NTMA Winners Crowned
Last night MusicNT awarded the winners of the inaugural Northern Territory Music Awards at a sold-out ceremony under the stars at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens.
To a crowd of 150 music supporters, creators and fans, the music industry peak body celebrated the Territory music industry through an expanded award offering that captured and celebrated the true breadth of people, organisations and events that make up the fabric of an incredibly diverse and passionate music scene.
Hosted by local comedian and Darwin’s own ‘Queen of Fun’ Amy Hetherington, the return of a music industry award night, the first in four years and first under Northern Territory Music Award branding, saw the best in Territory songwriting, music venues, festival, technical support and photography celebrated during the packed-out event which featured live performances from cello-wielding Central Australian songbird XAVIA, Tanzanian-born reggae artist Katanga Junior, Darwin-based hip-hop powerhouses Making Something Outta Nothing (MSON) and lauded Top End heavy act We Burn Bridges.
Big winners on the night included Grant Ngulmiya Nundhirribala and Anthony Gray whose co-writing endeavours saw them awarded four gongs, their epic track Water Ceremony (Ngulmiya) taking out a huge three awards, and Top End producer extraordinaire James Mangohig’s Kuya James project, which emerged as the winner of two song categories.
The winners of the 2022 Northern Territory Music Awards include:
Song of the Year: Water Ceremony (Ngulmiya), written by Grant Ngulmiya Nundhirribala, Anthony Gray
Tech of the Year: Teghan Hughes
Hall of Fame: Allen Murphy
Tourism NT Territory Song of the Year: Water Ceremony (Ngulmiya), written by Grant Ngulmiya Nundhirribala, Anthony Gray
All Good Project Music Venue of the Year: Happy Yess
Regional Festival of the Year: Barunga Festival
Metro Festival of the Year: Desert Festival
Hot Shots Photograph of the Year: Gig: Fuxache – Shady at the Darwin Railway Club by Steve Kelk
Hot Shots Photograph of the Year: Portrait: Red Moon by Nico Liengme
Rock Song of the Year: Menace (Stevie Jean), written by Stevie Jean Kyriacou
Electronica/Dance Song of the Year: Trust ft Emily Wurramara (Kuya James), written by James Mangohig, Serina Pech
Folk Song of the Year: Water Ceremony (Ngulmiya), written by Grant Ngulmiya Nundhirribala, Anthony Gray
Country Song of the Year: Miss the Pain (David Garnham & The Reasons To Live), written by David Garnham
Heavy Song of the Year: Protestant (Double Dinghy), written by Finn Williams, Alex James, Kurt Bartlett
Hip Hop/Rap Song of the Year: No Country ft Tasman Keith & Don Nunggarrlu (Kuya James) James Mangohig, Tasman Keith & Don Nunggarrl
Blues & Roots Song of the Year: Gabalandhurra (Yilila), written by Grant Ngulmiya Nundhirribala, Anthony Gray
Pop Song of the Year: Rewind Our Love ft Caiti Baker & Serina Pech (Kuya James), written by James Mangohig, Caiti Baker, Serina Pech
Youth Song of the Year: Unlock The System (J-MILLA) written by Jacob Nichaloff
Grant Ngulmiya Nundhirribala and Anthony Gray’s Water Ceremony, performed by Ngulmiya, was not only awarded the coveted Song of the Year and Folk Song of the Year but was also announced as the Tourism NT Territory Song of the Year, an award partnership between MusicNT and Tourism NT that sees the winner receive support of up to $10,000 to create a film clip for their track.
In lieu of the previously awarded ‘People’s Choice Song of the Year’, MusicNT have partnered with ABC Darwin and the Northern Territory to again deliver the Territory Sounds Countdown, counting down the top 10 Territory tracks as voted by the public live on ABC Darwin, 8CCC, Gove FM, TEABBA and PAW Radio.
This year’s countdown will be broadcast live this Territory Day Eve (Thursday, June 30) and hosted by ABC Darwin Evening presented Mikaela Simpson.