Music Victoria Announces 2023 Award Winners

Image: Kutcha Edwards, 2023 Hall of Fame inductee. Credit: Jamie James

At a ceremony held at The Edge in Fed Square last night, Music Victoria revealed all the winners of the 2023 Music Victoria Awards.

Inducted into the hall of fame were songwriter & activist Kutcha Edwards and industry veteran who was instrumental in the establishment of Music Victoria, Kirsty Rivers.

Industry-voted winners included Charlie Needs Braces for the Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent, Katie Dey for Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award and Origami with Wang Zheng-Ting for MAV Diasporas Award. Matt Joe Gow took out Best Country Work, Close Counters topped Best Electronic Work, Joshua Moshe for Best Jazz Work, daine for Best Pop Work, while Agung Mango won the award for Best Hip Hop Work. Additionally, Best Soul, Funk, R’n’B or Gospel Work was awarded to Bumpy and the Best Musician title went to Immy Owusu.

The 2023 Best Group went to Cable Ties, marking their second award for the night. while Cara Murphy won Best DJ, Jen Cloher took home Best Solo Artist, and Watty Thompson won the Best Regional Act. Venue categories were publicly voted as well, with winners including The Forum for Best Metro Venue (over 500 capacity), Caravan Music Club as Best Regional Venue or Presenter (over 50 gigs) and RISING for Best Metro Festival.

Simone Schinkel, Music Victoria’s CEO says “Congratulations to the 2023 nominees, and of course, our winners! Victorian music is so special and something to be celebrated not just tonight, but year round. Our artists, venues, festivals and industry are pushing creative bounds, working collaboratively and rethinking the wheel, and we're so excited to see what the future holds.”

Check out all the winners below!

MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS 2023 WINNERS & NOMINEES

*WINNERS BOLDED*
 


Industry voted categories

Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent (First Peoples entrants only)
Charlie Needs Braces
Jada Weazel
Kiwat Kennell
Miss Kaninna
Pirritu

Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award (Deaf and Disabled entrants only)
Artemis Muñoz
BATTS
Jimmy from Thornbury
Katie Dey
Mathilde Anne

MAV Diasporas Award (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse entrants only)
Black Jesus Experience
Don Glori
Mitch Tambo
Origami with Wang Zheng-Ting
The Cloud Maker

Best Blues Work
Damon Smith
Eddie Ink
Nigel Wearne
Paul Buchanan’s Voodoo Preachers
The Teskey Brothers
 
Best Country Work
Charlotte Le Lievre
De Porsal
Henry Wagons
Matt Joe Gow
Nathan Seeckts

Best Electronic Work
Close Counters
Lastlings
Memphis LK
The Oddness
Tim Shiel

Best Experimental or Avant-Garde Work
Aviva Endean
Fia Fiell
Maria Moles
Patrick Hartono
R. Rebeiro

Best Folk Work
Dandelion Wine
Folk Bitch Trio
Katankin
Leah Senior
Lucy Wise
 
Best Heavy Work
DEAD
FACELESS BURIAL
GELD
ISUA
The Maggie Pills

Best Hip Hop Work
Agung Mango
Strictly D.T
Teether & Kuya Neil
VOLDY
Yung Shōgun

Best Jazz Work
Don Glori
Fran Swinn
Joshua Moshe
Nat Bartsch
The Rookies

Best Pop Work
daine
Mia Wray
Mitch Tambo
Monnie
Telenova

Best Reggae or Dancehall Work
ALETHIA
Crown Heights
JahWise
Killah Keys
Melbourne Ska Orchestra

Best Rock or Punk Work
Cable Ties
Cash Savage and the Last Drinks
CIVIC
CLAMM
RVG
 
Best Soul, Funk, R’n’B or Gospel Work
30/70
Bumpy
Forest Claudette
Mo’Ju
Surprise Chef
 
Best Producer
Anna Laverty
Candice Lorrae
Gab Strum
Lucy Blomkamp
Simon Lam

Best Musician
Daniel Farrugia
Immy Owusu
Jen Sholakis
Joshua Moshe
Sam Teskey

 
Publicly voted categories

Best Song or Track
Forest Claudette - Mess Around (feat. EARTHGANG)
Julia Jacklin - Love, Try Not To Let Go
Miss Kaninna - Blak Britney
NO ZU - Liquid Love
RVG - Nothing Really Changes
 
Best Album
Cable Ties - All Her Plans
Cash Savage and the Last Drinks - So This is Love
Jen Cloher - I Am The River, The River Is Me
Julia Jacklin - PRE PLEASURE
Teether and Kuya Neil - STRESSOR

Best Solo Artist
Adalita
Forest Claudette
Gena Rose Bruce
Jen Cloher
Sarah Mary Chadwick
 
Best DJ
CAITY WATSØN
Cara Murphy
Moopie
Rakhi
Uone

Best Group
Cable Ties
Folk Bitch Trio
Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 & Tim Shiel
RVG
Surprise Chef

Best Regional Act
Bones and Jones
Coda Chroma
Immy Owusu
Leah Senior
Watty Thompson
 
Best Metro Festival
Brunswick Music Festival (Wurundjeri)
Leaps and Bounds Music Festival (Wurundjeri)
Melbourne International Jazz Festival (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
RISING Melbourne (Kulin Nation)
YIRRAMBOI Festival including The Archie Roach Block Party (Wurundjeri)
 
Best Regional Festival
Boogie - Tallarook (Taungurung)
Esoteric Festival - Donald (Dja Dja Wurrung)
OK Motels - Charlton (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Port Fairy Folk Festival (Gunditjmara)
Winter Sounds - Daylesford (Dja Dja Wurrung)
 
Best Large Venue (Metro)
Forum Melbourne (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
Melbourne Recital Centre (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
Northcote Theatre (Wurundjeri)
Palais Theatre - St Kilda (Boonwurrung)
The Corner Hotel - Richmond (Wurundjeri)
 
Best Small Venue (Metro)
Brunswick Ballroom (Wurundjeri)
Northcote Social Club (Wurundjeri)
Shotkickers - Thornbury (Wurundjeri)
The Gem - Collingwood (Wurundjeri)
The Night Cat - Fitzroy (Wurundjeri)

Best Regional Venue or Presenter (Under 50 gigs)
Meeniyan Town Hall - South Gippsland (Bunurong)
The Minerva Ballaarat (Wadawurrung)
The Blues Train - Bellarine Peninsula (Wadawurrung)
Trash Cult - Bendigo (Dja Dja Wurrung)
The Vine Hotel - Wangaratta (Bpangerang)

Best Regional Venue or Presenter (Over 50 gigs)
Caravan Music Club - Archies Creek (Boonwurrung)
Palais-Hepburn (Dja Dja Wurrung)
The Barwon Club Hotel - Geelong (Wadawurrung)
The Bridge Hotel - Castlemaine (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Volta - Ballarat (Wadawurrung)

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