The 2023 Independent Music Awards, known as the AIR Awards, have unveiled their nominees, as announced by the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR). The winners will be revealed on August 3rd at the Freemasons Hall in Adelaide. This marks the 17th annual ceremony that recognizes outstanding musicians in the contemporary, classical, and jazz genres in Australia.
South Australia's Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels, expressed delight at hosting the awards in Adelaide, which is Australia's only UNESCO City of Music. She commended all the nominees and emphasized the significance of the independent music industry in providing a platform for talented emerging artists and music businesses to showcase their art to a wider audience.
In the Best Independent Classical Album category, Ensemble Offspring has been nominated for their recent release titled "To Listen, To Sing." This album features the talent from their Indigenous artistic development program, Ngarra-Burria, and was recognized as a Limelight Editor's Choice album for May.
Also nominated in the same category is the collaborative work "Heartland" by didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton and violinist Véronique Serret. Soprano Mirusia's album "Songbird," named after the Fleetwood Mac hit, which showcases some classical and contemporary works that inspired her musical journey, is also among the nominees. Additionally, two state orchestras, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, have received nominations for their respective albums: Nigel Westlake's "Blueback" and "Nightlife," featuring original compositions from Australian female musicians Kate Miller-Heidke, Missy Higgins, Naomi Crellin, Emily Wurramara, Megan Washington, and Mama Kin.
In the Best Independent Jazz Album or EP category, the nominated albums include Mildlife's first live album titled "Live from South Channel Island," which previously won the 2022 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album. The album was recorded and livestreamed during COVID lockdowns when live audiences were not permitted. Saxophonist Jeremy Rose's fourth album, "Face to Face," also made during the lockdowns for a video series in 2020, is another nominee. Melbourne pianist Barney McAll's "Precious Energy," created as a musical refuge during COVID and featuring collaborations with Australian jazz luminaries such as Julien Wilson, Ben Vanderwall, Simon Mavin from Hiatus Kaiyote, and Theo Carbo, is also in contention. Other nominees include Donny Benét's "Le Piano," an homage to the music that accompanied bassist Ben Waples (the man behind the Benét persona) during touring and personal life, as well as Melbourne-based quintet Surprise Chef's "Education & Recreation," an album inspired by the sounds of soul, jazz, and funk, both contemporary and retro.
