The breadth of the finalists for this year's Art Music Awards are a testament to the strength and resilience of Australia’s artists, despite the past year of cancellations and uncertainty due to COVID-19.
Composers, performers and organisations around the county were acknowledged in a virtual ceremony.
John Davis and Genevieve Lacey reflect on the various incarnations of Australian art music's big night out.
The composer, sound artist and scholar will receive this year’s Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music.
Greater diversity in revamped categories sees the established go head-to-head with the up-and-coming.
Artistic collaboration and music as a force for change were the themes of Australian art music’s night of nights.
While the list of finalists this year included several newcomers, the night largely belonged to established voices and previous award winners.
Newcomers join established voices in this year’s awards, with more women than men in the running for the prestigious Orchestral Work of the Year category for the first time in the Awards’ history.
The awards have renamed the Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music in memory of the late music educator and conductor.
Both newcomers and past winners have emerged triumphant at this year’s ceremony.
An authority on Australian music, Holmes will receive an award for distinguished service at this month's ceremony.
Many first-time finalists, emerging composers and past winners are in the mix this year.
The terms ‘new music’ and ‘contemporary classical music’ are now redundant. For John Davis, ‘art music’ is a better alternative.
