The official home of Australian Independent Music, a place for music industry professionals alike, featuring the cream of the crop of Australia’s diverse and thriving independent music sector.

Hey guys and gals. I'm Ned Hepburn, your official awards blogger. Let's get started, shall we?

Sorry we haven't blogged for a while. It's because we've been attending a million different versions of the ARIA Awards.

Apparently the ARIA's at Sydney Opera House wasn't the best television. But that's alright, they took huge risks this year, changed location, changed format, changed television network. It's a high risk/high reward game.  ARIA are trying to get their show right for a national audience and at AIR we think it's important that they do. The ARIAs mean something....

That said, we've got a bit of gripe about the format. "Niche" awards for CRAZY genres like 'Dance', 'Blues and Roots', 'Hip Hop' and 'Metal' were awarded in the week leading up to the main event, a small ceremonies in the Botanical gardens. Yep, ummm niche...

Dance (Won by Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP, how many millions of sales worldwide?)

Blues and Roots (Won by Dan Sultan, one of Australian music's brightest stars)

Metal (Won by Parkway Drive, arguably one of the biggest bands in the country, certainly in terms of concert attendances, album and merch sales they are).

Hip Hop (Won by M-Phazes, one of Australia's best producers, our greatest exporting hip hop artist, currently working on tracks for everyone in world Hip Hop)

And what about Classical or Jazz? Are these genre's not worthy of a national audience, were their achievements any less impressive?

We need to celebrate the exciting parts of the Australian music industry, not hide it away. The talent, taste-makers and boundary pushers in Australian music reside in the fringes... it really worries us that ARIA are presenting an industry devoid of the tasty bits. Australia's Metal, Dance, Hip Hop and Dance need to be celebrated.

Finally, Independent Music is the lifeblood of our industry. Please never ever ever get an independent politician as a gimic to present that award again. It's an insult, Bob Katter doesn't care about contemporary music.

Finally,  Independent Labels won 17 ARIA's combined. How many did Sony or Warner win?

Yep, zero

Congratulations to the following Independent ARIA Award winning Artists!!!!

Best Male Artist
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can (MGM)

Best Group
The Temper Trap - Love Lost (Liberation Music)

Best Independent Release
Sia - We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Most Popular Australian Single
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (Liberation Music)

Best Pop Release
Sia - We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Best Rock Album
Birds of Tokyo - Birds of Tokyo (Independent/EMI)

Best Comedy Release
Andrew Hansen, Chris Taylor & Craig Schuftan - The Blow Parade (ABC Music)

Best Classical Album
Paul Dyer and Australian Brandenburg Orchestra - Tapas - Tastes Of The Baroque (ABC Classics)

Best Jazz Album
James Morrison & The Idea Of North - Feels Like Spring (ABC Jazz)

Best Dance Release
Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup - We No Speak Americano (Sweat it
Out/Central Station Records)

Best Urban Album
M-Phazes - Good Gracious (Obese Records)

Best Blues & Roots Album
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can (MGM)

Best Children's Album
The Wiggles - Let's Eat! (ABC Music)

Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show
Various - Before Too Long: Triple J's Tribute to Paul Kelly (ABC Music)

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
Parkway Drive - Deep Blue (Resist Records/Shock)

Best Music DVD
Various - Sound Relief (Liberation Music)

Best World Music Album
Mamadou Diabate, Bobby Singh & Jeff Lang - Djan Djan (ABC Music)

The 2010 JAGERMEISTER INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS have rolled up the red carpet for another year, wrapping up a fun filled evening which delivered 11 Awards to some of Australia's hottest young talent, with first-time winners CLOUD CONTROL and DAN SULTAN taking out the major honours with two awards apiece.

Now in their fifth year, The JAGERMEISTER INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS continue to grow and are now recognised as a barometer for future 'big' acts, with this years list of winners no exception. 

Blue Mountains four piece CLOUD CONTROL well and truly made their mark on the evening with the first-timers picking up 2 awards, taking out Best Independent Album for their critically acclaimed Ivy League debut "Bliss Release" and the award for Breakthrough Independent Artist. With stunning sun-drenched pop songs like 'There's Nothing in The Water We Can't Fight' and Gold Canary The band have seen their fan base sky-rocket both locally and internationally over the past 2 years, so its little wonder they've been earmarked as a band to watch.

Awards for the Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Blues and Roots Album (for his debut album Get Out While You Can) were taken out by DAN SULTAN.  His second full-length release, the album was an electrifying romp through rockabilly, blues, soul, country and swing, and saw Dan's star continue to shine when it reached Number 1 on the Independent Music Charts back in 2009 on release.

Best Independent Single or EP went to Melbourne 5-piece LITTLE RED for their single 'Rock It'. With a sound steeped in classic R&B, garage and rock'n'roll, yet possessing a thoroughly modern spark, LITTLE RED won with this tasty morsel from their recently released album Midnight Remember.

Best Independent Hard Rock or Punk Album went to arguably the most formidable force on the Australian hardcore scene, Byron Bay's PARKWAY DRIVE.  Winning for their third studio album Deep Blue which incorporated everything from anthemic punk to bloodcurdling death metal, the album also achieved Number 1 status on the Independent Charts on release.

Best Independent Country Album went to an Australian Country family dynasty - KASEY CHAMBERS, POPPA BILL AND THE LITTLE HILLBILLIES - for their Lost Music Blues album.  A unique collaboration of 3 generations - the 16 original songs were crafted together by KASEY, Father BILL, Brother NASH and their collective brood of Little Hillbillies.

With 2 prior nominations, 2010 proved to be the lucky year for URTHBOY, who took out his first Independent Music award for Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album for Spitshine. His third solo album, the critically acclaimed, and now award winning album "Spitshine" has proved to be his most successful to date.

The Gathering - the latest suite from pianist/composer and producer STU HUNTER - was awarded Best Independent Jazz album. His second release, the album received extraordinary accolades, and has been described as representing a milestone in contemporary Australian jazz, proving to be a more than worthy winner.

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS' second album The Crystal Axis won Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album in a hotly contested category. Hailed as de facto pioneers of a new frontier of "indie-dance", the band pushed the boundaries even further on album number 2, and were rewarded for their efforts as they also brought home their second award in this category, after winning back in 2007.

And finally, the inaugural award for Most Popular Independent Artist (as voted by Nova listeners) went to JOHN BUTLER TRIO.  Undeniably one of the most successful independent artists in Australia and no strangers to picking up Awards, this is the second Independent Music Award the band have collected, after Best Independent Artist in 2007, in a career spanning more than a decade.

The 2010 Jagermeister Independent Music Awards winners:

Most Popular Independent Artist (as voted by Nova Listeners)

John Butler Trio

Best Independent Artist

Dan Sultan (Independent/MGM)

Breakthrough Independent Artist

Cloud Control (Ivy League)

Best Independent Album

Cloud Control – Bliss Release (Ivy League)

Best Independent Single/EP

Little Red – ‘Rock It’ (Liberation)

Best Independent Blues And Roots Album

Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can (Independent/MGM)

Best Independent Hard Rock Or Punk Album

Parkway Drive – Deep Blue (Resist/Shock)

Best Independent Country Album

Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill And The Little Hillbillies – Lost Music Blues (Liberation)

Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album

Urthboy – Spitshine (Elefant Traks/Inertia)

Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album

Midnight Juggernauts - The Crystal Axis (Siberia/Inertia)

Best Independent Jazz Album

Stu Hunter - The Gathering (Vitamin)

For more info on the Awards, Charts and Independent music, check out http://www.ausindies.com.au/

Australian singer/songwriter Dan Sultan [pictured right with guitarist/songwriter Scott Wilson] is nominated for three awards at this year's Jagermeister Independent Music Awards for his latest release, Get Out While You Can: Best Artist, Best Album and Best Blues And Roots Album.The music video for his song 'Old Fitzroy' is embedded above.

Ahead of this year's awards night - more details on that at the bottom of this post - we briefly caught up with Dan Sultan to talk independent music.

What's your favourite musical moment of 2010 so far, Dan?

We played in China a few months ago – I don’t think they understood what were were up to, but everyone seemed to have a good time. In Australia, Splendour was the best gig we have done for a while.

What does being independent mean to you?

Owning the farm!

What's the biggest challenge you face as an independent musician?

It's a bit of a slog , but I recommend it.

Conversely, what's the best thing about being independent?

Not being answerable to anyone and having complete artistic control.

As a musician, what would you ultimately like to be known and remembered for?

Just good music and performing it well.

Favourite music video of all time by an Australian artist?

Hoodoo Gurus' 'I Want You Back' - it has plastic dinosaurs paying guitars. [embedded below]

Finally, what's the best thing about being associated with AIR and the Jagermeister Independent Music Awards?

It's a great opportunity to celebrate Australian Independent Music and I’m happy to be a part of it.

Thanks for your time, Dan! For more info on Dan Sultan, visit his website.

The 5th Annual Jagermeister Independent Music Awards are held at The Forum Theatre, Melbourne on Friday October 1st, 2010, featuring live performances from British India, Cloud Control, The Amity Affliction, M-Phazes, Sally Seltmann and Joe Chindamo. Doors open at 8:00pm; tickets are $29+BF and available now via Ticketmaster.

Dan Sultan and his band are giving away a double pass to this year's awards night - click here to enter by answering "what was your favourite independent gig, and why?" if you read this before the morning of Friday September 24, 2010.

For more info on AIR and Australian independent music, visit http://www.ausindies.com.au/