Two wins for Bluey composer, while Brisbane’s best venue crowned

When Fortitude Music Hall opened its doors in 2019, it had a lot to live up to as the reincarnation of Brisbane’s beloved and much-mourned institution Festival Hall.

The venue in Brunswick Street Mall has been so successful in winning the affection of live music lovers – hosting the likes of Nile Rodgers and Chic, Liam Gallagher, Violent Soho and the Wiggles in its short history – it has been named Metro Venue of the Year at the 2024 Queensland Music Awards.

Kings Beach Tavern on the Sunshine Coast took out Regional Venue, the Gympie Music Muster was named Festival of the Year and the Kingston Butter Factory cultural precinct was named Most Accessible Venue.

The Kings Beach Tavern would have been one of the key venues of this year’s Caloundra Music Festival, but that has been cancelled – one of many festivals to succumb to surging costs, poor ticket sales and extreme weather events.

But the Queensland Music Awards are not just an acknowledgement of the state’s best live music venues.

Brisbane’s own pop powerhouse Cub Sport took out both the coveted Album of the Year award for Jesus at the Gay Bar, and the Electronic Award for their track Songs About It.

Cub Sport took out two wins in their home city.Credit: Janie Barrett

Indie pop singer-songwriter Jem Cassar-Daley accepted the Song of the Year award King of Disappointment before returning to the stage for a collaborative performance of the hit track with the evening’s musical director Matt Hsu.

Less than a week after the much-anticipated season finale of Bluey aired, the show’s esteemed music composer Joff Bush won both the Children’s Music Award for Dance Mode and Music For Screen Award for Cricket.

Joff Bush, the composer for Bluey, in his studio in Brisbane.Credit: Paul Harris

To celebrate this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner James Blundell, country nominees Haley Marsten, Melody Moko and Tori Forsyth performed a rendition of Blundell and James Reyne’s 1992 track Way Out West.

With a career spanning 34 years, 14 studio albums and nine Country Music Association of Australia Golden Guitars, Blundell described this award as an “acknowledgement of survival”.

“I say to all the young artists I work with that longevity is a major part of the equation. You can be fabulous for a nanosecond, but to sustain a career, well, you’ve got to be a bit more interesting,” he said.

Queensland Music Awards

Song of the year: Jem Cassar-Daley – King of Disappointment

Album of the year: Cub Sport - Jesus at the Gay Bar

Lifetime Achievement Award: James Blundell

Blues, Roots Award: Busby Marou – Conversation

Children’s Music Award: Joff Bush – Dance Mode (Bluey)

Contemporary Classical and Music for Stage: Karin Schaupp – Cybernylon

Country Award: Tori Forsyth – Sometimes

Electronic Award: Cub Sport – Songs About It

Folk Award: Minor Gold – Cannonball

Heavy Award: DZ Deathrays – My Mind is Eating Me Alive

Hip Hop Award: Ozi Jarel – Uptown

Indigenous Award: Tia Gostelow - Spring to Life

Jazz Award: Andrew Butt Trio – Le Baiser Salé

Music for Screen: Joff Bush – Cricket (Bluey)

Pop Award: Jem Cassar-Daley – King of Disappointment

Rock Award: Felony – Everyone I Like Wants To Kill Themselves

Soul, Funk, RNB Award: Sahara Beck – Compromise

World Award: Taitu’uga – Falealili Manusamoa

Highest Selling Single: Fisher & Kita Alexander – Atmosphere

Highest Selling Album: Brad Cox - Acres

People’s Choice Award Metro Venue of the Year: The Fortitude Music Hall

People’s Choice Award Regional Venue of the Year: Kings Beach Tavern

People’s Choice Award Festival of the Year: Gympie Music Muster

People’s Choice Accessible Venue of the Year: Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct