Queensland Music Awards Announces first round of 2021 finalists, Billy Thorpe Scholarship shortlist, and People’s Choice Awards’ nominees + Award ceremony event tickets on sale now!

(All images provided) Top L-R: Eves Karydas, DZ Deathrays, Miiesha
Bottom L-R: No Money Enterprise, The Jungle Giants, Tia Gostelow
For folder of all individual artist images, click HERE.

The annual Queensland Music Awards (QMAs) today announces the 2021 genre category finalists, the Billy Thorpe Scholarship shortlist, and the nominees for the publicly voted People’s Choice Awards, with winners to be presented under the decadent chandeliers of the Fortitude Music Hall on Wednesday 5 May in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

After a record number of artist submissions from all over the state, the impressive and extensive list of finalists includes emerging and established artists from the furthest reaches of Queensland’s thriving and diverse music communities.

Finalists include Eves Karydas, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat, and Sycco contending for the Pop crown, AYA J, Beddy Rays, ELEEA and Miiesha are finalists for the Indigenous Award, DVNA, FELIVAND, MiCCY, and Miiesha representing the judges best releases from the Soul/Funk/R’n’B category, and Ball Park Music, Beddy Rays, Hope D, and Jaguar Jonze are the top talent for Rock.

Jesswar, No Money Enterprise, LEMAIRE, and Tbi$h round out the best of the best in the Hip Hop/Rap category, CLOE TERARE, Fragile Animals, Greta Stanley, and Tia Gostelow are up for the Regional Award, and the returning new Children’s Music Category sees a stellar list of finalists with Fabulous Lemon Drops, Nyssa Ray, Happy Singing Kids, and The Mini Moshers.

After a record number of submissions, the Video category gives us some of the strongest finalists so far, with clips from Cub Sport ‘Confessions’ directed by Jennifer Embleton, FELIVAND ‘Trajectory’ directed by Levi Cranston, Jarryd James ‘Miracles’ directed by Mick Soiza, and Lastlings ‘Out Of Touch’ directed by Dylan Dulcos and Rico Zhang offering outstanding creative visual accompaniments to some of the state’s biggest songs of the last year.

With even more outstanding artists up for awards in Blues/Roots, Country, Electronic/Dance, Jazz, Heavy, Folk/Singer Songwriter categories and more, the 2021 QMAs promises to be a massive night of celebrating the talent, resilience, and relentless passion of Queensland’s musicians and their teams.

Also announced today are the finalists for the annual Billy Thorpe Scholarship, which will be awarded to one of the four finalists Beckah Amani, King Stingray, Phoebe Sinclair, or Selve. Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and presented by QMusic, The Billy Thorpe Scholarship was established in 2010 in honour of the late Billy Thorpe, and awards the annual winner $10k as well as the opportunity to record with an established producer and receive career-planning from Chugg Entertainment.

“My daughters and I are so happy and proud that The Billy Thorpe Scholarship and QMusic have had the privilege to support the emerging young talent of Queensland for the past 13 years. There was a record amount of applications this year, and the quality of our four finalists was just amazing. It took a very long Zoom meeting with the judges to narrow down the finalists.

I look forward to seeing how the scholarship might help the winner achieve exciting things in the coming 12 months.”  – Lynn Thorpe

The Queensland Music Awards

When: Wednesday 5 May

Where: The Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
Presented by QMusic

#QldMusicAwards

@QldMusicAwards

The 2021 Queensland Music Awards is produced by QMusic.
QMusic is proudly supported by the Queensland Government.