The 2019 Australian Women in Music Awards speakers include Amy Sheppard, Yumi Stynes, Deborah Cheetham, Kween G, and Kim ‘Busty Beatz’ Bowers.
The Awards Concert will traverse opera, roots, hip hop, pop, rock and even a 'Guitarmagedon'.
The two-day programme is an integral part of AWMA’s long-term goal in continuing to nurture a strong and dynamic hub of conversation for women, First Nations, multicultural artists and members of the LGBTQ+ community to share knowledge, inspire and thrive.
Four forums featuring industry leaders from across the sector and diverse opinion makers will be held in conjunction with the Awards Ceremony, Concert and Party at the Brisbane Powerhouse on October 8 & 9.
Building on the wave of support for change embraced by the inaugural AWMAs in 2018, this year’s event welcomes noted broadcaster, musician, writer, teacher, philanthropist and trans man Eddie Ayres as the 2019 Keynote Speaker.
Vicki Gordon AWMA Founding Executive Director said: “He is part of a hopeful vision for the future of women and diverse people in positions of power and creative control.
"Because we are at a crossroads of dynamic possibilities for inclusivity, AWMA’s vision is to lead with generosity, to insist that our society benefits when musicians and those who work with them are empowered from a diversity of places, cultures and identities.”
Click here to read our recent interview with Vicki.
2019 AWMA FORUM PROGRAMME
VISIBILITY IN HIP HOP - Women On The Front Line
Facilitator: Kween G (Hip Hop Artist)Panelists: Kaylah Truth, Dizzy Doolan & Philly (First Nations Hip Hop Artists)
Hip hop has given clarion voice to poverty, police brutality, violence and racism but has had a vexed relationship to women, their stories and their voices. How can female voices more consistently be given their rightful place in the Australian hip hop music scene?
Kween G
THE ART OF REBELLION - The Intersection of Music & Politics
Facilitator: Merenia Marin (Artist/ Specialist Ignite Ability Facilitator SSI)Panelists: Yumi Stynes (Television/ Radio Presenter, Author), Kara Hinesley (Head of Public Policy Australia & NZ - Twitter) & Alethea Beetson (Digi Youth Arts)
Art is political because it always presents a world view. Voices of difference have to fight to be heard. But once accepted, voices of rebellion can be co-opted and appropriated by the usual suspects. We take a deep look at the voices that are appropriated and the voices that are completely and fundamentally silenced. How can the music industry change to support the integrity and survival of genuine voices of rebellion?
IMAGE MAKING - The Changing Face of Music
Facilitator: Rhianna Patrick (First Nations Broadcaster)Panelists: Angela Samut (CEO, QMusic), Melanie Knight (Costume Designer/ Stylist), Amy Sheppard (Artist), Billie McCarthy (Artist) & Kim ‘Busty Beatz Bowers’ (Hot Brown Honey)
We are living in a time when assumptions, stereotypes and images of gender, race, sex and cultural diversity are being interrogated, revisited and liberated. How can we keep working to reduce the double standards around unrealistic and objectifying representations of women’s body image to promote realistic messages of confidence?
HOW OPERA FORUM - Identity, Representation and Privilege
Facilitator: Dr Eve Klein (music scholar, producer)Panelists: Deborah Cheetham AO (First Nations soprano, actor, Artistic Director), Dr Jordin Steele (producer, director, performer), Heather Fairburn, (director) Cheryl Barker AO (internationally-renowned soprano), Lissa Twomey (Executive Director Major Performing Arts for the Australia Council)
In response to the New Opera Workshop (NOW) held in Brisbane earlier this year, highly respected music scholar and producer Dr Eve Klein will facilitate discussions around the sidelining of female opera creatives and artists, the under-representation of female-led narratives; fears around re-inventing works from the existing canon; support for new Australian works; the ever-growing number of opera professionals being imported and the lack of gender parity on boards.
Along with these epic forum discussions held over the two-day AWMA event, ticket holders will have access to an incredible line-up of talent at a Career Development Speed Networking session presented by AWMA & APRA AMCOS. Participants will have the opportunity to meet music practitioners from across the music industry including acclaimed producer Anna Laverty, ABC Brisbane’s Rhianna Patrick, broadcaster Yumi Stynes and musicians such as L-FRESH The Lion, Kween G, Jhindu Lawrie, Sue Ray, Jeremy Neale, Regurgitator’s Ben Ely and more.
2019 AWMA KEYNOTE ADDRESS
The 2019 AWMA Keynote Address will be delivered by broadcaster, musician, writer, teacher and philanthropist trans man Eddie Ayres.Ayres’ journey in classical music has taken him from his home country of England to Berlin, to cultural hubs as varied as Berlin and Hong Kong before settling in Australia where he has enjoyed extensive success on the airwaves as host of ABC Classic, Classic Breakfast and Weekend Breakfast programs as well as years in the music education field. Having released two books (Cadence: Travels With Music - A Memoir, Danger Music) charting his personal journey through gender transitioning, Ayres’ story is a unique one and one that will be shared during his special AWMA Keynote Speech.
Awards in 15 categories including Lifetime Achievement, Emerging Artist as well as new categories celebrating achievements in Music Journalism, Image Making and Excellence in Classical Music will be announced on October 9 at the 2019 AWMA Ceremony and Concert.
This year’s AWMAs will be emceed by Yumi Stynes and Alethea Beetson and will feature the incredible talents of Cheryl Barker, Tamara Anna Cislowska, Clare Bowditch, Katie Noonan, Melinda Schneider, NGAIIRE and more. Capped off with an unmissable finale performance that will see Katie Noonan, Zoe Hauptman and Jess Green joining the legendary Renée Geyer on stage, the 2019 Australian Women in Music Awards is not to be missed.
