Australia's independent musicians and bands will be celebrated at the annual AIR Awards, which again return to Adelaide, the UNESCO City of Music, in 2025.
To be staged at Adelaide Town Hall (31 July) the same week as AIR's Indie-Con Australia Conference and A2IM's Indie Week Australian Edition, the AIR Awards are an invite-only industry event.With more than 250 individual awards presented to date, with many recipients receiving their first industry recognition at the awards, the AIR Awards recognise, promote, and celebrate the success of Australia's independent music sector.
"The Malinauskas Government is proud to support the AIR Awards and Indie Week – Australian edition. It is fantastic to be hosting the Awards here in Adelaide again – Australia's only UNESCO City of Music – and I congratulate all of the nominees," Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP says.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience."
AIR has introduced the Independent Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer Of The Year industry award to recognise an Australian/ Australian-based mix, studio or mastering engineer responsible for an Australian independent release during the eligibility period.
With previous AIR Awards winners including Genesis Owusu, Courtney Barnett, Fanny Lumsden, Flume, Sampa the Great, Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers, Confidence Man, G Flip, A.B Original, King Stingray, Violent Soho and Telenova, the AIR Awards always have their finger on the pulse of Australia's emerging independent music talent.
Across 22 categories, 2025 sees a number of artists with multiple nominations led by electronic producer Alice Ivy with four and punk rockers Amy & The Sniffers scoring three. Confidence Man, King Stingray, Gut Health, Miss Kaninna, Royel Otis, The Dreggs, Queenie and 3% have each received two nominations apiece.
Other notable acts with a single nomination include The Amity Affliction, Dune Rats, Emma Donovan, Kasey Chambers, Katie Noonan, Northlane, Ocean Alley, PNAU, Regurgitator, Sheppard, Sycco, The Wiggles, and Ziggy Ramo.
Contending for Album Of The Year will be Amyl And The Sniffers, Emily Wurramara, King Stingray, Royel Otis and The Dreggs. While Song Of The Year will be battled out between Alice Ivy, Amyl And The Sniffers, Jem Cassar-Daley, Ocean Alley and Sycco. The Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year will be decided between 3%, Gut Health, Miss Kaninna, Queenie and The Dreggs.
Best Independent Blues And Roots Album or EP
Emma Donovan - 'Til My Song Is Done'Little Quirks - 'Little Quirks'
Mia Dyson - 'Tender Heart'
Queenie - 'New Moult' Steph Strings - 'Cradle Mountain'
Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP
3% - 'Kill The Dead'Dobby - 'Warrangu: River Story'
Lithe - 'What Would You Do?'
Miss Kaninna - 'Kaninna'
Ziggy Ramo - 'Human?'
Best Independent Country Album or EP
Henry Wagons - 'The Four Seasons'Kasey Chambers - 'Backbone'
Lane Pittman - 'Lane Pittman'
Michael Waugh - 'Beauty & Truth'
The Whitlams Black Stump - 'Kookaburra'
Best Independent Jazz Album or EP
Claire Cross - 'Sleep Cycle'Lucy Clifford - 'Between Spaces Of Knowing'
Molly Lewis - 'On The Lips'
Parvyn - 'Maujuda'
Sam Anning - 'Earthen'
Best Independent Classical Album or EP
Australian Chamber Orchestra - 'Memoir Of A Snail'Electric Fields & Melbourne Symphony Orchestra - 'Live In Concert'
Katie Noonan & Karin Schaupp - 'Songs Of The Southern Skies Vol 2'
Nat Bartsch - 'Forever Changed'
Simon Mavin - 'Some Days'
Best Independent Children's Album or EP
Bunny Racket - 'Power'Emma Memma - 'Twirly Tunes'
Teeny Tiny Stevies - 'The Green Album'
The Quokkas - 'Songs For Silly Billies'
The Wiggles - 'The Wiggles Sound System: Rave Of Innocence'
Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single
Alice Ivy - 'Do I Need To Know What Love Is? feat. Josh Teskey'Confidence Man - 'I Can't Lose You'
Haiku Hands - 'Kicks'
Moktar - 'Haraka (حركة)'
Odd Mob - 'Vertigo feat. Ed Graves'
Best Independent Punk Album or EP
Don't Thank Me, Spank Me! - 'Don't Thank Me, Spank Me!'Dune Rats - 'If It Sucks, Turn It Up'
Gut Health - 'Stiletto'
Radio Free Alice - 'Polyester'
Regurgitator - 'Invader'
Best Independent Heavy Album or EP
Northlane - 'Mirror's Edge'Ocean Grove - 'Oddworld'
RedHook - 'Mutation'
The Amity Affliction - 'Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)'
The Southern River Band - 'D.I.Y'
Best Independent Dance or Electronica Album or EP
1tbsp - 'Megacity1000'Alice Ivy - 'Do What Makes You Happy'
Confidence Man - 3AM (La La La)'
Ninajirachi - 'Girl EDM'
PNAU - 'Hyperbolic'
Best Independent Rock Album or EP
Amyl And The Sniffers - 'Cartoon Darkness'King Stingray - 'For The Dreams'
Party Dozen - 'Crime In Australia'
Royel Otis - 'Pratts & Pain'
The Rions - 'Happiness In A Place It Shouldn't Be'
Best Independent Soul/R&B Album or EP
Beckah Amani - 'This Is How I Remember It.'Don West - 'Don West'
Ella Thompson - 'Ripple On The Wing'
Milan Ring - 'Mangos'
Radical Son - 'Bilambiyal'
Best Independent Pop Album or EP
Annie Hamilton - 'Stop And Smell The Lightning'Asha Jefferies - 'Ego Ride'
Emma Russack - 'About The Girl'
Good Morning - 'Good Morning Seven'
Sheppard - 'Zora'
Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year
3%Gut Health
Miss Kaninna
Queenie
The Dreggs
Independent Song Of The Year
Alice Ivy - 'Do I Need To Know What Love Is? feat. Josh Teskey'Amyl And The Sniffers - 'U Should Not Be Doing That'
Jem Cassar-Daley - 'Big Container'
Ocean Alley - 'Tangerine'
Sycco - 'Meant To Be'
Independent Album Of The Year
Amyl And The Sniffers - 'Cartoon Darkness'Emily Wurramara - 'Nara'
King Stingray - 'For The Dreams'
Royel Otis - 'Pratts & Pain'
The Dreggs - 'Caught In A Reverie'
Best Independent Label
ABC MusicDinosaur City
Etcetc.
I Oh You
Impressed Recordings
Independent Marketing Team Of The Year
ABC Music, The Annex - Emily Wurramara, 'Nara'Future Classic, The Annex - Sycco, 'Zorb'
Gyrostream - Lithe, 'Fall Back'
I Oh You, Mushroom Music - Confidence Man, '3AM (La La La)'
Ourness, The Annex - Royel Otis, 'Pratts & Pain'
Independent Publicity Team Of The Year
I Oh You, Mushroom Music - Confidence Man, '3AM (La La La)'Liz Ansley - Emily Wurramara, 'Nara'
Super Duper - Radio Free Alice, 'Polyester'
Thinking Loud - Royel Otis, 'Pratts & Pain'
Twnty Three PP - The Rions, 'Happiness In A Place It Shouldn't Be'
Independent Music Video Of The Year
Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore - Emily Wurramara, 'Lordy Lordy feat. Tasman Keith'Nick Rae, Jordan Ruyi Blanch - 3%, 'Won't Stop feat. Jessica Mauboy'
Pond - Pond, '(I'm) Stung!'
Rosemary Whatmuff - Kasey Chambers, 'Backbone (The Desert Child)'
Stephanie Jane Day - Emma Russack, 'Everything Is Big'
Independent Producer Of The Year
Alice Ivy - 'Do What Makes You Happy'Bonnie Knight - Coldwave, 'The Ants/Italia '06'
Dave Hammer - Lime Cordiale, 'Enough Of The Sweet Talk'
Nick Didia - Ocean Alley, 'Tangerine'
Nina Wilson - Ninajirachi, 'Girl EDM'
Independent Mix, Studio Or Mastering Engineer Of The Year
Nick Herrera - Miss Kaninna, 'Kaninna'Robert Muinos - Rowena Wise, 'Senseless Acts Of Beauty'
Rohan Sforcina, Lachlan Carrick - Emma Donovan, 'Til My Song Is Done'
Steven Schram - Crowded House, 'Gravity Stairs'
Tom Iansek - Tom Snowdon, 'Lonely Tree'
