Judging has officially begun for the 21st SoundMerch Australian Music Prize, marking another milestone for Australia's most prestigious contemporary music award.
Founded in 2005, The SoundMerch Australian Music Prize has spent more than two decades championing local musical talent, with The Drones’ album Wait Long By the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By claiming the inaugural award. Since then, household names like Troye Sivan and Amyl and the Sniffers have joined the prestigious list of nominees and winners.
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Past winners, including the Avalanches, Genesis Owusu, Courtney Barnett, Hermitude and the Jezabels have all benefited from the recognition that comes with taking home the coveted prize.
The judging process remains thorough with musicians, music retailers and media folk committing to listening to every eligible album from start to finish. Albums keep rolling in until October 9th, then the real work begins: narrowing hundreds down to just nine finalists before the judges meet face-to-face to hash out the winner.
Come November 6th, principal sponsor SoundMerch will hand over $50,000 to the winner. JB Hi-Fi, Mushroom Music, EMI and Sony chip in too, while the Australian Government has backed the prize through Music Australia for the second year running.
Beyond financial rewards, The AMP has established itself as Australia’s answer to the UK’s Mercury Prize, offering emerging and established artists alike a platform to reach growing audiences across the nation.
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