2025 AIR Awards Nominees

Thanks to the continued support from the South Australian Government’s Music Development Office, AIR is thrilled to return to the UNESCO City of Music for its annual AIR Awards which will be held at the Adelaide Town Hall on Thursday 31st July as an invite only industry event.

Minister for Arts. Andrea Michaels MP said: “The Malinauskas Government is proud to support the AIR Awards and Indie Week – Australian Edition. It is fantastic to be hosting the awards here in Adelaide again – Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music – and I congratulate all of the nominees. It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience.”

The AIR Awards recognise, promote, and celebrate the success of Australia’s Independent Music sector. Over 250 individual Awards have been presented to date, and for many winners and nominees, it has been their first industry recognition that has helped facilitate national and international attention. Some of these artists include Genesis Owusu, Courtney Barnett, Fanny Lumsden, Flume, Sampa the Great, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Confidence Man, G Flip, A.B Original, King Stingray, Violent Soho and Telenova.

THE 2025 AWARDS NOMINEES ARE…

BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS
ALBUM OR EP

EMMA DONOVAN – TIL MY SONG IS DONE
LITTLE QUIRKS – LITTLE QUIRKS
MIA DYSON – TENDER HEART
QUEENIE – NEW MOULT
STEPH STRINGS – CRADLE MOUNTAIN

BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM OR EP

CLAIRE CROSS – SLEEP CYCLE
LUCY CLIFFORD – BETWEEN SPACES OF KNOWING
MOLLY LEWIS – ON THE LIPS
PARVYN – MAUJUDA
SAM ANNING – EARTHEN

BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM OR EP

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA – MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
ELECTRIC FIELDS X MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – LIVE IN CONCERT
KATIE NOONAN & KARIN SCHAUPP – SONGS OF THE SOUTHERN SKIES VOL 2
NAT BARTSCH – FOREVER CHANGED
SIMON MAVIN – SOME DAYS EP

BEST INDEPENDENT CHILDREN’S ALBUM
OR EP

BUNNY RACKET – POWER
EMMA MEMMA – TWIRLY TUNES
TEENY TINY STEVIES – THE GREEN ALBUM
THE QUOKKAS – SONGS FOR SILLY BILLIES
THE WIGGLES – THE WIGGLES SOUND SYSTEM: RAVE OF INNOCENCE

BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM OR EP

HENRY WAGONS – THE FOUR SEASONS
KASEY CHAMBERS – BACKBONE
LANE PITTMAN – LANE PITTMAN
MICHAEL WAUGH – BEAUTY & TRUTH
THE WHITLAMS BLACK STUMP – KOOKABURRA

BEST INDEPENDENT SOUL/RNB ALBUM OR EP

BECKAH AMANI – THIS IS HOW I REMEMBER IT.
DON WEST – DON WEST
ELLA THOMPSON – RIPPLE ON THE WING
MILAN RING – MANGOS
RADICAL SON – BILAMBIYAL

BEST INDEPENDENT POP ALBUM OR EP

ANNIE HAMILTON – STOP AND SMELL THE LIGHTNING
ASHA JEFFERIES – EGO RIDE
EMMA RUSSACK– ABOUT THE GIRL
GOOD MORNING – GOOD MORNING SEVEN
SHEPPARD – ZORA

BEST INDEPENDENT ROCK ALBUM OR EP

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS – CARTOON DARKNESS
KING STINGRAY – FOR THE DREAMS
PARTY DOZEN – CRIME IN AUSTRALIA
ROYEL OTIS – PRATTS & PAIN
THE RIONS – HAPPINESS IN A PLACE IT SHOULDN’T BE

INDEPENDENT MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR

ABC MUSIC, THE ANNEX – EMILY WURRAMARA, NARA
FUTURE CLASSIC, THE ANNEX – SYCCO, ZORB
GYROSTREAM – LITHE, FALL BACK
I OH YOU, MUSHROOM MUSIC – CONFIDENCE MAN, 3AM (LA LA LA)
OURNESS, THE ANNEX – ROYEL OTIS, PRATTS & PAIN

INDEPENDENT MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

CLAUDIA SANGIORGI DALIMORE –EMILY WURRAMARA, LORDY LORDY FT. TASMAN KEITH
NICK RAE, JORDAN RUYI BLANCH – 3%, WON’T STOP FEAT. JESSICA MAUBOY
POND – POND, (I’M) STUNG!
ROSEMARY WHATMUFF – KASEY CHAMBERS, BACKBONE (THE DESERT CHILD)
STEPHANIE JANE DAY – EMMA RUSSACK, EVERYTHING IS BIG

INDEPENDENT PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

ALICE IVY – DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY
BONNIE KNIGHT – COLDWAVE, THE ANTS/ITALIA ’06
DAVE HAMMER – LIME CORDIALE, ENOUGH OF THE SWEET TALK
NICK DIDIA – OCEAN ALLEY, TANGERINE
NINA WILSON – NINAJIRACHI, GIRL EDM

BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY PPCA

3%
GUT HEALTH
MISS KANINNA
QUEENIE
THE DREGGS

BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM OR EP

3% – KILL THE DEAD
DOBBY – WARRANGU; RIVER STORY
LITHE – WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
MISS KANINNA – KANINNA
ZIGGY RAMO – HUMAN?

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE OR ELECTRONICA ALBUM OR EP

1TBSP – MEGACITY1000
ALICE IVY – DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY
CONFIDENCE MAN – 3AM (LA LA LA)
NINAJIRACHI – GIRL EDM
PNAU – HYPERBOLIC

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE

ALICE IVY – DO I NEED TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS? FEAT. JOSH TESKEY
CONFIDENCE MAN – I CAN’T LOSE YOU
HAIKU HANDS – KICKS
MOKTAR – HARAKA ’حركة’
ODD MOB – VERTIGO FEAT. ED GRAVES

BEST INDEPENDENT PUNK ALBUM OR EP

DON’T THANK ME, SPANK ME! – DON’T THANK ME, SPANK ME!
DUNE RATS – IF IT SUCKS, TURN IT UP
GUT HEALTH – STILETTO
RADIO FREE ALICE – POLYESTER
REGURGITATOR – INVADER

BEST INDEPENDENT HEAVY ALBUM OR EP

NORTHLANE – MIRROR’S EDGE
OCEAN GROVE – ODDWORLD
REDHOOK – MUTATION
THE AMITY AFFLICTION – LET THE OCEAN TAKE ME (REDUX)
THE SOUTHERN RIVER BAND – D.I.Y

INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS – CARTOON DARKNESS
EMILY WURRAMARA – NARA
KING STINGRAY – FOR THE DREAMS
ROYEL OTIS – PRATTS & PAIN
THE DREGGS – CAUGHT IN A REVERIE

INDEPENDENT SONG OF THE YEAR

ALICE IVY – DO I NEED TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS? FEAT. JOSH TESKEY
AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS – U SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT
JEM CASSAR-DALEY – BIG CONTAINER
OCEAN ALLEY – TANGERINE
SYCCO – MEANT TO BE

INDEPENDENT LABEL OF THE YEAR

ABC MUSIC
DINOSAUR CITY
ETCETC.
I OH YOU
IMPRESSED RECORDINGS

INDEPENDENT PUBLICITY TEAM OF THE YEAR

I OH YOU, MUSHROOM MUSIC – CONFIDENCE MAN, 3AM (LA LA LA)
LIZ ANSLEY – EMILY WURRAMARA, NARA
SUPER DUPER – RADIO FREE ALICE, POLYESTER
THINKING LOUD – ROYEL OTIS, PRATTS & PAIN
TWNTY THREE PR – THE RIONS, HAPPINESS IN A PLACE IT SHOULDN’T BE

AIR has introduced the Independent Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer of the Year industry award, to recognise an Australian/Australian-based Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer responsible for an Australian Independent release during the eligibility period.

The nominees are:

INDEPENDENT MIX, STUDIO OR MASTERING
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

NICK HERRERA – MISS KANINNA, KANINNA
ROBERT MUINOS – ROWENA WISE, SENSELESS
ACTS OF BEAUTY
ROHAN SFORCINA, LACHLAN CARRICK – EMMA DONOVAN,
TIL MY SONG IS DONE
STEVEN SCHRAM – CROWDED HOUSE, GRAVITY STAIRS
TOM IANSEK – TOM SNOWDON, LONELY TREE

Listen to the 2025 AIR Nominees on Spotify here, Amazon Music here, and YouTube Music here.
Focusing on issues affecting the independent music sector, AIR’s Indie-Con Australia Conference and A2IM’s Indie Week Australian Edition will be held from Wednesday 30^TH July to Friday 1^ST August at Mercury Cinema and will be followed by Scouted. Details about speakers and the program to be announced in June. Early bird tickets can be purchased HERE.

AIR_Website_Footer_2025_v2.7_12.05.25 1 2048x953