Chances are, you probably don't know who shot the album cover of your favourite artist or who the director of their latest music video was. The scenestr Queensland Music Design Awards – QMDA – is helping to bring photographers and designers to the forefront.
Founded and structured by Paul Robinson, owner of the New Globe Theatre, and Andrea Smith from Miss Music Biz, the event – now taking entries for its second annual awards ceremony – is a night of celebration and appreciation for the people behind the work that goes into preparing the visual companions of today's music.
Andrea says she hasn't seen any events in Queensland that acknowledge these people. “It's such an important thing, I've picked up CDs and been drawn to the artist just based on the design [of the album art],” she says. “It makes me take action.”
The QMDA's acknowledge poster designs, live and studio photographs, merchandise designs, music videos, artist websites and album covers. For next years awards, the photograph design has been split into two sections as opposed to just one for live photos. Andrea says this is because live and studio are two completely different atmospheres.
2015's Entry: Hostile Takeover - Indigenous IntrudazWith such a range of categories to enter, Andrea hopes people are inspired to showcase their abilities. “It's a great way for people to actually get some recognition,” she says. “Mine and Paul's whole premise behind this is to show them how important they actually are.”
It's fair to say that music would hardly be the same if it weren't for the visuals like music videos and album covers that come with it, so it's only natural that the creative spirits behind these things are congratulated on their talents. In terms of judging the talent, Andrea says that lots of work goes into deciding what is worthy of being acknowledged.
“Last year we sat down and worked out with a few people that were experts in the industry areas what was important, so for photography some of the things they pointed out were exposure, light and emotion,” she says. “For websites it's the navigation and design, for a poster it has to tell you what action to take.”
“Then our judges go by that criteria, our experts rate each criteria, and then they judge, and the the person with the highest score at the end is the winner.”
Entry is via an online form which asks for a photo and a bio, before entrants send their work off – physically in the case of a CD or poster and digitally in the case of videos and websites – to be judged.
Being so passionate about what music looks like as much as what it sounds like, Andrea hopes people recognise the effort that goes into the visual side of things. “We're just hoping that people apply, and hope they understand that it's a way to recognise the people that sometimes, we forget about,” she says. “The bands play the music on stage, and they're there to be seen, but there are other creatives that are involved in the process.”
“They are such an important part in being a real extension of the artist, and maybe even an extension of how that designer or that photographer feels and what emotions they get from the music.”
Entries for the QMDA's close 29 January, 2016.
