2021 South Australian Music (SAM) Awards Finalists

The finalists for the 2021 South Australian Music (SAM) Awards feature a host of familiar names as well as a stack of newcomers, showcasing a diverse and vibrant local music community.

With the ceremony to be staged at the historic site of the Old Adelaide Gaol (18 November), the SAM Awards will reveal the winners of both the Major/Industry Voted and People's Choice categories.

Competing for Best Song will be George Alice, Motez, Stellie, Teenage Joans and Wolf & Cub. The Best Group gong is a battle between Bermuda Bay, Teenage Joans, The Empty Threats, TOWNS and The Mondays.

Best Solo Artist will be a contest featuring George Alice, MANE, Motez, Stellie and Tom West; while Best New Artist finalists are Teenage Joans, Mum Friends, Rocky's Pride & Joy, Tilly Tjala Thomas, Jess Johns and MARLON X RULLA.

The Best Release award will see MANE, Motez, Pinkish Blu, Stellie, Teenage Joans and Tom West via for top honours.

Music SA's General Manager Kim Roberts highlights the importance of the SAMs to the South Australian music community.

"The continual challenges brought on due to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a devastating impact on local musicians, industry workers and live music venues over the past 12 months," she says.

"It is so important that we can get together safely to celebrate the many wins that our incredible industry has had this year. Congratulations to all of the finalists. I can't wait to celebrate with you."

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by ✨ 2021 SAM Awards ✨ (@samusicawards)

After a record number of votes, The People's Choice award categories have revealed plenty of fresh faces including Dem Mob, LILY ROSE, Druid Fluids, Stace Cadet along with past winners and finalists such as Stellie, Motez, TOWNS, Wing Defence, The Empty Threats, Siberian Tiger, EAST AV3, Oscar The Wild, SODA, and many more.

Anne Wiberg, Chair of Music SA, is thrilled the SAMs can go ahead to celebrate the achievements of South Australian musicians and industry workers this past year.

"Another difficult year for SA's live music industry has inspired an incredible amount of creativity and perseverance from musicians and industry workers – from outstanding new music releases to COVID-safe events."

2021 South Australian Music Awards take place at Old Adelaide Gaol (Adelaide) 18 November.

2021 South Australian Music Awards Finalists

Major/Industry Voted Awards Finalists

BEST STUDIO

Chapel Lane Studios
Electric Ant Records
Stone Shed Studio
Wizard Tone Studios
Wundenberg’s Recording Studio

BEST STUDIO ENGINEER/PRODUCER

Cactus Cactus Sound (Ryan Martin John)
Jarred Nettle
Kiah Gossner
Lewis Wundenberg
Suture Mastering

BEST LIVE TECHNICIAN

Dagger’s Production (Nathan D’Agostino)
Lisa Lane Collins
Luke Hancock
Michael Wickens
Patrick Lockwood
Peter Wing

BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL/EVENT

Adelaide Guitar Festival
Beer & BBQ Homebrewed
Summer Sounds Festival
The Local
WOMADelaide

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL/EVENT

Folkloria Festival
Garden Daze
One12 Festival
Space Jams South Coast Tour
Utopian State

BEST VENUE

Grace Emily Hotel
Jive
Lion Arts Factory
The Wheatsheaf Hotel
Unibar ADL
Vintage Vulture

BEST COVER ART

Wolf & Cub - Nil (Luke Byrne)
The Mondays - No Sugar Sprite (Arkadia Visuals)
Kaurna Cronin - Aloft In Blue (Julia Thornberg - Thorsoee)
Heaps Good Friends - Up Close and Personal (Ashley Giles)
Holas May - Block Letter (Angus Smith/Angvs)
Teenage Joans - Taste of Me (Samuel Graves & Eve Burner)

BEST MANAGER

Planet Shhh
Rachel Whitford
Sebastian James
Sian Walden (Little Acorn Music)
Diana Sautelle

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

Slowmango - Thairaide (Kaspar Schmidt Mumm & Emmaline Zanelli)
Teenage Joans - Something About Being Sixteen (Jack Bielby & Thomas Schaefer)
TOWNS - Swimming (Thomas Schaefer & Jack Bielby)
Neofix - Freedom (Neofix)
Glowing - Poppy (Harry Nathan)

BEST SONG

George Alice - Teenager
Motez - Reset
Stellie - 22 Pieces
Teenage Joans - Something About Being Sixteen
Wolf & Cub - Blue State

BEST NEW ARTIST

Teenage Joans
Mum Friends
Rocky's Pride & Joy
Tilly Tjala Thomas
Jess Johns
MARLON X RULLA

BEST GROUP

Bermuda Bay
Teenage Joans
The Empty Threats
TOWNS
The Mondays

BEST ABORIGINAL/TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST

Dem Mob
MARLON X RULLA
Rob Edwards
Tilly Tjala Thomas

BEST SOLO ARTIST

George Alice
MANE
Motez
Stellie
Tom West

BEST RELEASE

MANE - Coping Mechanisms
Motez - Reset
Pinkish Blu - People Just Do Good Things Sometimes
Stellie - Stellie (Self-titled)
Teenage Joans - Taste Of Me
Tom West - I'm Livin'

BEST MUSIC EDUCATOR

Abbey Howlett
Alison Hams
Ben Smith
Jess Day
Julian Ferraretto
Paige Court

BEST INNOVATION

Against The Grain - ATG Sessions
Play/Pause/Play - The Sounds of South Australia Podcast
Summer Sounds Festival
WOMADelaide x NSS Academy
Carclew Music At Work - BLKMPIRE

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS FINALISTS

BLUES & ROOTS

Cal Williams Jr
Mojo Dingo
Sean Kemp
Sturt Avenue
Trav Collins

COUNTRY

Jimmybay
Mark Curtis and the Flannelettes
Matt Ward
Michaela Jenke
Ricky Albeck & The Belair Line Band

ELECTRONIC

Jack Truant
Kelly Matejcic, Krunk & Restricted
Motez
Stace Cadet
V O E

EXPERIMENTAL

Georgia Oatley
Slowmango
SODA
Sons of Zoku
The Empty Threats

FOLK

Alison Newman
B.S Roberts
Jess Johns
Siberian Tiger
Trent Worley

HEAVY

alt.
Dirty Pagans
Kitchen Witch
No No No No No
SIGNV/S

HIP HOP

Boffa
Dem Mob
EAST AV3
GOLDN
Stefan Rossi

JAZZ

Chelsea Lee
Christina Guala Saxophone Quartet
ER@SER DESCRIPTION
Max Grynchuk

POP

G-Nation
George Alice
Kyan Burns
Lilac Cove
Rachael Leahcar

PUNK

AGAPANTHER
Bitchspawn
LOLA
Teenage Joans
Wing Defence

ROCK

Druid Fluids
LILY ROSE
Oscar The Wild
TOWNS
Wolf & Cub

SOUL/FUNK/R&B

Dino Jag
Dojo Rise
LilyMay
Mum Thinks Blue
Wanderers