MEDIA RELEASE October 29th, 2020 THE 16TH AMP – SUPPORTING OUR ARTISTS ELIGIBILITY ON TRACK IN 2020! “The world needs music more than ever, and anything The AMP has many that we can do to support songwriters and artists to keep channels of ongoing THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC creating is critical. This year might have been the most research to ensure all challenging ever to write, record, release and/or promote eligible albums are heard, PRIZE (THE AMP) ANNOUNCES an album, but also the most meaningful to fans and the including artists alerting THAT ITS 16TH PRIZE, FOR music industry at large. We’re a long-time and proud The AMP of their eligible album directly. ELIGIBLE 2020 ALBUM supporter of The Australian Music Prize for keeping a spotlight on new Australian music.” RELEASES, IS ON COURSE TO The AMP asks that all Dean Ormston — APRA AMCOS CEO Nominated artists make DELIVER A SHORTLIST AND contact with AMP admin WINNER EARLY IN 2021. “Music is about uniting people and now more than ever (via AMP website) so that we all need a bit of hope and happiness. I’m excited the eligibility can be confirmed, THE JUDGES of The AMP have been Mushroom Group is supporting the Australian Music Prize and future plans disclosed. listening to over 300 albums since (AMP) once again in 2020. It’s an important award offering recognition and support to some of our best independent To check on eligibility June and have – so far – Nominated Australian artists and songwriters, acknowledgment and to advise The AMP 52 albums as contenders – the best needed more than ever as our local music industry goes of albums, visit: albums of 2020 ­– the list follows. through these difficult times.” Michael Gudinski — Chairman of Mushroom Group. australianmusicprize.com NOMINATED ALBUMS include releases by: #1 Dads, DMA’S, (previous winners) “Its important to note that the process is ongoing… Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Rolling The Stage 1 judges will be listening right up to the end Blackouts Coastal Fever, RVG, Tame of year as albums will be released until then – so the list of Nominated albums will grow”. Impala, The Chats, The Necks, Violent Scott B. Murphy — AMP Founder and Prize Director Soho and 5 Seconds Of Summer. THE NOMINATED #1 Dads Golden Repair Jess Cornelius Distance Shepparton Airplane Sharks 5 Seconds Of Summer Calm Karate Boogaloo Simona Castricum Panic/Desire ALBUMS – SO FAR Carn The Boogers Don’t Sleep Snowy Band Audio Commentary Katie Dey Mydata Andras Joyful Sophie Hutchings 2020 AUSTRALIAN ARTIST L-Fresh The Lion South West Scattered On The Wind Andrew Tuttle Alexandra ALBUM RELEASES THAT Loser Mindless Joy Stevan Just Kids Banoffee Look At Us Now Dad HAVE BEEN NOMINATED BY Luke Howard Sweet Whirl How Much Works Big Yawn No! The Sand That Ate The Sea THE JUDGES OF THE 16TH Boomalli The Promise Mark Seymour & The Undertow AUSTRALIAN MUSIC PRIZE The Chats High Risk Behaviour Cable Ties Far Enough Slow Dawn Miiesha Nyaaringu The Friends Of David McComb This list is not final, more albums Caiti Baker Mary Of The North Truckload Of Sky Mild Minds Mood will be added up to the end of 2020. Clamm Beseech Me The Necks Three If you are connected to an eligible DMAs The Glow Nat Vazer Is This Offensive And Loud? Tracey Mc Neil & The Goodlife album and want to ensure our judges e44443 Coldstream Road You Be The Lightning listen to it, let us know about it here. Nick Griffith 7AM Eddy Current Suppression Ring Traffik Island Sweat Kollecta’s All In Good Time Party Dozen Peanut Butter Traffik Jam Pray For Party Dozen If your album is on the below list Fanny Lumsden Fallow Vanessa Perica Orchestra please contact The AMP, asap, Primo! Sogni Love Is A Temporary Madness Good Boy It Takes A Lot so that eligibility can be confirmed. Of Skill To Milk A Mare Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Violent Soho Everything Is A-OK Sideways To New Italy Our Two Skins Ziggy Ramo Black Thoughts Roza Terenzi Modern Bliss Gordon Koang Unity RVG Feral Gum Out In The World Sarah Mary Chadwick Jack Colwell Swandream Please Daddy PRIZE MONEY? LOVE AUSSIE MADE MUSIC? BUY A TEE

IN AN EFFORT TO RAISE Obviously, many people and businesses have been PRIZE MONEY, THE AMP, directly affected, in a financial way, in 2020 and this IN PARTNERSHIP WITH includes The AMP whose primary source of income has been sponsorship. Luckily, all judges are volunteers SOUNDMERCH, HAS so the process of Nominating albums, determining a LAUNCHED AN ONLINE Shortlist (9 finalists) and a winner continues as normal. STORE TO SELL T-SHIRTS! Simply, if you love discovering great new Aussie Made Music, please buy a tee.

70% OF ALL PROFITS FROM SALES WILL GO DIRECTLY TO ARTISTS BY WAY OF PRIZE MONEY AND MARKETING OF THEIR ALBUMS.

The AMP Tees and Tee/Facemask bundles, are available at SoundMerch.

PRE-ORDER NOW Rather than the online store, did you What happens next with the 16th AMP? Q&A WITH consider a crowd funding campaign? “There will be another major announcement in SCOTT MURPHY “Yes, I spent quite a bit of time researching December, it will contain the complete/final list FOUNDER/PRIZE DIRECTOR OF this and it was a very valid option at one point. of 2020 Nominated albums – the albums our However, I decided that to make it successful judges liked. Last year this list was 107 albums THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC PRIZE I would have to ask for a lot from artists – long out of 440 eligible albums – the numbers previous winners and those Nominated in 2020 are looking similar this year. As per previous When you realised that you couldn’t raise – so as to have ‘rewards’ to offer and from the prizes, the Shortlist will be determined in January, prize money, why didn’t you just give beginning my policy has been that just because announced end Jan/early Feb and then a select The AMP a year off? our judges say you’ve made a great album, panel of the judges will meet in March to decide “Because that wouldn’t be fair to the hundreds doesn’t mean you have to give back. And let’s on and announce, a winner.” of Australian artists who are releasing albums in face it, 2020 has been hard enough on them.” 2020. I surveyed many people, especially artists In the past you’ve hosted an industry lunch and they all said prize money, or not, the prize Do you think you will sell enough t-shirts where all Shortlisted artists are celebrated and should go ahead.” to be able to offer a significant cash prize then the winner is announced, is this the plan? to the winner? “That’s not looking good at this point! First step Are the artists who have Nominated albums “Yes. I was a little uncertain until I saw the great is to have funding in place so that selected judges being told there’s no prize money? design! The design coupled with the very simple that don’t reside in Melbourne, can be brought “Absolutely. I don’t, as yet, have contact details for message – if you love Aussie made music then in for that final face-to-face meet. I think many many of them but everyone I have made contact help the bands by buying a t-shirt – should work. industry workers would be happy to pay for their with has been advised that at this point I can not The key is to get the message spread very wide lunch if that goes ahead but I wouldn’t ever want commit to offer prize money. Most come back and I’ve many industry friends helping with that.” the Shortlisted artists to pay so we’ll see how simply saying ‘no worries, just happy my album funding works out. Either way, we’ll have a winner has been Nominated.’” Is the t-shirt campaign a short term effort? and the process of getting to that point remains “No, I am planning on it staying there and we will the same.” add new versions every March, when there’s a new winner and again at this time of the year, launching the next prize.” THE AMP 2020 IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

16TH AMP JUDGES

Cameron Adams Bryget Chrisfield Sosefina Fuamoli Kate Hennessy Abbe May Andrew Sinclair Sam Anning Dan Condon ‘Ofa Fotu Triana Hernandez Tiarney Miekus Jeb Taylor Steve Bell Shaad D’Souza Tim Freedman Michael Hohnen Bruce Milne Cassie Walker Chris Berkley Jessica Dale Chris Gill Chris Holland Holly Pereira Simon Winkler Maia Bilyk Tim Daley Mike Glynn Phil Jamieson Zoë Radas David James Young Martin Boulton Hayden Davies Dan Gordon Amelia Jenner Rok Riley Bernard Zuel Mikey Cahill Andrew Drever Alex Gow Shannon Logan Jeremy Rose

CONTACT SCOTT B MURPHY PRIZE DIRECTOR, THE AMP [email protected] 0408 118 000