Some of Australia’s biggest musical exports are up for high-profile honors at this year’s AIR Awards, set to be handed out on July 31 at the Adelaide Town Hall in South Australia.
Leading the charge in this year’s event are the likes of Royel Otis, who are up for four awards, just one year after being named breakthrough independent artist of the year at the 2024 edition. This year sees them up for the likes of best independent rock album or EP, independent album of the year, and independent marketing team of the year.
Royel Otis will be in fine company, sharing the former two categories with both Amyl and the Sniffers and King Stingray. Amyl, meanwhile, are also up for independent song of the year for “U Should Not Be Doing That,” which recently took out song of the year at the APRA Music Awards last month.
Other well-represented artists at this year’s ceremony are Emily Wurramara, Confidence Man and Alice Ivy, who are up for four awards each, with the latter pair in contention for best independent dance, electronica or club single and Best Independent Dance or Electronica Album or EP. Acts such as Indigenous hip-hop supergroup 3%, Gut Health, and others are also hoping to take home multiples at the event.
“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,” commented South Australian minister for arts, Andrea Michaels MP.
Officially known as the Australian Independent Record Awards, the awards were first established in 2006 as an effort to “recognise, promote, and celebrate the success of Australia’s Independent Music sector.” This year also features a new category, with independent mix, studio or mastering engineer of the year set to be handed out at the July ceremony for the first time.
Some of Australia’s biggest musical exports have been recognized by the AIRs in recent years, including RVG, who took home last year’s best independent album for Brain Worms, and Jem Cassar-Daley, whose “King of Disappointment” was named best independent single/EP.
2025 AIR Awards Nominations
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 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 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 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 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
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 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
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
Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year – Presented By PPCA
3%
Gut Health
Miss Kaninna
Queenie
The Dreggs
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 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
Best Independent Label
ABC Music
Dinosaur City
Etcetc.
I Oh You
Impressed Recordings
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 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
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
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
