The nominees are in for this year’s West Australian Music Awards

We love to talk about about all the big bands that are making their way to Perth in recent times, but it’s about time we turned our attention towards where the real talent is – our epic local music scene.

And outside of getting along to gigs when we can, WA Music Month, presented by ECU, is a great way to do it across all of November.

It’s rapidly approaching, and one of the marquee events will be the 2023 WA Music Awards (WAMis), shining a spotlight on WA’s diverse music scene across Industry and Craft categories.

A call for public nominations saw 1,200 public submissions across 34 categories, which were then pored over by 45 industry judges to reveal the top five nominees in each.

Joan & The Giants (pictured below) cap off a huge year with six nominations, followed closely by SUPEREGO and Siobhan Cotchin with five apiece, while Angie Colman, Ghostcare, Mali Jo$e and Eurovision-ers Voyager each received four nominations.

The esteemed Golden WAMi award has five nominees who’ve demonstrated exemplary service to the WA music community in Hayley Ayres, Kylie Thompson, Mark Neal, Luke Rinaldi and Tenille Elkins.

Check out all the nominees and categories below, and mark Thursday 16 November in your diary for the awards night at the Regal Theatre, where WA icons Jebediah will be inducted into the 2023 WAM Hall of Fame – tickets on sale now.

“Being nominated for a WAMAward is a testament to the hard work, passion and dedication to their craft by our music community, which is reflected in WA’s high level of achievement over the last 12 months,” said WAM Executive Director Livia Carré.

“This year, we had an overwhelming surge in public nominations, and as a result our big team of independent industry judges were presented with an immense task… Thank you to everyone involved and heartfelt congratulations to all the 2023 nominees.”

Best Album
Big Star by Katy Steele
BREEZECATCHER by Mali Jo$e
Nothing is Personal by Grace Sanders
Overgrown by Sly Withers
Who Are You Hiding From by SUPEREGO

Best Alternative/Indie Act
Angie Colman
Ghost Care
Joan & The Giants
Noah Dillon
smol fish

Best Bassist
Grace Barbé
Jade Champion
Shea Moriarty
Tanaya Harper
Zac Grafton

Best Blues/Roots Act
Dan Howls
Datura4
Lincoln MacKinnon & the Wrecking Train
ThornBird
VDELLI

Best Brass/Strings/Woodwind
Bridget Cleary (Saxophone)
Gemma Farrell (Saxophone)
Jessica Carlton (Trumpet)
Josten Myburgh (Saxophone)
Miranda Murray-Yong (Cello)

Best Country Act
Claudia Tripp
Delilah Rose
Finn Pearson Band
Siobhan Cotchin
The Little Lord Street Band

Best Drummer/Percussionist
Ash Doodkorte
Jamie Gallacher
Luke Del Fante
Madi Hanley
Nick Osborne

Best Electronic/Dance Act
GIA COMO
Grievous Bodily Calm
Myriad Sun
PROJECT BEXX
ShockOne

Best Electronic Producer
Tina Says
Pendulum
PROJECT BEXX
ShockOne
Slumberjack

Best EP
Cascades by Grievous Bodily Calm
Crocodile Tears by smol fish
Don’t Worry Bout it Sweetheart by Adrian Dzvuke
Sick & Tired by Blue Honey
Time Will Tell by DICE

Best Experimental Act
Eduardo Cossio
FILTH GODDESS
Furchick
Great Statue
Grievous Bodily Calm

Best Folk/Singer-Songwriter Act
Anna Schneider
Banjo Lucia
Helen Shanahan
Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks
Mia June

Best Global Music Act
Crucial Rockers
De Cuba Son
Grace Barbe
Kate Pass Kohesia Ensemble
Soukouss Internationale

Best Guitarist
Aaron Birch
Simone Dow
Steve Hensby
Angie Colman
Benjamin Protasiewicz

Best Hip-Hop/ Rap Act
Anesu
Flewnt
Lazer Gator
MALi Jo$e
SUPEREGO

Best Indigenous Act
Boox Kid
Flewnt
Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse
Inkabee
South Summit

Best Jazz Act
Artemis Orchestra
Dan Garner Quartet
Gemma Farrell Quintet
Jessica Carlton Quintet
Kate Pass Kohesia Ensemble

Best Keys/Synth Player
Danny Estrin
Josiah Padmanabham
Josie Offer
Julia Wallace
Kirsty Hulka

Best Live/Streamed Music Event
Fremantle Winter Music Festival
Hyperfest
In The Pines
Nannup Music Festival
Way Way West

Best Live/Streaming Sound Engineer
Chris Wright
James Newhouse
Leah Grant
Rosie Antonas
Willow Fearne

Best Live Music Venue
Fremantle Arts Centre
Freo.Social
Mojos Bar
The Bird
The Rechabite

Best Metal/Heavy Act
Drowning Horse
MAGE
RinRin
Tangled Thoughts of Leaving
Voyager

Best Music Video
Chrome Face by SUPEREGO
Cool Kid by Joan & the Giants
Off By Heart by Dulcie
Price Up by MALi JO$E & Tasman Keith
When the Curtains Close by Siobhan Cotchin

Best Pop Act
Adrian Dzvuke
Alter Boy
Dulcie
Ghost Care
Joan & the Giants

Best Punk/Hardcore Act
Dennis Cometti
Last Quokka
LATE 90s
RATSALAD.
SWEAT

Best RnB/Funk/Soul Act
Adrian Dzvuke
Drea
MALi Jo$e
Odette Mercy and Her Soul
Atomics
Queency

Best Regional Act
Alexia Parenzee
Family Shoveller Band
Grand Casual
Mama Kin
Tanya Ransom

Best Rock Act
DICE
Lonesome Dove
Noah Dillon
Ursula
Yomi Ship

Best Single
Arcade by Ghost Care
Chrome Face by SUPEREGO
Cool Kid by Joan & the Giants
If God is A Man by Siobhan Cotchin
No Party by Angie Colman

Best Song Lyrics (Grant Samuels Bequest)
Big Love by smol fish
Chrome Face by SUPEREGO
Claws by Ribs
Cool Kid by Joan & the Giants
If God is A Man by Siobhan Cotchin

Best Studio Engineer/Producer
Andy Lawson (Debaser)
Dave Parkin (Blackbird Studio)
Elliot Smith (Sundown Studios)
James Newhouse (Real2Reel)
Sam Ford (Tone City)

Best Vocalist
Angie Colman
Anna Schneider
Grace Newton-Wordsworth
Nicholas Allbrook
Siobhan Cotchin

Label of the Year
Blue Grey Pink
Sidequest
Stock Records
Televised Suicide
Tone City Records

2023 Golden WAMi
Hayley Ayres
Kylie Thompson
Mark Neal
Luke Rinaldi
Tenille Elkins

Header Image: Jebediah by Taj O’Halloran