
For the performance of a single Australian work, showcasing the performer(s)’ success in improvisatory creation or collaboration. This may entail entirely improvised work or significant improvisatory input such as solo passages.
Award for Excellence in Music Education
For pedagogical, creative or professional development activities that champion Australian repertoire, including specific projects, recordings or recording projects, or events undertaken by an individual or organisation.
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
For work undertaken in a regional area, utilising Australian repertoire to create a positive impact for the local community.
Award for Excellence in Experimental Music
For works, people or events that interrogate, extend, or challenge standard artistic practice within the Australian repertoire.
Luminary Awards – National Awards (Individual)
The Luminary Awards seek to honour individuals who, through sustained contribution (demonstrated over a period 3-5 years prior), have impacted our community on a national scale through visionary leadership, fearless trailblazing, high-level artistic practice, and championing of Australian repertoire. No finalists are announced in the Luminary categories. Winners will be announced at the event.
Luminary Awards – National Awards (Organisation)
The Luminary Awards seek to honour organisations who through sustained contribution (demonstrated over a period 3-5 years prior), have impacted our community on a national scale through visionary leadership, fearless trailblazing, high-level artistic practice, and championing of Australian repertoire. No finalists are announced in the Luminary categories. Winners will be announced at the event.
Luminary Awards – State/Territory Awards
The Luminary Awards seek to honour individuals and organisations who through sustained contribution (demonstrated over a period 3-5 years prior), have impacted their communities on a State/territory level through visionary leadership, fearless trailblazing, and engagement with their Australian art music. repertoire. No finalists are announced in the Luminary categories. Winners will be announced at the event.
Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music
Presented at the discretion of the Board of Publisher and Writer Directors of APRA the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music seeks to honour an individual, group or organisation who through sustained contribution over a number of years, have impacted our community on a national scale through visionary leadership, fearless trailblazing, high-level artistic practice, and championing of Australian repertoire.
The Australian Music Centre and APRA AMCOS would like to thank the following people for their time in judging the nominations for this year's Awards:
Sia Ahmad (Chair)
Peta Williams (Luminary Chair)