In an award ceremony, rival to any great party, in Melbourne on Sunday November 22 the 2009 Australian Independent Record Association awards were named. Ten categories documented the 2009 Indepedent music scene in Australia to a whole host of stand out performances from Midnight Juggernaughts, Dappled Cities, Bertie Blackman, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Bridezilla, Kirsty Lee Akers and Tjupurru.
The nominees and winners at the awards, had a lot of cross over with the ARIA’s (happening on the 26th of November) marking the growing impact the Independent Music Industry is having on the mainstream music market. MusicNSW’s feature artist Bertie Blackman, for example, is nominated for Best Independent Release at the ARIA’s and took home the Best Breakthrough Independent Aritst of 2009 at the AIR Awards last weekend. Similarly Art Vs. Science took out the Best Independent Dance Release for their debut self titled EP and are up for Breakthrough Artist Single against Lisa Mitchell, Jessica Maubouy, Blue Juice and Lady Hawke at the ARIAs.
The Drones took out the name gong at the AIR Awards – the Jagermeister Album of the Year, as well as Indepdent Artist of the Year. Philadelphia Grand Jury took out Best Independent Sinlge or EP for ‘Going to the Casino – Tomorrow Night’and C.W. StoneKing’s (also up for an ARIA) album Jungle Blues was named ‘Best Independent Blues and Roots Album’. Adam Brand’s Hell of A Ride took home the ‘Best Independent Country Album’.
Perth’s Pez took out the ‘Best Indepeendent Hip Hop/Urban album and the ‘Best Independent Jazz Album’ went to The World According to James.
