Queensland Music Awards announces 2021 finalists

Toowoomba has made the Queensland Music Awards short list in two categories including best regional venue and best regional musician. Find out how you can get behind your region and vote here.

QUEENSLAND MUSIC: Several of this years Queensland Music Award nominees (top left to right) Eves Karydas, DZ Deathrays, Miiesha (bottom left to right) No Money Enterprise, The Jungle Giants, Tia Gostelow. Picture: Contributed

Toowoomba has made the cut for the finals list at this year’s Queensland Music Awards in no one, but two categories with the Empire Theatre being named as a finalist in the regional venue of the year category and the talented Cloe Terare one of the finalists in the regional musician category.

Terare, who has also received a highly commended for her single Intentions in the electronic dance category, was also nominated last year in the indigenous music category.

The 24-year-old artist said it meant a lot to her as a new musician to be nominated two years in a row in two separate categories.

Toowoomba singer songwriter Cloe Terarehas been named as a finalist in the Queensland Music Awards for the second year in a row. Picture: supplied

“I’m super proud to be nominated, despite only being in the industry full time now for two years it really means a lot to be recognised in both the indigenous and the electronic and dance categories,” she said.

“Coming from an indigenous background my cultural heritage is very important to me but it’s also important to me not to let that category define me, so I am really honoured to be nominated in a second category at this year’s QMAs.”

The annual Queensland Music Awards today announced the full list of 2021 finalists, and the nominees for the publicly voted people’s choice awards with winners to be presented under the decadent chandeliers of the Fortitude Music Hall on Wednesday, May 5.

After a record number of artist submissions from all over the state, the impressive and extensive list of finalists includes emerging and established artists from the furthest reaches of Queensland’s thriving and diverse music communities.

Finalists include Eves Karydas, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat, and Sycco contending for the Pop crown, AYA J, Beddy Rays, ELEEA and Miiesha are finalists for the indigenous Award, DVNA, FELIVAND, MiCCY, and Miiesha representing the judges best releases from the Soul, Funk and R’n’B category, and Ball Park Music, Beddy Rays, Hope D, and Jaguar Jonze are the top talent for Rock.

Toowoomba’ Empire Theatre has been named as a finalist in the 2021 Queensland Music Awards in the regional venue of the year category.

Jesswar, No Money Enterprise, LEMAIRE, and Tbi$h round out the best of the best in the Hip Hop/Rap category while our very own Cloe Terare, Fragile Animals, Greta Stanley, and Tia Gostelow are up for the Regional Award.

After a record number of submissions, the video category gives us some of the strongest finalists so far, with clips from Cub Sport ‘Confessions’ directed by Jennifer Embleton, FELIVAND ‘Trajectory’ directed by Levi Cranston, Jarryd James ‘Miracles’ directed by Mick Soiza, and Lastlings ‘Out Of Touch’ directed by Dylan Dulcos and Rico Zhang offering outstanding creative visual accompaniments to some of the state’s biggest songs of the last year.

With even more outstanding artists up for awards in Blues and Roots, Country, Electronic and Dance, Jazz, Heavy, Folk/Singer Songwriter categories and more, the 2021 QMAs promises to be a massive night of celebrating the talent, resilience, and relentless passion of Queensland’s musicians and their teams.

“The Queensland Music Awards have become an important date in the calendar for our music community and despite the hardship of the last twelve months, our artists have proven that they are among the best in the world,” QMusic CEO Angela Samut said.

“We had a vast number of exceptional submissions in every category, more than any previous year. Our judges certainly haven’t had an easy job narrowing it down, but we are thrilled to present such a remarkable group of talented finalists.

“The creativity emanating from our state is both exciting and inspiring and I’m proud that the QMAs can be the place for Queensland to celebrate our musicians’ success.”

Also announced today are the finalists for the annual Billy Thorpe Scholarship, which will be awarded to one of the four finalists Beckah Amani, King Stingray, Phoebe Sinclair, or Selve. Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and presented by QMusic, The Billy Thorpe Scholarship was established in 2010 in honour of the late Billy Thorpe, and awards the annual winner $10,000 as well as the opportunity to record with an established producer and receive career-planning from Chugg Entertainment.

After a notably difficult year for live music across the country, Queensland’s much-loved music venues and festivals have proved resilient and adaptive in the face of COVID-19, continuing to showcase local artists, diversity, and sustainability throughout the past 12 months.

The Queensland Music Awards are yet again placing the power in the hands of the public to decide on Queensland’s favourite festival and live music venues, welcoming back the people’s choice awards presented by The Music and Oztix – but with a twist … This year, Queensland’s best venues and festivals will be decided by 60 per cent by public vote, and 40 per cent from an expert industry panel.

The 2021 People’s Choice Award categories are: metro venue of the year, regional venue of the year, and festival of the year.

All public votes go in the draw to win a double pass to celebrate with the who’s who of Queensland music at the 2021 Queensland Music Awards on Wednesday, May 5 at The Fortitude Music Hall.

You only have one vote, so make it count!

To cast your vote for Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre, follow this link.

2021 QMAs – FINALISTS LIST

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: METRO VENUE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Black Bear Lodge

Brisbane Jazz Club

Eatons Hill Hotel

Ipswich Civic Centre

Lefty’s Music Hall

Mo’s Desert Clubhouse

The Brightside

The Fortitude Music Hall

The Tivoli

The Triffid

The Zoo

VINNIES DIVE

Woolly Mammoth Mane Stage

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: REGIONAL VENUE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Banshees Bar & Artspace

Empire Theatre

NightQuarter

Otherwise Bar

Sandstone Point Hotel

Solbar

Studio 188

The Events Centre, Caloundra

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

BLEACH* Festival

Brisbane Festival

Earth Frequency Festival

Horizon Festival

Mountain Goat Valley Crawl

Woodford Folk Festival

Yonder

BLUES & ROOTS FINALISTS

Billie Rose – Company With Regret

Karl S Williams – God Is A Bomb

LT – Hold Ya

Mardi Wilson – Runaway

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Hussy Hicks – Mountain Peak

Jack Bratt – Will You Ever

PEACH FUR – Preloved

CHILDREN'S FINALISTS

Fabulous Lemon Drops – There Are Times

Nyssa Ray – Love Everybody

Happy Singing Kids – Uh Oh Spaghetti-Oh!

The Mini Moshers – Shark Chase Song

HIGHLY COMMENDED

The Mini Moshers – Superhero

Sharon Mirii Bell – Mamaba Dyan

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL FINALISTS

Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra – Apis Australis

Danny Widdicombe & Ant Aggs – Alpha Centauri

Ray Lin – Moonlight Illusion

Tristan Barton – Eris’s Debt

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Julia Kourtidis – Leaving

Maddox/Devine – 1738

COUNTRY FINALISTS

Karl S Williams – Columbus Ohio

Melody Moko – Like Hank Would

Ruby Gilbert – No Vacancy

Vixens of Fall – The Long Game

HIGHLY COMMENDED

HaydenGoSeek – Old Friend

Jessica Emily Odgers – This Ain’t Over

ELECTRONIC DANCE FINALISTS

Confidence Man – First Class Bitch

Lastlings – No Time

Pink Matter – You’ll Never Know

Young Franco – Juice feat. Pell

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Cloe Terare – Intentions

Holiday Party – Let Down

The Kite String Tangle – I.S.T.A.U. (feat LANKS)

Syrup – Sun

HEAVY FINALISTS

DZ Deathrays – Fired Up

RHINO – White Witch

These Four Walls – White Lies

VIRTUES – DoubleThink

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Caligula’s Horse – Slow Violence

The Atomic Beau Project – Cellar Door

HIP HOP & RAP FINALISTS

Jesswar – Venom

No Money Enterprise – Presto

LEMAIRE – Where’s Up? (feat. Jay Orient & JK-47)

Tbi$h – Endless Trips

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Gill Bates – Bob and Weave

Lauren. – Work for the Money

Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra – Welcome To The Neighbourhood

Order Sixty6 – Bruce Banner

INDIGENOUS FINALISTS

AYA J – Tenth Street

Beddy Rays – Sobercoaster

ELEEA – Wasting Time

Miiesha – Twisting Words

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Zennith – Ancient Warrior

Tia Gostelow – RUSH

JAZZ FINALISTS

Charlotte Mclean – Find Comfort in What Ends

Danny Widdicombe with Kristin Berardi & Trichotomy – Falling

Jordan Brodie – Twitch

Sophie Min – Time Is On (feat. Kayleigh Pincott)

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Denson Baartz Quartet – Frangipani

Linsey Pollak – 18th April

Antonix – Smooth Dancer

POP FINALISTS

Eves Karydas – Complicated

Mallrat – Rockstar

Sycco – Dribble

The Jungle Giants – Sending Me Ur Loving

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Greta Stanley – Soak Into This

ROCK FINALISTS

Ball Park Music – Head Like A Sieve

Beddy Rays – Sobercoaster

Hope D – Second

Jaguar Jonze – Rabbit Hole

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Bugs – Old Youth Feeling

Hallie – Sympathy

Nice Biscuit – Fem Chem

Sweater Curse – Close

Violent Soho – Pick It Up Again

SCHOOLS (GRADE 6 – 12) FINALISTS

Abi Muir – FIRST DATE

Amber Farnan – Over & Out

Amy Elise – Teenagism

Tayiha – No Happy Ending

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Bella Mackenzie – Dance in the Rain

Monet’s Pond – Floating In Air

FOLK & SINGER SONGWRITER FINALISTS

Greta Stanley – Soak Into This

Hazlett- Monsters

Jaguar Jonze – MURDER

Karl S Williams – Never Let Me Go

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Asha Jefferies – Dancefloor

Austen – Worse Things

Dami Im – Marching On

Mardi Wilson – Runaway

SOUL, FUNK & R’N’B FINALISTS

DVNA – Sushi In Tokyo

FELIVAND – Ebb & Flow

MiCCY – Tug of War

Miiesha – Twisting Words

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Jarryd James – Miracles

Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra – Welcome To The Neighbourhood

Volcanic Lovers – Magic In The Mundane

WORLD FINALISTS

MZAZA – The Ether

Saraima Navara – Kaum Leva Tagu

Tenzin Choegyal – Heart Strings

Tijuana Cartel – Sufi

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Linsey Pollak – Light in the Tunnel

Menaka Thomas, Old Semeil, Tsoof Baras – Feel the Joy

SOL – TRILOGY

REGIONAL FINALISTS

Cloe Terare – Intentions

Fragile Animals – Only Until It’s Over

Greta Stanley – Soak Into This

Tia Gostelow – PSYCHO

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Colie – Kids These Days

LT – Till The Sun Dies

REMOTE FINALISTS

Alison Jeeves – Angels Watching Over Me

Billie Rose – Kick Her To The Curb

Ella Hartwig – Can’t Ask You to Stay

Miiesha – Twisting Words

VIDEO FINALISTS

Dylan Dulcos & Rico Zhang – Lastlings, Out Of Touch

Jennifer Embleton – Cub Sport, Confessions

Levi Cranston – FELIVAND, Trajectory

Mick Soiza – Jarryd James, Miracles

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Alex Greaves – Pink Matter, You’ll Never Know

Deena Lynch & Ribal Hosn – Jaguar Jonze, MURDER

Jack Birtles – Clea, Sugar

Michelle Levings – GLVES, Heal Me

BILLY THORPE SCHOLARSHIP FINALISTS

Beckah Amani

King Stingray

Phoebe Sinclair

Selve

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Among The Ruined

Andy Martin

Asha Jefferies

Fragile Animals

Hallie

Scenes

Sycco