The Kid Laroi, JK-47, Budjerah, Miiesha and all scored awards!
Image: Vasili Papathanasopoulos. Pictured: Budjerah.
Sunday night saw the return of the prestigious National Indigenous Music Awards, celebrating the superb releases and achievements of our First Nations artists. Teaming up with triple j’s First Nations show, Blak Out, the ceremony was broadcast on triple j, Double J and triple j Unearthed, and First Nations community radio stations via The National Indigenous Radio Service. The event was hosted by by proud Yuin man Nooky alongside Karla Ranby.
Celebrating local talent, Artist of the Year was taken home by one of Australia's biggest musical acts of 2021, The Kid LAROI. Topping the charts with his hit tracks Without U and Stay, the proud Kamilaroi artist from Sydney has collaborated with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, with Stay recently clocking 10 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart.
JK-47 was awarded Album of the Year for his outstanding debut album, Made For This. Aṉangu/Torres Strait Islander singer Miiesha’s moving and emotional single Damaged, written alongside Stephen Collins, was named Song of the Year, with Coodjinburra musician Budjerah continuing his breakout success by taking home Best New Talent. Best Film Clip went to Baker Boy for his collaboration with Yirrmal, Ride.
Indigenous Language Award of the Year was received by Guwanbal Gurruwiwi and Netanela Mizrahi for The Djari Project, while Community Clip of the Year went to Kakadu Collective & Victor Rostron for Mayali. Alongside the announcement of this years winners, the ceremony celebrated the life, career and impact of Indigenous musician Kev Carmody, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“I’m absolutely so proud, humbled and honored to accept the award on behalf of all of us. Past, present and of course future, because it’s a collective way of thinking in my opinion, that we all go together and no one gets left behind.” Carmody said of his induction. “I’m so proud of the young ones! It might be rap, it might be hip hop, it might be reggae; we’re still expressing [ourselves] through the oral cultural traditions, which is songs and storytelling, it’s just in a musical sense.I’m so proud of our young mob with the music, and with dance - that’s an interpretation too - and art. That’s our way of passing on our oral tradition and I think it’s fantastic. I can sit back now. I’ve played my four chords and that’s it.”
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARDS 2021 WINNERS
ARTIST OF THE YEAR The Kid Laroi
ALBUM OF THE YEAR JK-47 – Made for This
SONG OF THE YEAR Miiesha – ‘Damaged’ (Song Writers: Miiesha Young/Stephen Collins)
NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR Budjerah
FILM CLIP OF THE YEAR Baker Boy – ‘Ride’ Feat. Yirrmal
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE AWARD OF THE YEAR Guwanbal Gurruwiwi and Netanela Mizrahi – The Djari Project (Composed by: Guwanbal Gurruwiwi and Netanela Mizrahi Conducted/Directors: Nick Yates / Netanela Mizrahi / Christie Anderson Co-Producers: Netanela Mizrahi & Myles Mumford)
COMMUNITY CLIP OF THE YEAR Kakadu Collective and Victor Rostron – ‘Mayali’ (Directors: Toby Finlayson (Desert Pea Media) / Rob Sherwood / Victor Rostron Producer: Josh Nicholas)