WAMAwards 2019 Public Voting: Most Popular New Act

Every year, as a part of the annual WAMFest and WAMCon celebrations, the WAMAwards reward and honour the best of West Australia's flourishing music scene. This year, one defined by the international domination of WA-raised musicians like Stella Donnelly and Carla Geneve, the WAMAwards represent something bigger: a chance to recognise those who have helped push WA music not just within the state, but on a larger national scale and then internationally too, whether it be those in-front of the cameras familiar to most, or those working behind-the-scenes to make sure it happens. 

While many of the categories are voted by a collection of industry members, this year sees the return of the WAMAwards public voting, which makes a comeback - presented by Pilerats, mind you - to give the power to the people in a handful of the ceremony's most acclaimed awards. This year, public voting is open for five awards: Most Popular Live Act, Most Popular New Act, Most Popular Venue and the all-new Most Popular Act, a winner-of-winners-type award that'll go to the act chosen to have the greatest contribution to WA Music this year. Public Award voting closes at 11.59PM on Thursday, October 10th.

Here, you can vote for the 2019 WAMAwards' Most Popular New Act category, featuring:

Adrian Dzvuke
Butter
Dulcie
Flewnt
Gazey
MissGenius
New Nausea
Nika Mo
Noah Dillon
Sara Sal

Vote for the 2019 WAMAwards' Most Popular New Act category HERE.

or

TO VOTE IN ALL OF 2019'S WAMAWARDS PUBLIC VOTING FIELDS, HEAD HERE.

This year's nominees: 

Adrian Dzvuke

There's already quite a buzz around singer/songwriter/ producer Adrian Dzvuke. It was only around a year ago that he started performing regularly around his hometown of Perth, Western Australia, as well as releasing tracks online to major acclaim. Equally at home on stage with his band or in the studio, his soulful mixture of R&B and Afrobeats has been gaining fans at every show and with every release. Born in Zimbabwe, Adrian moved to Australia aged 12 where (in the finest R&B tradition) he began his music career singing and playing drums in church. Fast forward a few years, and inspired by the likes of Drake, Wizkid and Childish Gambino, Adrian started to write and produce his own tracks. A natural and energetic performer, the next move was to form a band with a couple of friends and make inroads in to the live scene. 2019 is shaping up to be a big year for Adrian, kicking off with a support slot for POND's Perth show, playing Groovin The Moo, supporting Winston Surfshirt and some big releases in the pipeline.

Butter

Smooth and tangy to the taste, Butter are a six-piece from Perth, a concoction of genres churned with the love of soul, jazz and 90's hip-hop. With a range of influence from King Krule, MF DOOM & BADBADNOTGOOD, the group have been cutting their teeth on the Perth gig circuit since mid-2018; a relatively short time to have made such a strong impression. The Butter is spreading and punters are flocking to catch their electric live show, a dark blend of “boom-bap drums, synths, subtle guitar work, and slinky bass… bolstered by classically jazzy trumpet melodies and vocalist Lachy’s unique and distinct half-sung/half-rapped delivery”. Butter's debut single Hocus Pocus will be out in February 2019, available on all streaming platforms.

Dulcie

Formed in mid-2018, Dulcie are a four-piece indie-pop girl band from Perth, Western Australia. Their mesmerising harmonies, smooth melodic layers, beautiful arrangements and driving rhythms set the foundation for the creation of songs like Fall, their debut single released in January 2019 and their second single Own Ground. Ashleigh Carr-White (keys and vocals), Saskia Brittain (guitar and vocals), Timieka Denton (bass and vocals) and Madison Hanley (drums) collaborate to write songs performed by any of the three vocalists. Dulcie have found fast success in the Perth music scene gigging heavily and supporting acts such as Mosquito Coast, Spacey Jane, Winterbourne, Demon Days, Riley Pearce and Great Gable, who they supported on their 2019 'Cool Mind Blue' national tour. After their appearance at Groovin The Moo in Bunbury this May, Dulcie are headed off to tour Aus supporting Sydney rock duo, Polish Club.

Flewnt

Flewnt is an Indigenous hip hop artist from WA. He has performed at numerous rallies and festivals and is heavily involved in his community.

Gazey

Gazey are a five-piece artpop band hailing from Perth, WA. Despite the wall of synths, their passionate delivery and immense sound have captured the buzzing Perth scene at notable festivals including WAMFest and Wave Rock, and strong supports including Katy Steele. Comparisons come from an array of contexts; Prince, LCD Soundsystem, Flaming Lips, and Toro Y Moi to name a few. Gazey are “on the cusp of finding something special” (Pilerats).

MissGenius

A deft flow, sharp lyrical danger and meticulous beat selection is MissGenius, the surprise flare in West Australian music in the past twelve months. A First Nations hip hop MC and soul vocalist, MissGenius is a Maduwongga and Noongar woman who grew up in Broome, Perth and Kalgoorlie, WA. An artist who has written songs for herself since 2015, MissGenius uses music as a tool to for strength and peace drawing from her life experiences, producing and recording all her own material in her Kalgoorlie bedroom. Since the end of 2018 MissGenius has started to make noise outside of the remote Goldfields region of WA, she performed at WAMFest Live (November 18) and Bunuru Festival (Janurary 2019) in Yagan Square, Perth, as well as receiving a steady stream of invitations to collaborate with a number of popular Perth acts. Keep your eyes peeled as MissGenius takes Australia by storm.

New Nausea

New Nausea is an Alt-Folk/Rock band comprising of members of Methyl Ethel, Calmly (FKA Childsaint) and Jacob Diamond. Originating as the solo project of Albert Pritchard the line-up was expanded in 2018 to increase the impact of the personal and affecting songs. The band alternates between the more traditional, subdued and ornate territory occupied by singer-songwriters such as Elliot Smith, Nick Drake and Angel Olsen, and the discordant and chaotic sounds of bands such as The Drones and Parquet Courts.

Nika Mo

Nika Mo finds ways to express comfortable melancholia while finding light and poetry in snapshots of the Perth mundane. Gut-wrenchingly honest lyrics, warming vocal harmonies and bold riffs make Nika Mo the perfect dose of melancholy-folk.

Noah Dillon

Singer-songwriter Noah Dillon blends elements of indie rock and alternative folk in a cathartic concoction that looks to juxtapose the mundanities of life with some of its deepest questions. Known for his raw emotion and euphoric soundscapes expect to dance, laugh and cry all the same time.

Sara Salt

Group o pals from Perth playing some folky tunes.