With a state-wide celebration of Queensland's musical talent, this year's Queensland Music Awards have unveiled a glittering array of finalists spread throughout the state.
Gold Coast's Amy Shark continues her incredible, worldwide success with three nominations alongside Brisbane's indie-pop favourites The Jungle Giants. While dual nominees include WAAX, Tia Gostelow, The Kite String Tangle, Cub Sport, Eleea and King Social.
Best Pop Song will be a battle between: Amy Shark's ‘Weekends’; Cub Sport’s ‘Chasin’; Sheppard with ‘Coming Home’ and The Jungle Giants’ hit ‘Feel The Way I Do’.
While Best Rock Song will be a contest between Brisbane’s home-town heroes DZ Deathrays and Jeremy Neale together with first-time nominees WAAX and the Gold Coast’s Landings.
With a large chunk of nominees coming from the Greater Brisbane area, there is plenty of regional talent on show with the Gold Coast delivering first-time finalists liza & The Delusionals, Harry J Hart, and Eleea alongside previous QMA winners Amy Shark, Karl S Williams and Doolie.
FNQ is also represented with Townsville's country, hip hop hybrid King Social, Cairns-based Hip-Hop/Rap nominee VEXED and emerging songwriter Greta Stanley, Kuranda’s Soul/Funk/R&B soloist Mayah, and Schools Award nominees Legends of Perhaps, the sibling four-piece from Cooktown.
The 2018 Album of the Year shortlist features The Jungle Giants ('Quiet Ferocity'), The Creases ('Tremolow'), Cub Sport ('BATS'), The Kite String Tangle ('The Kite String Tangle') and Airling ('Hard To Sleep, Easy To Dream').
Brisbane-based ambient-electronic producer Yoste, indie-electronica songwriter Keelan Mak, acoustic-pop songwriter Harry Phillips and Greta Stanley are this year's four finalists for the $10,000 Billy Thorpe Scholarship 2018, supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
The Scholarship recipient will be announced during the Queensland Music Awards ceremony. The night will also feature winner announcements for Export and Lifetime Achievement Awards.
The 2018 Queensland Music Awards will feature special performances by WAAX, Brad Butcher, Carmouflage Rose, Jeremy Neale, The Kite String Tangle, May Lyn and Greta Stanley, and will be staged at Royal International Convention Centre at the Brisbane Showgrounds 14 May.
2018 Queensland Music Awards Finalists
BLUES / ROOTS
AlfanAntDana Gehrman
Karl S Williams
Ruby Gilbert
COUNTRY
Brad ButcherDana Gehrman and Tim Rogers
Pete Cullen & The Biffs
The Long Johns
ELECTRONIC / DANCE
DoolieGolden Vessel
May Lyn
The Kite String Tangle
HEAVY
Caligula's HorseMachine Age
Silence The Sun
The Brave
HIP HOP / RAP
Carmouflage RoseChong Ali
Crooked White
VEXED
INDIGENOUS
CKNUEleea
Emily Wurramara
King Social
JAZZ
Andrew Butt TrioRafael Karlen
Toby Wren
Trichotomy
POP
Amy SharkCub Sport
Sheppard
The Jungle Giants
REGIONAL
Amy SharkEliza & The Delusionals
Greta Stanley
Tia Gostelow
ROCK
DZ DeathraysJeremy Neale
Landings
WAAX
SINGER SONGWRITER
Amy SharkAsha Jefferies
Hazlett
Tia Gostelow
SCHOOLS
Harry J HartLaura Eban
Legends of Perhaps
Xander Holmes
SOUL / FUNK / R&B
EleeaKing Social
Mayah
RIVAH
VIDEO
The Jungle GiantsFAIRCHILD
Anatole feat. Tom Iansek
WAAX
WORLD / FOLK
MZAZASian Evans
Sol
Sue Ray
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Jungle GiantsThe Creases
Cub Sport
The Kite String Tangle
Airling
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
Venue of the Year
Regional:Night Quarter – Gold Coast
Tanks Arts Centre – Cairns
Solbar – Sunshine Coast
Miami Marketta – Gold Coast
Metro:
The Triffid – Newstead
The Tivoli Theatre – Fortitude Valley
The Zoo – Fortitude Valley
Black Bear Lodge – Fortitude Valley
Festival of the Year
Big Pineapple FestivalBleach*
Blues on Broadbeach
Brisbane Festival
Caloundra Music Festival
Earth Frequency Festival
FOMO Festival
Gympie Music Muster
Island Vibe Festival
Jungle Love Festival
Maroochy Music & Visual Arts Festival
Mountain Goat Valley Crawl
Queensland Music Festival
Stones Corner Festival
The End of The Line Festival
The Grass is Greener
Valley Fiesta
Woodford Folk Festival
