Ali Mills performs 'Waltjim Bat Matlida' at IMAs 2010.

The seventh annual Indigenous Music Awards (IMAs) were held at the Amphitheatre in Darwin’s historic Botanical Darwins on Saturday August 28, 2010, in front of a 1500-strong crowd from all over Darwin, the NT and Australia.

The slickly-produced live show featured amazing performances by Warren H. Williams, Saltwater Band and Gurrumul Yunupingu, the Chooky Dancers, Ali Mills, Tableland Drifters, with Natalie Pa’apa’a from Blue King Brown – in town for Darwin Festival – also teaming up with Saltwater Band for a suprise collaboration towards the end of the show.

Elcho Island world music superstar Gurrumul Yunupingu – also part of Saltwater Band – was wildly welcomed to the stage by the crowd, as the recipient of the 2010 ‘Act of the Year’ Award. Garrangali Band picked up 3 awards, including ‘Album Of The Year’ with Wildflower ‘Best Emerging Act’.

Ali Mills and Rob Collins did a great job of hosting proceedings, with Ali Mills also receiving the ‘Special Recognition Award’, “for her significant contribution to the Indigenous music industry” after performing a cracking version of ‘Waltjim Bat Matilda’ to a delighted crowd. In another surprise appearance, Elcho Island’s famous Chooky Dancers performed a special tribute dance dedicated to their founder and mentor, the late Mr Garawirrtja.

And winners of the ‘School Band Award’ – Seven Star Band from Yirrkala CEC – will have a music video produced by the ABC as part of their prize, with other development and training also part of this Award.

See the IMA photo gallery on the Music NT Forum.

And the Awards also heralded an important development: it was announced that from 2011 the IMAS “will open nationally to all Indigenous musicians” around Australia.

Music NT would like to extend a massive congratulations to all of the winners, nominees and performers, and those involved in delivering such a great production.

The full list of winners for the 2010 Indigenous Music Awards are listed below.

Gurrumul: Winner of the 'Act of the Year', 2010 IMAs.

Act of the Year – Gurrumul Yunupingu

Emerging Act of the Year – Wildflower

School Band Award – Seven Star Band, Yirrkala CEC

Artwork/Design of the Year – Garrangali Band

DVD/Film Clip Award – ‘History’ by Gurrumul Yunupingu

Traditional Award – ‘Sea Rights Bungul’ – Mulka Project & Dhuwa Dhapi – Mulka Project

Song of the Year – ‘Sea rights’ by Garrangali

Album of the Year – ‘Garrangali’ by Garrangali Band

Hall of Fame – Kumanjayi Murphy

Special Recognition Award – Ali Mills

More news about the IMAs on ABC online, photos on ABC Darwin website, in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian and the Koori Mail Part I, and Koori Mail Part II.

The 7th annual Indigenous Music Awards is one of the biggest events in music in the Northern Territory – and it’s only weeks away!

On Saturday August 28th, under the night skies of Darwin, a who’s who of the Territory’s Indigenous musicians will assemble at what’s fast becoming known as the  “ARIAs of the Aboriginal music scene”.

Established and emerging artists alike are part of this years’ IMAs, including Gurrumul Yunupingu (right) and the legendary Saltwater Band, Jessica Mauboy, Tableland Drifters, Warren H. Williams, Ali Mills, Garrangali Band, Pott Street, Tjupi Band, Wildflower and many more…

The IMAs have contributed towards significantly increasing the profile of NT Indigenous music throughout Australia and internationally – also an attractive draw card for music media from across the country. National publications such as Rolling Stone, The Australian and Australian Musican Magazine have all featured major articles on NT Indigenous music – and the IMAs – as have the Brisbane Courier-Mail and The Age.

triple j radio is also a regular supporter of NT Indigenous music, with members of the national network also attending the 2009 IMAs. triple j recently added the Turlku 4 CD to weekly rotation, and selected Indigenous hip hop group Catch The Fly (Alice Springs) for the prestigious Unearthed iNTune Showcase Band slot at the Alice Desert Festival in September. And music writer Barry Divola was so taken by his trip to the IMAs in 2009, he wrote an ‘ode’ to the NT for the Sydney Morning-Herald.

Music NT is proud to present the IMAs along with major supporter the Northern Territory government. Literally thousands of people from across the Territory turn out to support the event held at Darwin’s beautiful Amphitheatre at the Darwin Botanical Gardens. The IMAs is also a signature event of the Darwin Festival program, the Awards coinciding with the last weekend of of the Festival.

So come along and support the best in the land! Tickets are on sale now… Bookings: (08) 8980 3333 or  www.darwinentertainment.com.au $20 pre-sales / $25 door. Doors open 6pm.

Read more about the 2010 IMAs finalists, the IMA headline acts here, and event details here.

The finalists for the 2010 Indigenous Music Awards have been announced!

Proudly presented by Music NT…

IMA 2010 finalist, Jessica Mauboy.

Act of the Year
Jessica Mauboy (pictured above)
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Warren H. Williams

Emerging Act of the Year
Garrangali Band – from Yilpara, North East Arnhem Land
Tjupi Band – from Papunya, Central Australia
Wildflower – from Mamadawerre, Arnhem Land

Album of the Year
Waltjim Bat Matilda – Ali Mills
Garrangali – Garrangali Band
Freedom Road – Brian Murphy and the Band Nomadics
Looking Out – Warren H. Williams

Song of the Year
Waltjim Bat Matilda – Ali Mills
Garrangali – Garrangali Band
Sea Rights – Garrangali Band
Close Your Eyes – Jagit
Struggle – Pott Street

DVD/Clip of the Year
Muthi Muthi – Garrangali Band
Mungurru – Garrangali Band
History – Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Baracuda – Crocker Island

Best Artwork
Garrangali Album – Garrangali Band
Peace in Kaos – Jagit
Waltjim Bat Matilda – Ali Mills
Harold Injimardi Dalywaters & Friends – Harold Dalywaters
Desert Pop Lock – CAAMA Music Compilation

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE ARTISTS NOMINATED!!

The IMA winners will be announced on Saturday 28th August at the 7th Annual Indigenous Music Awards, proudly presented by Music NT. The ceremony will be held under the stars at Darwin’s historic Amphitheatre in the Botanical Gardens. Finalist Ali Mills will co-host the event with APRA NT’s Rob Collins.

Read about the IMA headline acts here.

Tickets are on sale now. Doors open at 6pm.
Bookings: (08) 8980 3333 or at www.darwinentertainment.com.au
$20 pre-sales / $25 door

This is an alcohol and smoke free event.

Two Territory artists have been nominated at this year’s Deadly Awards!

Warren H. Williams (above) has been nominated in the ‘Male Artist of the Year’ category, alongside Dan Sultan, Troy Cassar-Daly and Adam Jones. Mr. Williams is also a headline act at this year’s IMAs in the NT.

Ali Mills (right) has scooped the pool, nominated in 3 of the Music Award categories: ‘Female Artist Of The Year’; ‘Album Of The Year’ and ‘Single Of The Year’ for ‘Waltjim Bat Matilda’. This is huge news for the Darwin-based music star.

You can vote online for any of the artists nominated at this year’s Deadlys.

This is the 16th Deadly Awards, aka the “National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music, Sport, Entertainment and Community Awards”.

They will be held at Sydney Opera House on 27 September 2010 and will be broadcast on SBS-TV.

The Tableland Drifters - new album 'Land Down Under' out now!

Tennant Creek band The Tableland Drifters have released their latest album, ‘Land Down Under’.

The band will officially launch the CD on Saturday August 7th, at a very special gig at Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural Centre. The Tableland Drifters will open for headliner, ex-Warumpi Band member, Neil Murray (pictured below), who will be accompanied on stage by the Winanjjikari Allstars.

More details about the gig on the Music NT Forum and you can also phone Nyinkka Nyunyu to book tickets on (08) 8962 2221 or 0417 915 897 (dinner & show). Tickets: Adults $15 / Concession: $10 / Children: $8 / Pay at the Gate

The Tableland Drifters will also perform material from their new album, as a headline act at the 7th annual Indigenous Music Awards, Saturday August 28th at Darwin Amphitheatre, Darwin Botanical Gardens. In 2009 they won the IMAs ‘Hall of Fame’ Award.

Neil Murray

The Tableland Drifters also released a music video earlier this year, to accompany new single ‘Tribal Voice’.

Read more about CD ‘Land Down Under’, the Tribal Voice Music Video and the 2010 IMAs.

And hear The Tableland Drifters new music on MySpace.

To make enquiries about buying a copy of the ‘Land Down Under’ CD, please contact the Winanjjikari Music Centre at Barkly Regional Arts, on (08) 8962 2799 or email them on winanjjikari@barklyarts.com.au.

NT artists at Santos Opening Night Concert. Pic: Darwin Festival.

NT acts Duganda Street Sounds, Leah Flanagan and Shellie Morris will head a line up of interstate stars to perform at the Opening Night Concert of the 2010 Darwin Festival.

“Hailing from Ramingining in East  Arnhem, Dunganda Street Sounds comprises songwriting team Jason Durrurrnga and Michael Dhuwa along with singers Bobby Bununggurr and Jimmy Djamunba. The group also collaborate with other musicians from the Raminigning community.” Their song ‘Senor’ was nominated in the ‘Song’ and ‘Film Clip Of The Year’ categories at the 2009 Indigenous Music Awards, and is also being featured in this year’s Darwin Festival television commercial. Darwin Festival is billing their performace at the Opening Concert as “possibly one of the most anticipated debut live performance ever seen at this gig!”

NT singers Shellie Morris - already a legend in her lifetime – and rising star Leah Flanagan will be joined on stage by interstate singer Lou Bennett (ex-Tiddas), reprising their sell-out performance of ‘Liberty Songs’ from the 2008 Festival, alongside  “members of Darwin’s Liberian community.. and the African Gospel Choir and Liberian Culture Dance Group.” ‘Liberty Songs’ “is based on the shared experiences of a group of Liberian women who arrived in the Northern Territory as refugees and Aboriginal singer songwriters: Shellie Morris (Wardaman/Yanyuwa), Lou Bennett (Yorta-Torta Dja Dja) and Leah Flanagan (Darwin).” ‘Liberty Songs’ draws on the “experiences and musical traditions of both cultures.”

The Santos Opening Night Concert will take place at The Amphitheatre, Darwin Botanical Gardens, Thursday August 12 from 6.30pm. It is an alcohol-free event and is free entry. Gates open at 5.30pm.

For full details of the Opening Night Concert for Darwin Festival, visit the website.

Music NT has just commenced a new weekly radio spot featuring new NT music on ABC Radio Northern Territory!

Duganda Street Sounds pose with an award at the 2009 IMAs. Pic: Peter Eve

Each Wednesday night between 7.30 – 8pm, hear Music NT manager Mark Smith talking about new music released in the Northern Territory, with ABC NT Evenings presenter Briony Petch. They will also be spinning tunes by local artists and also featuring recent music too. The program is Territory-wide – check your frequency.

Kicking off on Wednesday July 21, Mark featured track ‘Señor’ by Ramingining Artists’ Dunganda Street Sounds (pictured above), also finalists for ‘Song Of The Year’ at last year’s Indigenous Music Awards.

Duganda Street Sounds have also been chosen to play at the Santos Opening Concert at this year’s Darwin Festival, Thursday August 12th, 2010.

He and Briony also previewed ‘Calling Names’, a song by NT singer Leah Flanagan from her forthcoming album Nirvana Nights, to be launched at Darwin Festival on August 26th. Read more about Leah Flanagan’s new album.

Tune in each Wednesday to ABC Evenings, 7.30-8pm, to catch the next big thing in NT Music!

You can also hear more NT music featured weekly from 10am, on 783 Alice Springs, ABC Northern Territory, with Music NT Alice Springs Coordinator Milyika Scales, and Mornings presenter Alice Brennan. Read the Mornings blog.

We want to hear your new music!

Post us your CD, drop it in, or email us an MP3 or a link to your website where we can listen to – and download – your new music! Get in touch with Mark – manager@musicnt.com.au – or Megan – megan@musicnt.com.au

Music NT Darwin – Post : Music NT, GPO Box 4016 Darwin NT 0801

Office : Level 1, 29 Cavanagh Street, Darwin. Phone 08 8981 1995

Music NT Alice Springs – Post : Music NT, PO Box 8545 Alice Springs NT 0871

Office : 67 Bath St, Alice Springs 0870 Phone: 08 8952 0322

Nominations closed Friday July 16 for the 2010 Music NT Indigenous Music Awards.

This year saw a record number of nominations, with over one hundred received by Music NT, highlighting bands and musicians from across the Northern Territory. This is the most ever in the IMAs seven year history!

The nominations are now being shortlisted, with final judging to take place over the next 2 weeks.  Stay tuned to the Music NT website for the announcement of this year’s finalists .

Music NT wishes all nominees the best of luck, and we look forward to seeing you at the IMAs on August 28th at the Darwin Amphitheatre!

Read more about the Indigenous Music Awards here.

Gurrumul on stage performing with Saltwater Band in 2008.

Saltwater Band, Tableland Drifters, Warren H. Williams and Belyuen Kenbi Dancers will perform at the 7th annual Indigenous Music Awards, Saturday August 28th at the Darwin Amphitheatre, George Brown Botanic Gardens. Indigenous singer Ali Mills – seen this week on Sunsrise singing her hit ‘Waltjim Bat Matilda’ – and APRA NT’s Rob Collins will MC the event. The IMAs is a key music event in the Darwin Festival calendar.

Three of the headline acts will perform new material from forthcoming albums: Elcho Island’s Saltwater Band (includes band member Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu), 2009 Hall Of Famers  Tableland Drifters from Tennant Creek (‘Land Down Under’ is their new CD), and Warren H. Williams from Ntaria (Hermannsburg).

Known as a ‘night of surprises’, the IMAs is bound to feature impromptu performances by musicians attending.

So don’t miss out! Pre-sold tickets are $20 and on sale now from the Darwin Entertainment Centre box office – phone 08 8980 3333. They will also be available from the gate on the night at $25.

Nominations for the 2010 IMAs close Friday July 16. Stay tuned to the Music NT website for nomination announcements later this month!

The 2010 IMAs are part of NT Music Month. Read more about the IMAs here.

Pott Street's MC O'Zee in the studio

‘Struggle’ by Pott Street has been added to Northern Territory ABC Local Radio playlist!

‘Struggle’ is the first single from Pott Street’s debut album, High North. Members of the Territory hip hop band O’Zee (above) and Dizzle were guests on the Territory-wide Evenings program on ABC Radio, Tuesday June 29, where they chatted to presenter Briony Petch about their regional NT tour, High North and the ‘Best Emerging Artist’ Award they won at the 2009 Indigenous Music Awards (IMAs), which also included a $10 000 touring grant, courtesy of Artback NT. They also played a couple of tracks from the album.

Struggle was added to the ABC radio playlist this week. The band is in its first week of a Territory-wide tour, scheduled to take in Alice Springs and other remote communities – weather permitting!

Pott Street at the 2009 IMas after winning the 'Best Emerging Artist' Award.

Zac from the band reports: “The tour is going great.. well, we are stranded in Alice due to the rain so we can’t go to the Granites and Yuendemu but we are sorting out some more gigs and workshops down here for the week – but it’s still been so much fun! We rocked Annie’s Place Saturday night and the workshops at Hidden Valley and GAP Youth Centre have been wicked. There are so many talented kids down here and we’ve made some really cool songs with them!”

Zac will keep us updated on how the tour is going so watch this space!

Read more about Pott Street’s tour and High North.

Hear ‘Struggle’ on MySpace and don’t forget to nominate for the 2010 IMAs here – nominations close July 16!