The annual celebrate Queensland music awards (QMA) took place at the Royal International Convention Centre at the Brisbane Showgrounds to a sold out crowd on Tuesday 19 March.
A testament to the strength of Queensland music past, present and future, the 2019 QMAs were presented by Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane Showgrounds, Hutchinson Builders, Oztix and Mountain Goat Beer. The ceremony crowned 23 winners including the prestigious Billy Thorpe Scholarship.
Celebrated recipients include Brisbane’s ethereal pop artist Clea, whose song Dreaming was awarded 2019 Song of the The Year. Joining Queensland greats, Clea will receive a plaque in Brisbane’s Valley Walk of Fame to honour the achievement as well as a generous $20,000 promotional prize from Nova 106.5 and TheMusic.com.au.
Making QMA history, Tia Gostelow became the youngest ever winner of the Album of The Year award for her outstanding debut record Thick Skin. The Mackay-via-Brisbane musician is a previous QMA winner and former QMA School’s Award recipient. This year the Schools Award was bestowed to 17-year old Tokyo Twilight for his ambient electronic track, Little Things, feat. DVNA.
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Emily Wurramara took home the Indigenous Award with Lady Blue, followed by Blues & Roots Award winner Tap Sticks, a song she wrote at age 11. Sunshine Coast’s Sahara Beck won the Regional Award for her big chorus pop anthem Here We Go Again. Amy Shark took home the Singer Songwriter Award for I Said Hi which also earned the Gold Coast resident an acknowledgement for Highest Selling Single.
Lynne Thorpe and Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch awarded the 2019 Billy Thorpe Scholarship to Brisbane dream-pop shoegaze outfit Pool Shop. Led by Brisbane based singer-songwriter, Jaimee Fryer will receive $10,000 to record her next release along with career planning advice from Chugg Entertainment. Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, the scholarship is now in its 11th year.
Henry ‘Seaman’ Dan was honoured with the Grant McLennan Lifetime Achievement Award for his work, blending traditional Torres Strait Islander songs and pearling songs with jazz, hula and the blues, which he began recording at the age of 70.
A full list of winners can be found online.
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