Winners announced for 2016 Art Music Awards

Paul Grabowsky and the Young Wagilak Group, Catherine Milliken and Andrew Schultz are amongst the winners for this year’s 2016 Art Music Awards.

The gala event, that was held at The Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne on Tuesday, showcased a wide range of artistic streams that included 11 national categories as well as eight state and territory categories.

The ceremony stands tall as the only national event in Australia to acknowledge the work and success of Australians in the genres of contemporary art music, experimental music and jazz.

One of the more prestigious presentations at the ceremony, The Distinguished Services to Australian Music Award, honoured 80-year-old Australian composer Helen Gifford OAM for her lifelong service to the industry.

This year’s event paid tribute to a host of notable music industry figures who had passed away in the last year. AMC CEO John Davis gave a special mention to the late Roger Smalley, Catherine Sullivan and Roy David Page, acknowledging their unique and important contributions to the Australian music community.

Paul Grabowsky and Katie Noonan

During the ceremony, Brett Cottle, CEO of APRA AMCOS, announced the opening of a second round of applicants for the recently established Art Music Fund. The fund is designed to support art music composers create new, commissioned work that will be performed extensively.

With the second round set to open in November, the fund will offer $100,000 in grant money. 12 established and emerging Australian artists have already benefitted from the fund in 2016.

See below for the full list of 2016 Art Music Awards winners:

WINNERS 2016 ART MUSIC AWARDS

Distinguished Services to Australian Music

Helen Gifford OAM

Vocal / Choral Work of the Year

Title: Le Molière Imaginaire, for eight voices Composer: Andrew Schultz

Text: Timothy Knapman, after the final scene of Molière’s ’Le Malade Imaginaire’

Performed by: I Fagiolini

Jazz Work of the Year

Title: Nyilipidgi

Composers: Paul Grabowsky* and the Young Wägilak Group

Performed by: Paul Grabowsky, the Young Wägilak Group and the Monash Art Ensemble

Publisher: J Albert and Son

Instrumental Work of the Year

Title: Semaphore

Composer: Kate Neal

Performed by: Semaphore band and dancers

Orchestral Work of the Year

Title: Earth Plays

Composer: Catherine Milliken

Performed by: Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Fiona Campbell (Soloist), Peter Rundel (Conductor)

Performance of the Year

Performer: Semaphore band and dancers

Title: Semaphore

Composer: Kate Neal

Award for Excellence by an Organisation

Ensemble Offspring for 2015 activities and sustained services to Australian music for 20 years

Award for Excellence by an Individual

Claire Edwardes for performance, advocacy and artistic leadership

Award for Excellence in Music Education

Artology for the Fanfare Competition

Award for Excellence in a Regional Area

Moorambilla Voices for the Moorambilla Voices 2015 Tenth Anniversary Season

Award for Excellence in Experimental Music

Speak Percussion for 2015 Music Program

Award for Excellence in Jazz

Australian Jazz Real Book for the Australian Jazz Real Book

State Winners

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY AWARD

Category: Instrumental Work of the Year

Recipient: Natalie Williams for Saudade

NEW SOUTH WALES STATE AWARD

Category: Performance of the Year

Recipient: Sydney Chamber Opera for Fly Away Peter

Composer: Elliott Gyger

NORTHERN TERRITORY STATE AWARD

Category: Orchestral Work of the Year

Recipient: Darwin Symphony Orchestra for Tracy

Composers: Ross Edwards, Iain Grandage, Kat McGuffie and Lachlan Skipworth

QUEENSLAND STATE AWARD

Category: Excellence in Jazz

Recipient: Berardi/Foran/Karlen for Hope in my Pocket

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STATE AWARD

Category: Excellence by an Organisation

Recipient: Zephyr Quartet for sustained contribution for over 16 years

TASMANIAN STATE AWARD

Category: Instrumental Work of the Year

Recipient: Michael Kieran Harvey for Patañjali

VICTORIAN STATE AWARD

Category: Orchestral Work of the Year

Recipient: Elliott Gyger for From Joyous Leaves

WESTERN AUSTRALIA STATE AWARD

Category: Performance of the Year

Recipient: Louise Devenish for Electroacoustic Music For One Percussionist

Works by: Warren Burt, James Hullick, Stuart James, Andrián Pertout and Lindsay Vickery