2019 WA NAIDOC Music Awards Nominees

The best in the west have been revealed as the WA NAIDOC Music Awards name their nominees for this year.

Leading the nominations this year with four apiece are Karrajarri man John Bennett (Best Song, Best Album, Best Vocalist, and Best Male Artist) and Nyiyaparli man Bradley Hall (Best Song, Best Male Artist, Best Music Video, Best Band/Group).

Each are formidable songwriters in their own right and capture the essence of their respective regions (Bennett – Kimberley, and Hall – Pilbara) in their relatable and emotive lyricism.

Flewnt and Jamahl Ryder follow up with three award nominations each, with two nominations apiece going to Indigo-Ellis, JoKeria, MissGenius, Theona Councillor, and Zero Emcee

The inaugural awards will take place at the Freo.Social (Fremantle) on 6 September; adding to this night-of-nights for the WA music community will be live performances by alt. rockers The Struggling Kings and three-time category winner and WAM Song of the Year Grand Prize runner-up, hip hop MC Flewnt along with Cameron Wilkes, Indigo-Ellis and Natasha Eldridge.


Singer-songwriter, top didgeridoo player and absolute local legend Phil Walley-Stack will also perform as well as handling the role of event emcee.

With a history of defending Aboriginal interests and culture stretching back to 1956, the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) seeks to celebrate Aboriginal artists and give them a platform to advance their art form.

The WA NAIDOC Music Awards are on at Freo Social (Fremantle) 6 September.

WA NAIDOC Music Awards Nominees

BEST SONG

Flewnt - 'Black Boy'
John Bennett - 'Grandfather'
Bradley Hall - 'My Heart, My Land'
Theona Councillor - 'Sweet Black Man'

BEST ALBUM

John Bennett - 'Country Is Calling'
Jamahl Ryder - 'Defy Reality'
JoKeria - 'Red Country'

THE JASON BARTLETT AWARD FOR BEST VOCALIST

Indigo-Ellis
John Bennett
Kendall Smith

BEST MALE ARTIST

Bradley Hall
Flewnt
Jamahl Ryder
John Bennett

BEST FEMALE ARTIST

MissGenius
Natasha Eldridge
Theona Councillor

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

Zero Emcee - 'Drawing Board'
Jamahl Ryder - 'Go All Out'
Bradley Hall - 'My Heart, My Land'

EMERGING ARTIST

Billy Woodley
Indigo-Ellis
Ronnie Smith

BEST HIP-HOP SONG

Flewnt - 'Black Boy'
Zero Emcee - 'Drawing Board'
MissGenius - 'Laugh"

BEST BAND/GROUP

Bradley Hall Band
JoKeria
The Struggling Kings