Australia’s independent music industry will descend on Adelaide for the prestigious AIR Awards in July.
Indeed Adelaide will host the awards – for the first time in its history – for the next three years. AIR represents the labels for acclaimed Australian artists including Adelaide’s own Hilltop Hoods, Courtney Barnett, Vance Joy, Chet Faker, Seth Sentry and John Butler.
The Awards attract many high-profile industry leaders – 700 attended in 2015 – while a two-day music industry conference will include an international guest speaker, successful Australian Independent musicians and businesses.
The move is another creditable addition to the city's music industry credentials which include honours such as its standing as a UNESCO City of Music. Adelaide will be a hive of activity in July with Music SA to repeat the runaway success of Umbrella: Winter City Sounds – a programme of live music throughout Adelaide – which launched in 2016.
AFTER-PARTY EVENTS
For the first time AIR Award attendees will also be treated to a smorgasbord of six after-party venues – by music genre. AIR and Music SA will showcase programmed and Umbrella performers to interstate industry representatives. The Adelaide Festival Centre has also confirmed it will present its Guitars in Bars programme of live music during this period.
TWO-DAY CONFERENCE
The newly-announced two-day conference will feature a selection of panels and workshops together with presentations from prominent industry leaders, successful Australian Independent musicians and businesses. Planned as permanent fixture in the Australian music industry’s calendar, it will offer strategic insights and recommendations to aspiring artists and industry in the audience as well as great networking opportunities for all attendees.
South Australia Tourism Minister, Leon Bignell, said South Australia has been recognised as the country’s 'Best Events State' two years in a row. Winter is an exciting time in Adelaide with live music, top South Australian wines and the Adelaide Beer and Barbecue Festival – and now the AIR awards.
Music SA General Manager Lisa Bishop said Music SA was thrilled to receive State Government funding to deliver Umbrella: Winter City Sounds in 2017. The success of the inaugural July 2016 festival saw 40,000 attendances at 260 live music shows across 60 venues.
The 11th Annual AIR Awards
Ceremony – the Queen’s Theatre on the 27th July 2017, featuring 13 award categories.Conference – 27th and 28th July.
