SA Music Awards Winners Announced for 2017

A.B. Original, the electrifying duo made up of Trials and Briggs, took home the peer-voted Best Album and Best Song (for their January 26th anthem) and the people’s choice Best Hip-Hop award. Hip pop MC Tkay Maidza won Best Female Artist and rapper DyspOra won Best Male Artist.

The People’s Choice Awards saw a raft of local musicians pick up gongs across 12 genre-based categories, with big and smaller names all in the mix. Wanderers nabbed the Blues/Roots Award, Ross McHenry received the Jazz/Art Music Award, Bad//Dreems snagged the Rock Award, and the Pop Award went to Rachael Leahcar.

A series of Peer-Voted Awards also went out to individuals and institutions who work tirelessly behind the scenes. The Gov received a Lifetime Achievement Award, Tom Barnes picked up the Best Engineer Award, Chapel Lane Studios was named Best Studio and Craig Lock took home the prize for Best Manager.

The third annual South Australian Music Awards took place at the Adelaide live music institution Thebarton Theatre. See below for the full list of winners.

2017 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS

THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS

Blues/Roots Award – presented by Radio Adelaide
Wanderers

Country Award – presented by Grace Emily Hotel
The Bitter Darlings

Electronic Award – presented by Fresh 92.7
Abbey Howlett

Experimental Award – presented by Ancient World
Timberwolf

Folk Award – presented by Wheatsheaf Hotel
The Winter Gypsy

Heavy Award – presented by Australian Rock & Metal Institute
Ice On Mercury

Hip Hop Award – presented by Northern Sound System
A.B. Original

Jazz/Art Music Award – presented by Elder Conservatorium
Ross McHenry

Pop Award – presented by The Gov
Rachael Leahcar

Punk Award – presented by Crown & Anchor
Young Offenders

Rock Award – presented by Fat Controller
Bad//Dreems

World Music Award – presented by WOMADelaide
Adam Page 

THE PEER-VOTED AWARDS

Ryan Freeman Live Music Award
Robert Dunstan

Best International Collaboration – presented by Adelaide UNESCO City of Music
House of Songs project

Lifetime Achievement Award – presented by Music SA
The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel

Best Studio
Chapel Lane Studios

Best Engineer
Tom Barnes

Best Music Festival / Event – presented by moshtix
Porch Sessions

Best Music Venue– presented by AHA (SA)
Grace Emily Hotel

Best Manager
Craig Lock

Best Cover Art
Henry Stentiford – The Bitter Darlings ‘Stuart Highway’

Best Music Video
Richard Coburn – A.B. Original’s ‘January 26^th’

Best Song – presented by APRA AMCOS
A.B. Original – January 26^th feat. Dan Sultan

Best New Artist
Heaps Good Friends

Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island Artist
A.B. Original

Best Group
A.B. Original

Best Male Artist
DyspOra

Best Female Artist
Tkay Maidza

Best Release
A.B. Original

Photography: Lauren Connelly