The accomplishments and emergence of wonderful South Australian music over the last 12 months is set to be celebrated this year, with the South Australian Music (SAM) Awards powering ahead for 2020. 

The 2020 SAM Award winners will be announced on Tuesday November 3rd 2020. A ceremony will be conducted in line with current COVID-19 safety restrictions, the format of the celebrations will be announced at a later date. 

The SAM Awards remain a standout calendar moment for the South Australian music industry, as well as becoming a key date for national industry players too to keep an eye on what’s happening in SA and discover just why it has been named a UNESCO City of Music.

In 2019, the SAM Awards hit a record of voting numbers in the lead up to the gala ceremony at Adelaide University’s prestigious Bonython Hall, which saw artists including Horror My Friend, Adrian Eagle and Electric Fields come away with awards. This year’s SAM Awards looks to amplify the voices of the SA music community once more and put the spotlight on a creative community turning heads Australia wide.

Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said: “The South Australian Music Awards will once again recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in our local music industry. The Marshall Liberal Government is proud to be a major partner of Music SA and the SAM Awards. We value our state’s music sector which, not only contributes enormously to the cultural fabric of our community, but also supports hundreds of local jobs.”

Newly appointed General Manager at Music SA, Kim Roberts says “In what’s been a very difficult year for our industry, I’m really looking forward to celebrating all of the excellent music and fantastic achievements that have emerged out of SA in the last year.  It’s such a great opportunity to acknowledge the creativity and innovation that makes our community so exciting.”

As always, the SAM’s Industry and Major awards will be decided by a panel of 15 national and local judges who represent and work across various facets of the industry and are valued members of the overarching Australian music community. We are delighted to announce an exceptionally strong panel this year.
Alex Karatassa (5/4 Entertainment)
Beck Pearce (Office of Adelaide UNESCO City of Music)
Declan Byrne (Triple J)
Ed Noble (Sunny Side Uploads)
Emily York (Penny Drop)
Grant Gillies (Gaga Music)
Grayson Rotumah (Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music)
Hannah Fairlamb (Girls Rock! Adelaide)
James Alberts (Jimblah)
Kate Bailey (ABC Adelaide)
Lewis Wundenberg (Wundenberg’s Recording and Rehearsal Studios)
Maggie Collins (Morning Belle)
Tam Boakes (Jive)
Tyler Jenke (Rolling Stone)
Zane Dean (Fresh 927)

The People’s Choice Awards will be voted by members of the public, with voting opening on Monday September 7th via TheMusic.com.au 

 

INDUSTRY VOTED AWARDS

BEST STUDIO (Presented by Adelaide Music Collective)

BEST STUDIO ENGINEER (Presented by SAE Institute Adelaide)

BEST LIVE TECHNICIAN (Presented by Novatech)

BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL/EVENT 

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL/EVENT

BEST VENUE (Presented by AHA – SA Branch) 

BEST COVER ART (Presented by Version Design)

BEST MANAGER (Presented by Association of Artist Managers)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

BEST SONG (Presented by APRA AMCOS)

BEST NEW ARTIST (Presented by WOMADelaide)

BEST GROUP (Presented by Derringers Music)

BEST ABORIGINAL/TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST 

(Presented by Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music – CASM)

BEST SOLO ARTIST (Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre)

BEST RELEASE (Presented by themusic.com.au) 

BEST MUSIC EDUCATOR

BEST INNOVATION (Presented by CityMag)

 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS

BLUES & ROOTS (Presented by Radio Adelaide)
COUNTRY (Presented by Grace Emily Hotel)
ELECTRONIC

EXPERIMENTAL (Presented by Ancient World)
FOLK (Presented by The Wheatsheaf Hotel)

HEAVY (Presented by Enigma)

HIP HOP (Presented by The Gov)

JAZZ (Presented by Elder Conservatorium)
POP (Presented by Jive)
PUNK (Presented by Three D Radio)
ROCK (Presented by Crown and Anchor)

SOUL/FUNK/R&B (Presented by Woodville Town Hall)

 

2020 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSIC AWARDS

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020

As a ceremony will be conducted in line with current COVID-19 safety restrictions, the format of the celebrations will be announced at a later date.

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***Nominations announced***

INDUSTRY VOTED AWARDS

BEST STUDIO (Presented by Adelaide Music Collective) 

Adelaide Recording Studios

Ghostnote

Island Recording Studios

Spare Second Studio

Stone Shed Studio

Wundenbergs Recording and Rehearsal Studio

BEST STUDIO ENGINEER (Presented by SAE Institute Adelaide)

Chris Panousakis

Kiah Gossner

Jimmy Balderston

Lewis Wundenberg

Mario Spate

BEST LIVE TECHNICIAN (Presented by Novatech)

Lisa Lane-Collins

Luke Hancock

Noni Espinosa

Patrick Lockwood

Peter Wing

BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL/EVENT

Day of Clarity

Porchland

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival – Adelaide

Thebartonia

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL/EVENT (Presented by UniBar Adelaide)

Field Good Festival

Freefall Festival

PAK: Live at Wundenbergs

Stonecutters

The Porch Sessions

BEST VENUE (Presented by AHA – SA Branch)

Crown and Anchor Hotel

Grace Emily Hotel

Jive

Lion Arts Factory

The Wheatsheaf Hotel

BEST COVER ART (Presented by Version Design)

Dave Court (DyspOra)

Jack Fenby (Cat Lucky)

Jack Fenby (The Empty Threats)

Julie Thornberg-Thorsoe (Kaurna Cronin)

Todd Fischer (Lost Woods)

BEST MANAGER (Presented by Association of Artist Managers)

Alex Karatassa

Diana Sautelle

Matthew Khabbaz

Planet shhh!

Sue Germein

BEST MUSIC VIDEO 

Bottleneck Studios (Uomo)

EAST AV3

Harry Nelli (Venice Queens)

Lonelyspeck

Motez, Pilot Studio, Mapped Design, Daggers Production, Kelsee Pedler (Motez)

BEST SONG (Presented by APRA AMCOS)

EAST AV3

Stellie

Jess Day

St Jacques

Naomi Keyte

BEST NEW ARTIST (Presented by WOMADelaide)

Cat Lucky

EAST AV3

SEABASS

Siberian Tiger

Slowmango

BEST GROUP (Presented by Derringers Music)

EAST AV3

Slowmango

SEABASS

TOWNS

Venice Queens

Wing Defence

BEST ABORIGINAL/TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST (Presented by Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music – CASM) 

J-Milla

Jessica Wishart

Nathan May

Sonz of Serpents

Tunu

BEST SOLO ARTIST (Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre) 

Jess Day

Kaurna Cronin

Lonelyspeck

Motez

Ollie English

Stellie

BEST RELEASE (Presented by themusic.com.au)

EAST AV3

Lonelyspeck

Motez

Ollie English

Wing Defence

BEST MUSIC EDUCATOR (Presented by SAMII) 

Grayson Rotumah

Kultar Ahluwalia

James Alberts

Naomi Keyte

Nick O’Connor

BEST INNOVATION (Presented by CityMag)

Mosaic Audio Visual

Play/Pause/Play

Space Jams

Sunny Side Uploads

Thursday Night Knock Offs – Sparkke at the Whitmore

WheatyLIVE

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS FINALISTS 

BLUES & ROOTS (Presented by Radio Adelaide) 

JimmyBay

Lucky Seven

Ollie English

Rat Tamango

The Streamliners

COUNTRY (Presented by Grace Emily Hotel) 

Cassidy Rae Gaiter

Cookie Baker

Jessica Wishart

Matt Ward

Nathan May

ELECTRONIC (Presented by Moshtix)

Hartway

Jethro

Lonelyspeck

Motez

Zac Eichner

EXPERIMENTAL (Presented by Ancient World) 

Heinous Crimes

Slowmango

SODA

Sons of Zoku

The Empty Threats

FOLK (Presented by The Wheatsheaf Hotel) 

Katie Pomery

Loren Kate

Naomi Keyte

Siberian Tiger

Tom West

HEAVY (Presented by Enigma)

Alt.

Dirty Pagans

Hidden Intent

NO NO NO NO NO

Terminal Zero

HIP HOP (Presented by The Gov)

DyspOra

East AV3

Laitisi Diesa

Outside Lines

We Move Like Giants

JAZZ (Presented by Elder Conservatorium)

Alex Taylor

Django Rowe

Er@ser Description

Nick Pennington & Angus Mason

The Boys Club

POP (Presented by Jive)

Ashton Fraser

Germein

Jess Day

MANE

The Montreals

PUNK (Presented by Three D Radio)

Bitchspawn

Chelsea Manor

Collateral Damage

The Lizards

Wing Defence

ROCK (Presented by Crown and Anchor) 

Horror My Friend

Oscar the Wild

SEABASS

TOWNS

Venice Queens

SOUL/FUNK/R&B (Presented by Woodville Town Hall) 

Elsy Wameyo

Isaac Thomas

Legs of Ivar

Leni

Wanderers

 

Points to note:

• Tuesday 3^rd November – SAM AWARDS – Winners Announced 
• Tickets via Moshtix, $40 
• The event will be held at  University of Adelaide’s Cloisters and Lawns alongside the UNI Bar.  Moving the event from its usual seated dinner format, to a larger semi- outdoor one. 
• 8000 + votes received for the People’s Choice Awards
• Judged by an all star panel of 15 national & local judges