J Award
The J Award is an award given by influential Australian youth radio station Triple J to Australian Album of the Year. It is judged by a panel of members of the music industry, led by Richard Kingsmill. The award was inaugurated in 2005, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the station's establishment.
To be eligible for entry in a particular year, an album must be released (either independently or through a record label) between December the previous year to November that year. All albums sent to Triple J for airplay consideration will also be automatically considered for the award. Nominations are chosen by Triple J management and are released throughout the year. Nominations tend towards artists releasing breakthrough albums rather than already well-established musicians.
A second category was introduced to Triple J's annual J Award in 2007, with the Triple J judges now looking back over the winners of site competitions over the year and awarding the Triple J Unearthed J Award to the best and most promising artist. Yet another category, "Music Video of The Year," was added in 2008 with Triple j tv selecting one music video from a list of approximately five nominations to be the best Australian music video.
The announcement of the J Award winner will come each year at the culmination of Ausmusic Month, when Triple J celebrates Australian music throughout November.
2005 J Award
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2006 J Award
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2007 awards
J Award
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Unearthed J Award
A second category was introduced to Triple J's annual J Award in 2007, with the Triple J judges now looking back over the winners of site competitions over the year and awarding the Triple J Unearthed J Award to the best and most promising artist. Triple J Unearthed marked its first anniversary with over 10,400 artists live on the site, 80,000 registered users, 1.6 million tracks downloaded and 3.9 million tracks streamed. The Unearthed J Award is awarded to an Unearthed artist who has demonstrated the most musical growth and shows the greatest potential to make a contribution to the Australian music industry.
Nominations
Five nominees were selected from the past year of Unearthed competition winners, since the launch in August 2006 through to July 2007. The nominees were:
- Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers from New South Wales who won the 2007 The Great Escape, who have subsequently supported Kate Miller-Heidke, Old Man River and The Paper Scissors. The band released their debut album Love Needs Us on the Warner Music label.
- Hip Hop artists Illzilla who won the 2006 Falls Festival and then played at the Pyramid Rock Festival. They have also supported acts such as Astronomy Class and played at the finals of the DMC Championships.
- Western Australia's Institut Polaire who won the Perth Big Day Out. They have since signed to Sydney's Popfrenzy Records releasing their first EP The Fauna and the Flora. They have toured twice nationally in the past year, supporting international acts The Clientele (UK), Camera Obscura (UK), and WA tour supports with New Buffalo.
- Leroy Lee from New South Wales who won the support slot for NSW leg of Missy Higgins' national tour.
- Young and Restless from Canberra who won the 2006 Homebake Festival. They have since toured across the country with the Erase Errata (USK), Cansei de Ser Sexy (Brazil) and Love Is All (Sweden). They have also signed with local independent label, Dot Dash Recordings, releasing their self-titled debut album in mid-July, 2007, then embarking on a successful headline tour of their own.
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2008 awards
J Award
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Australian Music Video of the Year
A third category was introduced to Triple J's annual J Award in 2008, with Triple j tv selecting one music video from a list of approximately five nominations to be the best Australian music video. The music video of the year being determined for its outstanding achievement as an Australian musical video work of art (based on its creativity, originality and technical excellence). The music video is selected from any music video released by an Australian artist (either independently or through a record company) and that is also directed by and Australian director between November and December the preceding year.
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In order of announcement of nomination:
Winner
Unearthed J Award
Nominations
Nominations announced in November during Triple J's Ausmusic month.
- Art vs Science, won the Splendour in the Grass Unearthed competition and have also played at Parklife, and are scheduled to perform at the upcoming Falls Festival.
- Cassette Kids, were the Unearthed winners of the 2008 Big Day Out (Sydney leg) and have completed a national tour supporting The Presets.
- City Riots, from South Australia, played the 2008 Big Day Out (Adelaide leg) and Fuse Festival in Adelaide, then flew overseas to play the Great Escape Festival in the UK, playing sideshows at the Camden Barfly, and international pop festival in Liverpool. The band then played a five-week tour of the United States, taking in Milwaukee’s Summerfest with The Bravery, Wave Gathering Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
- Harlequin League, from Western Australia, the Unearthed winners on the 2008 Big Day Out (Perth leg) and have supported The Freestylers (UK), The Cops, Regurgitator, Expatriate, The Panda Band, Dardanelles, and The Checks.
- John Steel Singers, from Queensland, winners of Unearthed's Brisbane leg of 2008 Big Day Out. The John Steel Singers have shared the stage with Polyphonic Spree (USA), Built To Spill (USA), Kelley Stoltz (USA), The Brunettes (NZ), The Panics and The Panda Band, performing at the Playground Weekender, Was I There In Your Future?, Essential Festival and Come Together Festival.
- Numbers Radio, won the Valley Fiesta Unearthed Competition.
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2009 awards
J Award
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Australian Music Video of the Year
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In order of announcement of nomination:
- Firekites - "Autumn Story" (Co-Directors: Yanni Kronenberg and Lucinda Schreiber)
- Bluejuice - "Broken Leg" (Director: Sam Bennetts)
- Astronomy Class - "Where You At?" (Director: Pradeep Senanayake)
- The Scare - "Could Be Bad" (Director: Ton Noakes)
- Art vs Science - "Parlez vous Francais?" (Director: Alex Roberts)
- Karnivool - "Set Fire To The Hive" (Director: Chris Frey)
Winner
- Art vs Science - "Parlez vous Francais?" (Director: Alex Roberts)
Unearthed J Award
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2010 awards
J Award
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- Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Australian Music Video of the Year
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- Washington - "Sunday Best" (Co-Directors: Mairi Cameron and Stephen Lance)
Unearthed J Award
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- Stonefield, winners of the Unearthed High competition in 2010, from Gisborne, Victoria. Performed at the triple j showcase at the One Movement Festival in Perth, which resulted in them being booked for Glastonbury.
- Gypsy & The Cat, played the NME weekender festival in London. They have also played at a number of Australian festivals, including Splendour in the Grass, Parklife Festival, and One Movement festivals and have supported The Strokes and Foals.
- Big Scary, a two-piece band, who were the unearthed winners for the Pushover Festival in Melbourne. They have supported Editors, Florence and the Machine and toured with Birds of Tokyo.
- Boy And Bear, unearthed winners for the Homebake festival in 2009. They have toured Australia with Angus and Julia Stone and Hungry Kids of Hungary. In 2010, they toured Britain with Laura Marling and supported Mumford & Sons on their Australian tour.
- The Jezabels, a four-piece musical group from Sydney. Have played a number of festivals around Australia, including the Big Day Out, Pyramid Rock, Festival of the Sun, Playground Weekender, Come Together, Peats Ridge Festival, and Soundwave. They also supported Canada’s Tegan & Sara on their Australian tour, as well as touring with Regurgitator, Bluejuice, Dukes of Windsor, Van She, Sparkadia and Josh Pyke.
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2011 Awards
J Award
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Unearthed J Award
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External links