The annual APRA AMCOS Awards celebrating “diversity and vibrancy” sees increase to first time nominees this year.

The finalists of the 2015 Art Music Awards have been revealed, and this year has seen a significant increase in the number of first time nominees. The list of hopefuls for this year’s coveted gongs was whittled down from over 200 nominations. The annual awards, organised jointly by the APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre, recognise the “diversity, excellence, craftsmanship and creativity” found within Australia’s contemporary classical, jazz and experimental music scenes.

Moorambilla Voices, Jazz composer Paul Grabowsky (Work of the Year: Jazz, 2014), Synergy Percussion and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra have faired most favourably this year, appearing in several of the awards’ categories. All of the nominees “demonstrate the diversity and vibrancy of creative practice,” said Australian Music Centre CEO John Davis, with “a level of excellence that we are immensely proud of.”

Moorambilla Voices

With almost 34% of this year’s nominations being given to first-timers, a significant increase on previous year’s ratios, emerging talent such as Dan Walker, Lachlan Skipworth and Joseph...