The Nominees for the 2025 AIR Awards Are Here
The AIR Awards are a celebration of Australia’s diverse and talented musical landscape.
Image by Tony Lewis
The nominees for the 2025 Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Awards, celebrating Australia’s independent music sector, are here!
Returning to the UNESCO City of Music for its annual awards show, this year’s invite-only ceremony will be held at the Adelaide Town Hall on Thursday, July 31.
There are 22 categories at this year’s event, including Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP, Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year, Best Independent Label, Independent Producer Of The Year and many more.
This year also sees the introduction of a new category: Independent Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer of the Year. This award recognises an Australian/Australian-based Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer responsible for an Australian Independent release during the eligibility period.
Over 250 awards have been presented over the years, with some of this year’s nominees up for multiple awards including Amyl and the Sniffers, who are up for three awards, including Independent Album of the Year, hip hop group 3% and electronic artist Alice Ivy.
Speaking about the awards, Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels MP said, “The Malinauskas Government is proud to support the AIR Awards and Indie Week - Australian Edition. It is fantastic to be hosting the awards here in Adelaide again – Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music – and I congratulate all of the nominees. It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience.”
READ MORE: Submissions for MusicSA’s Scouted 2025 Are Now Open
Last year’s AIR Awards were another incredible success, celebrating the country’s rich musical talent and their contributions to the national scene.
The 2024 event was hosted by Dylan Lewis and co-host Jessica Braithwaite, with some of the big winners including Genesis Owisu, who took out the award for Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP for his incredible album STRUGGLER, Dan Sultan winning Best Independent Blues and Roots Album or EP for his self-titled seventh album, and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers taking out Best Independent Rock or EP for their awesome I Love You.
The AIR Awards 2025 are held at Adelaide Town Hall on Thursday, July 31.
2025 AIR Nominees
Best Independent Blues And Roots Album or EP
Emma Donovan - Til My Song Is Done
Little Quirks - Little Quirks
Mia Dyson - Tender Heart
Queenie - New Moult
Steph Strings - Cradle Mountain
Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP
3% - Kill The Dead
Dobby - Warrangu; River Story
Lithe - What Would You Do?
Miss Kaninna - Kaninna
Ziggy Ramo - Human?
Best Independent Country Album or EP
Henry Wagons - The Four Seasons
Kasey Chambers - Backbone
Lane Pittman - Lane Pittman
Michael Waugh - Beauty & Truth
The Whitlams Black Stump - Kookaburra
Best Independent Jazz Album or EP
Claire Cross - Sleep Cycle
Lucy Clifford - Between Spaces Of Knowing
Molly Lewis - On The Lips
Parvyn - Maujuda
Sam Anning - Earthen
Best Independent Classical Album or EP
Australian Chamber Orchestra - Memoir Of A Snail
Electric Fields X Melbourne Symphony Orchestra - Live In Concert
Katie Noonan & Karin Schaupp - Songs Of The Southern Skies Vol 2
Nat Bartsch - Forever Changed
Simon Mavin - Some Days EP
Best Independent Children’s Album or EP
Bunny Racket - Power
Emma Memma - Twirly Tunes
Teeny Tiny Stevies - The Green Album
The Quokkas - Songs For Silly Billies
The Wiggles - The Wiggles Sound System: Rave Of Innocence
Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single
Alice Ivy - Do I Need To Know What Love Is? Feat. Josh Teskey
Confidence Man - I Can’t Lose You
Haiku Hands - Kicks
Moktar - Haraka ’حركة’
Odd Mob - Vertigo Feat. Ed Graves
Best Independent Punk Album or EP
Don’t Thank Me, Spank Me! - Don’t Thank Me, Spank Me!
Dune Rats - If It Sucks, Turn It Up
Gut Health - Stiletto
Radio Free Alice - Polyester
Regurgitator - Invader
Best Independent Heavy Album or EP
Northlane - Mirror’s Edge
Ocean Grove - Oddworld
Redhook - Mutation
The Amity Affliction - Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)
The Southern River Band - D.i.y
Best Independent Dance or Electronica Album or EP
1tbsp - Megacity1000
Alice Ivy - Do What Makes You Happy
Confidence Man - 3am (La La La)
Ninajirachi - Girl Edm
Pnau - Hyperbolic
Best Independent Rock Album Or EP
Amyl And The Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness
King Stingray - For The Dreams
Party Dozen - Crime In Australia
Royel Otis - Pratts & Pain
The Rions - Happiness In A Place It Shouldn’t Be
Best Independent Soul/R&B Album or EP
Beckah Amani - This Is How I Remember It.
Don West - Don West
Ella Thompson - Ripple On The Wing
Milan Ring - Mangos
Radical Son - Bilambiyal
Best Independent Pop Album or EP
Annie Hamilton - Stop And Smell The Lightning
Asha Jefferies - Ego Ride
Emma Russack - About The Girl
Good Morning - Good Morning Seven
Sheppard - Zora
Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year – Presented By Ppca
3%
Gut Health
Miss Kaninna
Queenie
The Dreggs
Independent Song Of The Year
Alice Ivy - Do I Need To Know What Love Is? Feat. Josh Teskey
Amyl And The Sniffers - U Should Not Be Doing That
Jem Cassar-Daley - Big Container
Ocean Alley - Tangerine
Sycco - Meant To Be
Independent Album Of The Year
Amyl And The Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness
Emily Wurramara - Nara
King Stingray - For The Dreams
Royel Otis - Pratts & Pain
The Dreggs - Caught In A Reverie
Best Independent Label
Abc Music
Dinosaur City
Etcetc.
I Oh You
Impressed Recordings
Independent Marketing Team Of The Year
Abc Music, The Annex - Emily Wurramara, Nara
Future Classic, The Annex - Sycco, Zorb
Gyrostream - Lithe, Fall Back
I Oh You, Mushroom Music - Confidence Man, 3am (La La La)
Ourness, The Annex - Royel Otis, Pratts & Pain
Independent Publicity Team Of The Year
I Oh You, Mushroom Music - Confidence Man, 3am (La La La)
Liz Ansley - Emily Wurramara, Nara
Super Duper - Radio Free Alice, Polyester
Thinking Loud - Royel Otis, Pratts & Pain
Twnty Three Pr - The Rions, Happiness In A Place It Shouldn’t Be
Independent Music Video Of The Year
Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore - Emily Wurramara, Lordy Lordy Ft. Tasman Keith
Nick Rae, Jordan Ruyi Blanch - 3%, Won’t Stop Feat. Jessica Mauboy
Pond - Pond, (I’m) Stung!
Rosemary Whatmuff - Kasey Chambers, Backbone (The Desert Child)
Stephanie Jane Day - Emma Russack, Everything Is Big
Independent Producer Of The Year
Alice Ivy - Do What Makes You Happy
Bonnie Knight - Coldwave, The Ants/italia ’06
Dave Hammer - Lime Cordiale, Enough Of The Sweet Talk
Nick Didia - Ocean Alley, Tangerine
Nina Wilson - Ninajirachi, Girl Edm
Independent Mix, Studio Or Mastering Engineer Of The Year
Nick Herrera - Miss Kaninna, Kaninna
Robert Muinos - Rowena Wise, Senseless Acts Of Beauty
Rohan Sforcina, Lachlan Carrick - Emma Donovan, Til My Song Is Done
Steven Schram - Crowded House, Gravity Stairs
Tom Iansek - Tom Snowdon, Lonely Tree
