CONTENT COURTESY AWMA
DEBORAH CHEETHAM AO was honoured with the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD accepted on her behalf by The Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk, MP Premier of Queensland and ELENA KATS-CHERNIN won the ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE AWARD at AUSTRALIAN WOMEN IN MUSIC AWARDS (AWMA) on 18 May.
The EMERGING ARTIST AWARD went to newcomer MARTHA MARLOW with the SONGWRITER AWARD going to the prolific artist TANIA DOKO. EXCELLENCE IN CLASSICAL MUSIC was awarded to GENEVIEVE LACEY among the 20 awards bestowed at this evenings third Australian Women in Music Awards at the Tivoli in Brisbane.
The 2022 AWMAs will be broadcast on May 21 for the first time on ABC TV with DAME OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN AC DBE inducted into the AWMA Honour Role alongside music legends Helen Reddy and Judith Durham AO. The announcement was celebrated with a special tribute for Olivia performed by Tina Arena who also presented the inaugural SPECIAL IMPACT AWARD, in her name, to DINA BASSILE for her pioneering work creating disability access for live music and arts events.
Yorta Yorta woman Deborah Cheetham, and Elena Kats-Chernin, esteemed composers and performers at the peak of their extensive careers, were recognised for their pioneering and individual leadership roles over decades in Australian music. AWMA Jurors said Cheetham was a trailblazer whose voice spoke to much more than just music, forging a strong path forward for reconciliation in Australia. The artistic excellence and extent of international recognition for Kats-Chernin made her a great representative for Australian classical music and inspired many other female identifying composers.
The winner of this year’s MUSIC LEADERSHIP AWARD was Frontier Touring’s SAHARA HERALD, back in her home town of Brisbane for the ceremony and acknowledged for her incredible contribution to the field on every level.
The CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AWARD went to musician and festival director and programmer EMILY ULMAN.
Disability activist and musician ELIZA HULL was presented with the DIVERSITY IN MUSIC AWARD for her own musical excellence and for championing new opportunities and spaces for often under-represented voices in music.
EXCELLENCE IN CLASSICAL MUSIC AWARD went to GENEVIEVE LACEY in recognition of her illustrious career with international standing, continuing Australia’s distinguished history of producing world-class talent in classical music.
Australian fashion innovator and designer, CINDY VOGELS won the EXCELLENCE IN IMAGE MAKING AWARD and the prolific, creative arts photograher CYBELE MALINOWSKI was bestowed the MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER AWARD for the far-reaching impact, inclusivity and great quality of her photography. Juror’s said the sheer volumn and consistency of her work was impressive.
Music Industry Observer’s POPPY REID won the MUSIC JOURNALIST AWARD. Reid was recently promoted to Managing Editor of Australia’s fastest growing music media company The Brag Media. Juror’s pointed out her innovative journalism, particularly with Rolling Stone Australia, and her fearless reporting on the industry gender stereotypes, injustice, sexual assault and the #MeToo movement.
Rising star LUCY KNOX won the FILM MAKER AWARD with Juror’s commenting on the astonishing level of artistic excellence and skill amongst all the nominees and giving honourable mentions to finalists Natalie van den Dungen and Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien Curran. The Juror’s said they all showed absolute commitment to their craft and a willingness to share their skills with emerging filmmakers.
The STUDIO PRODUCTION AWARD went toelectronic producer and musician ALICE IVY, noted for her singular music persona.The multi award winning artist devises unique collaborations and is a role model in contemporary production and performance. LIVE PRODUCTION TOURING AWARD was won by CASEY O’SHAUGHNESSY from Select Music with Juror’s saying her advocacy for safe and inclusive spaces for women in the industry demonstrated phenomenal leadership that was necessary for transformation of the sector far and wide.
LIVE CREATIVE PRODUCTION AWARD, presented by Katie Noonan,went to outspoken advocate for women in the music industry KAIT HALL, described by Juror’s as a major creative influence in the Australian Music Industry.
Songwriter, composer, educator and performer LEIGH CARRIAGE was recognised with this year’s HUMANITARIAN AWARD for her tireless humanitarian educational work, particularly over the past decade coordinating the Visiting Artists Mentoring Program for Women in Contemporary Music directed to regional areas of Australia.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk congratulated this year’s winners and honourees on their creativity, courage, and contribution to Australia’s music industry.
“After two years of postponements due to COVID-19, my Government is proud to have supported Australian Women in Music Awards 2022 – live, loud and in-person, at The Tivoli in Brisbane,” Premier Palaszczuk said.
“Not only has this event celebrated the most innovative, hard-working and influential women in Australian music, it’s been an opportunity to further amplify the voices of First Nations women, who have historically been under-valued and under-represented.
“I congratulate all of this year’s winners and honourees, and thank AWMA for promoting gender equality and diversity, fostering female talent, and hosting the country’s brightest stars here in Queensland.”
AWMA Founding Executive Producer & Program Director VICKI GORDON said the atmosphere was electric, bringing artists and music industry peers back together after long COVID interruptions and 2 years of cancellations. MC’s Yumi Stynes and Dizzy Doolan elevated the excitement with performances from Emma Donovan & Kee àhn, Tina Arena, BARKAA & Dizzy Doolan, Sahara Beck, Sandy Evans & Satsuki Odamura and Montaigne, plus a rousing world premiere performance of the new classical composition, Jubilissima, commissioned by AWMA, and performed by Elena Kats-Chernin with Brandenburg lead trumpeter Leanne Sullivan.
“AWMA provides a unique space in Australia to drive and celebrate positive cultural change across the entire spectrum of the music industry,” said Gordon.
“AWMA has become a powerful industry leader to highlight the vast and varied talent in this country, to connect people and communities and to break down the systemic issues which have held women back for decades. AWMA is a space for solutions to be proposed, for successes to be acknowledged and for genuinely diverse contributions to be heard. Through AWMA we have effectively raised the collective voice demanding equitable access, safety and recognition for women in the Australian music industry. We are well and truly focussed on the future,” she said.
She congratulated all finalists, winners and performers and praised the extraordinary musicianship of the 2022 AWMA House band led by music director and bassist Zoe Hauptmann with Sarah Belkner on keys, Ali Foster on drums and Kat Ayala on guitar.
The 2022 event focus on First Nation’s practitioners saw several regional and remote grant recipients supported by the Queensland Government to attend the Conference Day as well as the inaugural First Nations Hip Hop showcase Love For My Sisters, supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. A special feature of the conference was the screening of It’s Our Duty: Reflections of Women and Hip Hop, a short film directed by Liza Moscatelli and co-produced by Kween G, documenting local hip hop pioneers using art to connect to culture, community and identity.
The Hip Hop Showcase evening featured performances from Kween G & Lady Lash, Hope One, Hot Brown Honey, Shakaya, Red Belly and Dizzy Doolan.
2022 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN IN MUSIC AWARD WINNERS
HOTEL X ~ FILM MAKER AWARD
Lucy Knox
EXCELLENCE IN IMAGE MAKING AWARD
Cindy Vogels
MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER AWARD
Cybele Malinowski
FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA ~ EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Martha Marlow
APRA AMCOS ~ SONGWRITER AWARD
Tania Doko
JUSTICE ELIZABETH FULLERTON ~ EXCELLENCE IN CLASSICAL MUSIC AWARD
Genevieve Lacey
LIVE PRODUCTION TOURING AWARD
Casey O’Shaunessy
SCHOOL OF AUDIO ENGINEERING ~ STUDIO PRODUCTION AWARD
Alice Ivy
LIVE CREATIVE PRODUCTION AWARD
Kait Hall
SETTLEMENT SERVICES INTERNATIONAL ~ DIVERSITY IN MUSIC AWARD
Eliza Hull
TWITTER AUSTRALIA ~ MUSIC JOURNALIST AWARD
Poppy Reid
TWITTER AUSTRALIA ~ MUSIC JOURNALIST AWARD
Poppy Reid
BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL ~ ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE AWARD
Elena Kats-Chernin
AWMA HONOUR ROLL
Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE
THE INDUSTRY OBSERVER ~ MUSIC LEADERSHIP AWARD
Sahara Herald
NOVA ENTERTAINMENT ~ CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AWARD
Emily Ulman
LEMON TREE MUSIC ~ HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Leigh Carriage
INAUGURAL TINA ARENA ~ SPECIAL IMPACT AWARD
Dina Bassile
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT ~ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Deborah Cheetham AO
Australian Women in Music Awards is an initiative of Cicada International Ltd
The Queensland Government is the Major Sponsor of
Australian Women in Music Awards and Forum
