After being postponed in November, West Australian Music (WAM) will stage WAMCon as both an in-person and digital conference next month (26-27 March).
The leading career development event for WA artists and industry representatives, WAMCon has run annually for 15 years and in 2021 welcomes keynote presentations from international speakers Bruce Pavitt (co-founder of Sub Pop Records), Susan Rogers (Berklee College of Music professor), and Cherie Hu (founder & publisher of Water & Music).Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Day of award-winning South Australian electronic act Electric Fields will also present a keynote.
Other notable Australian speakers include Jonathon Harrison (Spotify Australia), Amy Vee (Listen Up Music), Patricia Adjei (Australia Council for the Arts), and Brodie Popple (New World Artists). Scroll down for the complete list of WAMCon speakers.
"This year's conference aims to provide a highly-inclusive space for musicians, industry representatives and music fans," WAM Industry Development Officer and WAMCon Director, Claire Hodgson says, "to come together to discuss and share ideas, celebrate the innovation and opportunities that have come about in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, and though this navigate their own path forward as part of the industry’s road to recovery."
The 2021 conference features a programme of in-person and digitally streamed panels, presentations, and networking activities, providing members of the music industry the opportunity to learn, engage and interact with the wider music sector.
WAM have introduced a WAMCon 2021 Free Virtual Pass, providing ticket holders open access to all online WAMCon sessions. Attendees also have the option to purchase a single, or two-day Hybrid Pass providing them access to both in-person and online sessions, lunch and the speed dating networking event.
Part of WA Music Week, the nominees for the 2020 WAMAwards have also been revealed; for the third straight year, Carla Geneve leads the way with six nominations.
She's closely followed by six acts who have each scored five nominations: Grace Barbé, Spacey Jane, Grievous Bodily Calm, Noah Dillon, Jack Davies & The Bush Chooks and Supathick, with MissGenius taking out four nominations.
Winners will be celebrated at the WAMAwards ceremony at its new home at the heritage-listed His Majesty's Theatre on 23 March.
WAM's annual WAMFest also returns 26-27 March to close out WA Music Week 2021. The free-entry, multi-day live music event features a whopping line-up of over 160 of WA's most exciting, diverse and progressive contemporary musicians taking over venues and stages across the City of Perth, Northbridge and Scarborough.
WAMCon takes place at The State Theatre Centre of WA (Perth) 26-27 March. WAMAwards will be hosted at His Majesty's Theatre 23 March. WAMFest takes place 26-27 March.
WAMCon 2021 Speakers
Bruce Pavitt (Co-Founder Sub Pop Records)Susan Rogers (Professor at Berklee College of Music)
Zaachariaha Fielding & Michael Day (Electric Fields)
Amy Vee (Artist, Board Director Listen Up Music)
Angie Ayers (Presenter Triple M South West)
Anna Laverty (Music Producer, Sound Engineer, Writer)
Bel Skinner (Manager RedRock Music, Advanced Skills Lecturer North Regional TAFE)
Booka Nile (Mental Health Recovery Partner Southern Cross Care, Founder & Director Sonic Minds)
Brodie Popple (Agent New World Artists)
Cherie Hu (Founder and Publisher Water & Music)
Em Burrows (Audience Development Officer WAM, Presenter RTRFM 92.1)
Geraldine Rey (Event & Marketing Consultant Suzette Collective)
Grace Barbé (Artist, Founder Afrotropik Records)
Jackson Hawdon (Presenter RTRFM 92.1)
Jaycee Edwards Vee (Artist)
Johnny Ma (Filmmaker Good Kid, Owner Johnny Ma Studios)
Jonathan 'Jono' Harrison (Artist & Label Partnership Manager Spotify Australia)
Kyron 'Kyza' Smithson (Owner & Operator Kyza Presents)
Mike Wafer (Artist Tanami, Covøids, Co-Founder F... Yeah! Media)
Natasha 'Tash' Shanks (Artist Little Lord St Band)
Nic GidleyKing (Co-Founder Modern Day Entertainment)
Ofa Fotu (Artist Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics, Hot Brown Honey)
Patricia 'Trish' Adjei (First Nations Arts & Culture Director Australia Council for the Arts)
Shelagh Magadza (Executive Director Chamber of Arts and Culture WA)
Skinny O'Leary (Coordinator Hyperfest, Manager Sly Withers, Flossy, Ursula)
Sose Fuamoli (Music Writer, Content Producer, Publicist)
Taylah Strano (Breakfast Presenter, Producer RTRFM 92.1)
Tenille Elkins (Senior Writer Services Representative APRA AMCOS, Lecturer North Metropolitan TAFE)
Tonchi McIntosh (Artist, Manager, Community Music Development)
Trent Rojahn (Artist Last Quokka)
Will Backler (Music Director, Interviews Coordinator, Program Director RTRFM 92.1)
2020 WAMAWARD NOMINEES
BEST ALBUM SSan Cisco - ‘Between You And Me’
Great Gable - ‘Tracing Faces’
Spacey Jane - ‘Sunlight’
Tame Impala - ‘The Slow Rush’
New Nausea - ‘Fountain Of Struth’
Birds of Tokyo - ‘Human Design’
BEST BLUES/ROOTS ACT
Siobhan Cotchin
Tom Fisher and the Layabouts
Matty T Wall
Dan Howls
Michael Dunstan
BEST COUNTRY ACT
Jack Davies & The Bush Chooks
Siobhan Cotchin
Wayward Johnson & The Adjustment
Tanya Ransom
The Little Lord Street Band
BEST EP
Jack Davies & The Bush Chooks - ‘Songs For A Long Walk’
Noah Dillon - ‘Everything Melts’
Supathick - ‘Dinner And A Film’
Tanaya Harper - ‘Slow Motion Breakup’
Troye Sivan - ‘In A Dream’
BEST EXPERIMENTAL ACT
PTMC
Lindsay Vickery
Eduardo Cossio
Decibel New Music Ensemble
Rachael Dease
BEST FOLK ACT
Nika Mo
Tanya Ransom
Jack Davies & The Bush Chooks
Michael Dunstan
The Little Lord Street Band
BEST GLOBAL MUSIC ACT
Kate Pass Kohesia Ensemble
Grace Barbé
Steve Hensby Band
Soukouss Internationale
The Bambusease Rhythm Section
BEST HIP HOP ACT
MissGenius
Otiuh
Flewnt
Downsyde
Adrian Dzvuke
Drapht
BEST INDIGENOUS ACT
Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse
MissGenius
The Struggling Kings
Family Shoveller Band
Flewnt
BEST JAZZ ACT
Daniel Susnjar
Holli Scott
Allira Wilson
Kate Pass Kohesia Ensemble
Harry Mitchell
BEST LIVE ELECTRONIC ACT
Bexx
Hi. Ok, Sorry.
Your Girl Pho
Felicity Groom
ShockOne
BEST METAL/HEAVY ACT
Daybreak
Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving
Conform
Bolt Gun
Chaos Divine
BEST POP ACT
San Cisco
Alter Boy
Your Girl Pho
Ghost Care
Spacey Jane
Stella Donnelly
BEST PUNK/HARDCORE ACT
Cold Meat
RatKing
Nerve Quakes
Last Quokka
Dennis Cometti
BEST R&B/FUNK/SOUL
Queency
Supathick
Bexx
Grievous Bodily Calm
Grace Barbé
BEST REGIONAL ACT
Matalja
MissGenius
Grand Casual
Tanya Ransom
Brayden Sibbald
BEST ROCK ACT
Carla Geneve
Verge Collection
The Southern River Band
Sly Withers
Tame Impala
BEST SINGLE
Noah Dillon - ‘Sunburnt In July’
Peter Bibby’s Dog Act - ‘Whyalla’
Sly Withers - ‘Cracks’
Carla Geneve - ‘The Right Reasons’
Spacey Jane - ‘Booster Seat’
LABEL OF THE YEAR
Blue Grey Pink
Women of Music Production Perth (WOMPP)
Group Therapy
Rhubarb Records
Good Company
GOLDEN WAMI 2020
Tenille Elkins
Hayley Ayres
Mark Neal
Will Backler
Kylie Thompson
BEST BASSIST
Grace Barbé
Kate Pass (Kate Pass Kohesia Ensemble)
Zac Grafton (Grievous Bodily Calm)
Roy Martinez (Drapht, Yabu Band, Tim Minchin)
Sara McPherson (New Talk, Tanaya Harper, Trolley Boy, Ursula)
BEST ELECTRONIC PRODUCER
Bexx
Adrian Dzvuke
SLUMBERJACK
ShockOne
Elsewhere/Rebecca
BEST STUDIO SOUND ENGINEER/PRODUCER
Matt Gio (Rada Studios)
Andy Lawson (Debaser Studio)
Dave Parkin (Blackbird Sound Studio)
Dan Carroll (Rada Studios)
Mike Jelinek (Jelly Sound)
BEST VOCALIST
Lucy Iffla
Holli Scott
Tanaya Harper
Allira Wilson
Grace Barbé
BEST DRUMMER/PERCUSSIONIST
Talya Valenti (Bolt Gun, Stella Donnelly)
Alex Reid (Grievous Bodily Calm)
Daniel Susnjar (Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian Jazz Group)
Todd Pickett (Kill Devil Hills, The Southern River band)
Jamie Gallacher (New Talk, Pat Chow, Big Orange)
BEST BRASS/STRINGS/WOODWIND INSTRUMENTALIST
Gemma Farrell (Gemma Farrell Quintet, Artemis Orchestra, Namora Nonet)
Matthew McGlynn (Grievous bodily Calm)
Bridget Cleary (Web Rumors)
Elise Hiatt (Jack Davies & The Bush Chooks)
BEST GUITARIST
Stella Donnelly
Dan Carroll (The Southern River Band)
Luke Dux (Kill Devil Hills, The Floors)
Guy Ghouse (Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse)
Noah Dillon
Carla Geneve
BEST KEYS/SYNTH ARTIST
Joshua Chan (Supathick)
Harry Mitchell
Em Burrows (Web Rumors)
Tom O’Halloran
Josiah Padmanabham (Grievous Bodily Calm)
BEST LIVE/STREAMING SOUND ENGINEER
Rosie Antonas
Jeremy Beste
James Newhouse
Scott Armstrong
Rik Van Der Velde
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Great Gable - ‘Tracing Faces’
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - ‘Mr Prism’
Noah Dillon - ‘Matthew McConaughey’
Supathick - ‘I’m There’
Carla Geneve - ‘The Right Reasons’
MOST POPULAR ACT
Adrian Dzvuke
Carla Geneve
Dulcie
Grace Barbé
Jack Davies & The Bush Chooks
Jaycee
The Little Lord Street Band
Matty T Wall
MissGenius
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
ShockOne
SLUMBERJACK
The Southern River Band
Spacey Jane
Stella Donnelly
Tanaya Harper
Yomi Ship
MOST POPULAR NEW ACT
Ashes of Autum
Band of Missfits
Claudie Joy & the Joy Boys
Electric State
Finn Pearson Band
Ghost Care
Lonesome Dove
Paige Valentine
Pot Plant House Party
Siobhan Cotchin
Supathick
This Is SpudGun
Triple Engine
MOST POPULAR LIVE ACT
Bradley Hall Band
Carla Geneve
Dulcie
Electric State
Lincoln MacKinnon & The Wrecking Train
Matty T Wall
Noah Dillon
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
Sly Withers
The Southern River Band
Spacey Jane
Yomi Ship
Your Girl Pho
MOST POPULAR VENUE
Badlands
Clancy’s Fremantle
Freo.Social
Indian Ocean Hotel
Lucy’s Love Shack
Lyric’s Underground
Mojo’s Bar
Rosemount Hotel
Six Degrees, Albany
The Bird
The River Hotel, Margaret River
MOST POPULAR LIVE OR STREAMING MUSIC EVENT
Blues at Bridgetown
Falls Festival
Nannup Music Festival
Saltwater Festival Broome
Slayfest
SOTA Stream
The Music Reel Live Sessions
WAMFest
Wave Rock Weekender
