It was a night for the ladies at the 2017 Queensland Music Awards (27 March) with Gold Coast's rising star Amy Shark the big winner, the 'Adore' singer collecting three awards.
Members of the Queensland music industry mingled with a music-loving public at Brisbane Powerhouse for a celebration of Queensland's music stocks. After winning the Pop award at last year's Awards, Amy Shark collected Song Of The Year as well as the Pop and Regional awards for 'Adore'.
The night's success follows her recent #2 placing in Triple J's Hottest 100 and current, sold-out national tour (which prevented Amy from accepting her awards).
Last year's Song Of The Year winners, Violent Soho returned in 2017 to claim the Album Of The Year gong for 'WACO'.
The BOQ People’s Choice Awards found Dami Im, Jarryd James and Cub Sport taking home the publicly-voted awards (for Most Popular Female, Most Popular Male and Most Popular Group respectively). Cub Sports’ win was a particular high following a stellar live performance of their Song Of The Year-nominated single 'Come On Mess Me Up'.
Dami ImEarlier in the night local rockers Halfway collected the Country award while Good Boy’s infectious basslines set the driving tone for the night with a live performance of their hit single 'Poverty Line'. The Brisbane via Bundaberg trio later returning to the stage to receive the Rock award.
Good BoyIconic Brisbane band george offered a special performance to pay tribute to dear friends Ritchie Yorke and Carol Lloyd who sadly passed away in the opening months of 2017.
Ritchie Yorke was posthumously honoured with the Grant McLennan Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented by Leanne de Souza (A Rock & Roll Writers Festival) and Sally McLennan (sister of The Go-Betweens legend). Carol Lloyd is a previous winner of the award.
georgeThe celebrated $10,000 Billy Thorpe Scholarship, supported by the Queensland Government and presented by Employment Minister Grace Grace with Lynn Thorpe, was awarded to Ash Kerley of Brisbane two-piece band Marville.
Ms Grace congratulated Ash on taking out the award: “Supporting Ash, and Queensland’s emerging talent, is critical to nurturing Queensland’s local, contemporary music scene, and I delighted that the Billy Thorpe Scholarship will enable Ash and her band Marville to take their music and energy to the corners of the state with a planned a regional tour,” she said.
“It was a really difficult task to have to decide our top picks out of the pool of amazing entries. [There’s] so much great talent here in our Sunshine State,” Ben Ely (Regurgitator, Billy Thorpe Scholarship judge) said.
Left: Ash Kerley (Marville)As in 2016, the night was dominated by a diversity of female talent, spearheaded by Gold Coast/ LA-based rising R&B superstar ROMY who won the Urban category for 'Wild Heart'.
Emily WurramaraOther awards went to Emily Wurramara (for best Indigenous song) and Mackay’s Tia Gostelow who took home two awards (Folk/Singer Songwriter and Schools awards).
Leanne Tennant – the lauded songstress from Far North Queensland – received the Blues and Roots award for her break through single 'Gentle Annie', while intriguing three-piece Confidence Man were awarded the Electronic/Dance song award for their earworm 'Boyfriend (Repeat)'.
An all-star film clip for their track 'Boredom' found Hey Geronimo taking home the Video Award and celebrated pianist/ composer Sean Foran of contemporary jazz trio Trichotomy won the Jazz category for 'Une Fille'.
Elsewhere 4ZZZ favourites Lagerstein won the Heavy award and Sunshine Coast six-piece High Life received the World music award.
Celebrating the commercial success of Queensland artists, at home and abroad, The Amity Affliction received the Export Achievement Award and the Highest Selling Album for their LP 'This Could Be Heartbreak'. The Veronicas’ 'In My Blood' was the Highest Selling Single by a Queenslander in 2016.
