AWARD CATEGORIES + ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Eligible Period

All applicants must have commercially released the entered work or undertaken the activity between 1 August 2023 and 1 August 2024.

Eligibility Requirements

The SA Music Awards are open to all artists who are residents of South Australia. Nominees are eligible as a resident of South Australia if they spent a minimum of 75% of the year (9 months) living in South Australia at a residential South Australian address. 

For song writing groups or bands at least 50% of members must reside in South Australia or the artist must identify and promote themselves as being South Australian. All applicants should be registered with APRA AMCOS / ONE MUSIC.

Nomination of Self

All applicants nominate themselves or represent an artist or business being nominated. 

Nomination of Others

All nominations for Industry and Major Award categories (i.e. not People’s Choice) received on behalf of a third party will require the consent of that third party to be nominated.

Eligible Material

All entered works must be original compositions. By submitting a nomination, artists are representing that the work is original and does not infringe on any third-party intellectual property rights. Entrants will indemnify MusicSA for any loss incurred by MusicSA related to any breach of this representation. 

Award Categories:

People’s Choice Awards

The work entered must be a singular song. Only one song can be entered per artist. Please note the ‘People’s Choice’ Award is subject to public voting and not industry voted. 

Best Studio

The studio must be located in South Australia and used for more than 50% of the time for recording music.

Best Studio Engineer / Producer

The engineer or producer must reside in South Australia. Only those working in a studio environment either engineering or producing music are considered eligible.

Best Live Engineer

The technician must have been residing in South Australia within the eligible date period. For the purpose of this award, the term technician refers to professionals working in live music in the areas of sound, lighting, stage, instrument and backline. Only those working in the live music sector are considered eligible.

Best Small Festival or Music Event (under 1,000 capacity)

Must have taken place during the eligible period in South Australia. Must feature more than 30% South Australian acts/ artists on the bill. Be presented by a promoter or operator/s who spent a minimum of 75% of the year (9 months) living in South Australia at a residential South Australian address.

A music festival is defined as an advertised event that:
– was called a ‘festival’, and/or had music as the central element
– consisted of more than two artists/bands
– was not a ‘gig’ or a concert

Best Major Festival or Music Event (over 1,000 capacity)

The event must have taken place during the eligible period in South Australia. Cannot be part of a multi-state or multi-region touring festival. Must utilise some South Australian suppliers and on-the-ground staffing. Must feature at least two South Australian artists/ acts on the line-up.

A music festival is defined as an advertised event that:
– was called a ‘festival’, and/or had music as the central element
– consisted of more than two artists/bands
– was not a ‘gig’ or a concert

Best Regional Music Venue, Festival or Music Event 

The event must have taken place during the eligible period in South Australia. The venue or activity must have taken place in regional South Australia, as per the definition used by the Government of South Australia: https://www.migration.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-08/Regional-SA-Definition.pdf   

(Regional South Australia is all postcodes and suburbs not included or partly included in the ABS greater Adelaide definition. Towns that do not meet this definition include Mount Barker, Stirling, Gawler, Virginia and McLaren Vale)

Regional Venue criteria: The venue must offer live original music as a core business activity at least twice per month and present more original music than cover artists or DJs.

Regional Festival/ Music Event Criteria: The activity must have generated ticket sales of more than 500pax. Must feature at least two South Australian acts/ artists on the bill. Cannot be part of a multi-state or multi-region touring festival. Must utilise some South Australian suppliers and on-the-ground staffing

Best Manager

The manager must have been active during the eligible period and have a current management contract in place. The manager’s represented artist(s) do not need to qualify as an eligible applicant.

Best Live Music Venue

The venue must offer live original music as a core business activity at least once per week and present more original music than cover artists or DJs.

Best Cover Art

The designer/artist/photographer must reside in South Australia, but the musical artist can be from anywhere in the world.

Best Music Video

The director must reside in South Australia, but the musical artist can be from anywhere in the world.

Best Live Music Photograph

The photographer must reside in South Australia, and the image must be from a live event in South Australia within the eligible period. The artist or subject in the photo may be from anywhere in the world.

Best Music Educator

The definition of ‘Music Education’ for this award spans secondary, tertiary, vocational/VET pathways or formalised music education programs through local councils, schools, independent organisations. Educators may include lecturers, secondary education teachers, instrumental teachers or program instructors connected with formal music education programs.

Best Song

The work entered must be a singular song and will be the selected track for the award.

Best New Artist

An artist must have released a minimum of one singles/tracks OR a complete EP/album release in the eligible period to be eligible for Best New Artist. A nominating artist can also have a maximum of 30 singles/tracks OR two complete EP/albums released. The artist cannot have been a finalist previously in the same category.

Best Regional Artist

The recipient must reside in regional South Australia a minimum of 75% of the year (9 months) at a residential address.  For song writing groups or bands at least 50% of their members must reside in regional South Australia or the artist must identify and promote themselves as being from regional South Australian.

Best Solo Artist and Best Group

The work entered must contain at least 3 original different tracks.

Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Artist

The applicant must have been active and released work during the eligible period and have at least 50% of its members identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Best Release (EP/Album)

The work entered must be an official release, commercially recognised as either an EP or Album, with 3 songs or more