At an award ceremony held last night at the Toff in Town in Melbourne, A.B. Original were announced as the winner of the 12th Australian Music Prize for their album ‘Reclaim Australia’.
A.B. Original join previous winners including Courtney Barnett, The Jezabels, Hermitude, Big Scary, The Drones and Lisa Mitchell.
The collaboration between Briggs (Album of the Year recipient at the National Indigenous Music Awards 2015) and Trials (ARIA Award-winning producer for Drapht, Illy, Hilltop Hoods, Seth Sentry and The Funkoars) A.B.Original was born when the two artists were invited to perform at triple j’s 40-year celebration, Beat The Drum, in January, 2015.
A.B.Original said: “When we made this album, we thought it was career suicide. For us to be afforded this platform with so many listeners is not lost on us.
“We went all out because we thought it was the last one we'd make. All of this support is igniting us to do another one! We are very grateful.”
Respectively coming from the Yorta Yorta and Ngarrindjeri tribes, Briggs and Trials are socially conscious, outspoken Indigenous artists.
Dave Faulkner, Chairperson of the Judging Panel, said: “'Reclaim Australia' is more than just a great Australian album, it's a cultural landmark.
“It's an angry, funny, heartfelt, slamming hip hop album that takes its inspiration from '90s gangsta rap, and filters it through a modern Aboriginal perspective. It hits hard politically, musically and emotionally and the stories A.B. Original are telling are ones we all need to hear right now.”
A.B.Original win $30,000 in prize money courtesy of PPCA.
