WAM Song of the Year
WAM was originally formed as the Western Australian Rock Music Industry Association Inc. (WARMIA) in 1985, with its main aim to develop and run annual awards recognising achievements within the music industry in Western Australia.[1] WAM first received project funding from the state government in 1989, and in the early 90s the word "rock" was dropped from the title to give the organisation scope to take on a broader constituency.
In 1989 the inaugural WA Song Contest commenced, in 2002 it was rebranded as the WAM Song of the Year.
The WAM Song of the Year is open to all residents of Western Australia. The song must be the original work of the songwriter(s). Songwriters with a publishing deal can only enter the Professional category.
Winners
- 1996 - Lash - then known as Exteria ('Youth' category)
- 1997 - Beaverloop ('Pop' category)
- 1998 - Cartman ('Pop' and 'Acoustic' categories)
- 2000 - Ivan Zar ('Blues' category)
- 2001 - Halogen (special theme category 'Love')
- 2002/03 - Andrew Horabin ('Political' category)
- 2004 - Lauren Brede ('Outstanding Regional' category)[2]
- 2005 - Damian Crosbie (The Panda Band) ('Pop' category)
- 2006 - Erik Hecht (Institut Polaire) ('Pop' category)
- 2007 - Josh Fontaine ('Pop' category)
- 2008 - Roly Skender and the Tonics ('Pop' category)
- 2009 - Umpire ('Pop' category)
- 2010 - Georgi Kay ('School Age 15-17 Years' category)
- 2011 - Timothy Nelson ('Love' category)
- 2012 - Rainy Day Women ('Pop' category)
Categories
2003
In 2003 there were 1,247 entries and 75 shortlisted nominees in the 15 genre categories. Winners each received $1,000 (Children & Youth winners received $500) and a days recording time at a top Perth studio. The Grand Prize winner received the opportunity to have a promotional single recorded, pressed and released among other select opportunities.
The individual category award winners were:[3]
- Country - "Asbestos Fibro" - ADM Powell
- Easy Listening Pop/R'n'B - "Back 2 those Timez" - Chanelle
- Electronic/Hip Hop - "Boy X Girl Y" - Johnson, Vernie
- Hard Rock/Metal/ Punk - "Reprisal" - Simon Pilkington, Aaron Smith
- Indi Pop/Rock - "Andy Warhol" - Little Birdy
- Jazz/ Funk - "That Hurt" - Myles Wright
- Roots - "Sheba Lane" - Lynn Hazelton
- Soundtrack/ Filmscore/Experimental - "Green Lantern" - Johannes Luebbers
- World/Multicultural - "Day Oh" - Eloy Cardenas
- Indigenous - "Raining On Djilba" - George Walley
- Children - "Something More" - Wesley Fuller
- Youth - "On My Own" - Ryan Blair, Justin Flamer
- Love - "Walking Over Sea" - Sam Dunn, Ben Dunn
- Political - "Georgie Boy" - Andrew Horabin
- Songs For Kids - "Pirlpirltji" - L. Hazelton, A. Ovi, S. Stanford
2004
The WAM Song of the Year for 2004 was announced at the Fly by Night Club in Fremantle on Thursday 16 September 2004. The evening featured performances from past winners including Andrew Horabin and Lynn Hazelton, as well as finalists for the 2005 competition. The WAM Song of the Year was presented by the Minister for the Arts the Hon. Sheila McHale. There was over 1,300 songs entered in the competition with 75 works nominated by the industry panels as finalists in the 15 genre categories.
The individual category award winners were:[4]
- Commercial/Contemporary Pop - "Breathe" - Cassie Swinney, Alistair Watson & Escher
- Country - "Dirty Liar" - Rob Findlay & Haley Mason
- Electronic/Dance Category - "Hit '5'" - Tim Macnamara & Diego Bosco
- Hard Rock/Metal - "Bay of Martyrs" - Mike Sukys
- Indie Rock/Punk Category - "Tread Easy" - James Crombie & The Bank Holidays
- Jazz - "West Bank Moon" - Michael Pigneguy & Sian Brown
- Roots - "Slipping With the Blues" - Gerard Maunick
- Urban - "Wait a Minute" - Bjorn Berlinger & Nathan Jamieson
- Love - "Blame Me" - Frans Bisschops, Jasmine Yee & Michael Miller
- Gospel - "Take Over" - Chad Blondel
- ASME Upper Secondary (Years 11-12) – "Radio Play" - Melissa Erpen
- ASME Lower Secondary (Years 8-10) – "Home Sweet Home" - Danni Stefanetti
- ASME Primary Category – "Sidewalk Surfer" - The Flairz
- Indigenous - "Hardway" - The Hill (John Bullen, Jarred Wall)
- Outstanding Regional Song - "Time For You To Go" - Lauren Brede[2]
2005
The WAM Song of the Year for 2005 was announced at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle on Thursday 27 October 2005. The evening featured performances from past winners including Andrew Horabin and Lynn Hazelton, as well as finalists for the 2005 competition. Performing on the night were The Bank Holidays, Lake of Bass, New Rules For Boats, Peter Brandy, The Flairz and the 2004 Song of the Year winner, Lauren Brede. The WAM Song of the Year was presented by the Minister for the Arts the Hon. Sheila McHale. There were close to 1,500 songs entered in the competition with 86 works nominated by the industry panels as finalists in the 17 genre categories.
The individual category award winners were:
- Pop - "Sleepy Little Death Toll Town" - Damian Crosbie (The Panda Band)[5]
- Mixed Bag - "Then You Appear" - Damian Crosbie (The Panda Band)
- Blues & Roots - "4 Men Dead" - Kevin Smith
- Country - "Lord I Want An Exit" - Emily Barker
- Electronic/Dance - "We Gave Colour Away" - Harvey Rae and Hiro? (Thread)
- Love - "Drunkard's Wife" - Pete Stone
- Rock - "Information" - Sascha Ion, Ronan Charles, Stuart Leach (One Horse Town)
- Urban - "Take 5" - Bjorn Berlinger (Tsunami)
- World and Folk - "Long Time Ago" - Peter Brandy
- Jazz - "Storm" - Marnie Kent and Grant Windsor (Ginger Blu Collective)
- Heavy Rock/Metal - "Falling" - Shannon de Bie
- Gospel - "Learning to Say" - Mark Cullen
- Indigenous Song of the Year - "Long Time Ago" - Peter Brandy
- Regional Song of the Year - "Lord I Want An Exit" - Emily Barker
- Primary School Aged - "Holey Cheeses" - Oliver Bradley, Albert Loss
- Lower Secondary School Aged - "Memory Lane" - Wesley Fuller
- Upper Secondary School Aged - "The Best is Yet to Come" - Ben Blondel
2006
The WAM Song of the Year for 2006 was announced on Thursday 19 October 2006 at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle with awards in 17 different categories. Performing on the night were Kavyen Temperly from Eskimo Joe, The Panda Band, Abbe May and The Rockin' Pneumonia, One Horse Town, the Catherine Noblet Quartet and The Watts.[6][7] Presenters from Xpress Magazine, The West Australian, RTRFM, ABC Radio, Nova 93.7, Drum Media, Network 10, APRA, Perth International Arts Festival and Minister for the Arts, the Honorable Sheila McHale announced the winners. The winners of most categories were awarded $1,000 cash and 1 day of recording time in a leading Perth studio. The winner of the Grand Prize received an additional 3 days recording time with producer Rob Grant at Poons Head Studios and the pressing of 500 promotional singles/EPs through Westlink Multimedia/MGM.[8]
The individual category award winners were:[9]
- Pop - "City Walls and Empires" - Erik Hecht (Institut Polaire)[10]
- Blues/Roots - "Sidewindin'" - Abbe May
- Gospel - "Flowers In the Desert" - Jeremy Dixon
- Electronic/Dance - "These Times" - David McKinney, Rachel Claudio
- Heavy Rock/Metal - "Drag In Drag Out" - Kevin Curran, Todd Fishwick
- Primary - Free - "Matt Larsen"
- Rock - "Red Means Go" - B. Mulvena-Trinder, I. Berney, J. Sher, C. Palmer
- Jazz - "Wanderer" - Catherine Noblet
- Lower Secondary - "Shadows Of A City" - E. Hamilton, G. Hutchings, M. Mackintosh, L. Osborn
- Urban - "Lose Control" - S.Roy, C.Wancer (Roy-Al feat. Cristian Alexanda)
- World/Folk - "Mon Ankor Anmourer" - Grace Barbe, James Searle
- Love - "Old Folks, Drunks and Babies" - Sascha Ion
- Upper Secondary - "Happy Birthday Dave" - Matthew Beau Gresham
- Regional - "Call Of The Wild" - Xavier Brown
- Country - "Live On Love" - Polly (Kylie) Medlen
- Indigenous - "Our Song" - Jason Bartlett and Phillip Bartlett
- Mixed Bag - "It's a PC 21st Century New Millennium Romantic Arrangement..." - Andrew Horabin
2007
The 2007 WAM Song of the Year was announced at the Fly By Night in Fremantle, on Wednesday 31 October 2007. There were eighteen category winners and included for the first year a Professional category where published Western Australian based songwriters are given the chance to enter their works in WA’s premier song writing Awards.[11] The Grand Prize for the WAM Song of the Year in 2007 includes a 3-day recording session and a pressing of 500 CDs.
The individual category award winners were:[12][13]
- Gospel - "My Hallelujah" Paul Morrison
- Jazz - "Curious Yellow" Adrian Kelly
- Country - "Take Me With You" Polly Medlen
- Urban - "Get By" Glen Foreman, Scott Griffiths & Alex Plant
- Electronic / Dance - "Hot Property" Hayley McLennan and Simon Sieradzki
- Indigenous - "Kick the Monkey" Jason Bartlett & Phillip Bartlett
- World and Folk - "Moodjebing" Jessie Lloyd & Della Rae Morrison
- Regional - "Two Months" Polly Medlen
- Love - "There is a Room on Hold" James Crombie & Wibekke Reczek (The Bank Holidays)
- Blues 'n' Roots - "Lara Clare" Craig Sinclair
- Primary - "Valley of Flowers" by Madi MacDougall & Erika McKay
- Lower Secondary - "Wishing on a Star" Jordi Davieson
- Upper Secondary - "Overcast Day" Timothy Nelson
- Mixed Bag - "Bring Out Your Dead" Rachael Dease, Tristen Parr, Ant Gray, Tara John & Greg Hosking (Schvendes)
- Rock - "The World or Nothing" Scott Tomlinson, Greg Sanders, Brenton Bell & Dayvid Clark
- Heavy Rock/Metal - "Broken Eyes" Brett Jones, Johnny Kyi & Nigel Watts
- Pop - "Holidayz" Josh Fontaine
- Professional - "Sun Dirt Water" by Vikki Thorn (The Waifs)
2008
The 2008 WAM Song of the Year was announced at the Fly By Night in Fremantle, on Thursday 9 October 2008. The 85 nominees in 17 categories were announced on Monday 22 September. The Grand Prize for the WAM Song of the Year 2008 included a cash prize of $5,000, together with a 3-day recording session at Poons Head Recording Studio and 500 CDs by DiskBank.[14]
For the first time, the public were invited to listen to and vote for a nominee in the Most Popular Song category. Public voting was later cancelled after claims of technical issues allowing multiple votes, it was replaced by judging by Sunday Times and PerthNOW entertainment staff.[15] The professional category was also cancelled due to lack of numbers.
Over 400 songwriters from throughout Western Australia submitted 1640 songs, the second highest number of entries received in the competition's 19-year history.
The 18 award winners were:[16]
- Blues & Roots - "Howl And Moan" by Abbe May
- Café - "Revien" by Cloud Kollektiv
- Country - "Place Where I Belong" by Phyllis Bennell (Warangka Band)
- Electronic/Dance - "Realizing" by Cloud Kollektiv
- Gospel - "Light" by Lindsay Hamminga
- Heavy Rock/Metal - "Refuse The Sickness" by R Felton, S Mitchell, D Anderton, M Kruit & C Mitchell (Chaos Divine)
- Indigenous - "Gundulla - We Dance" by D Stokes, B Stokes, J Masters & R Martinez (The Yabu Band)
- Jazz - "Til Death Does Me Part" by Johannes Luebbers
- Mixed Bag - "The Land" by Abraham Dunovits (Funkalleros)
- Pop - "Feel" by Roly Skender and The Tonics
- Regional - "Kaya" by Charmaine Bennell (Warangka Band), from Bunbury WA
- Rock - "Howl And Moan" by Abbe May
- School, Primary - "Shadows" by Josephine Langford
- School, Secondary Lower - "Smile" by Mike Nutt
- School, Secondary Upper - "The Pony And The Ark" by Lyndon Blue
- Urban - "Behind The Curtain" by Emcee Able
- World & Folk - "Kaya" by Charmaine Bennell (Warangka Band)
2008 Grand Prize
As judged by an independent industry panel from all category winners.
"Feel" by Roly Skender and The Tonics
2008 Most Popular Song
As judged by The Sunday Times and PerthNOW entertainment staff from all nominated songs.
"Give Up Money For Music" by Robert Sazdov (BSYDE)
2009
The 2009 WAM Song of the Year was announced by the Hon. Dr Graham Jacobs MLA – Minister for Mental Health, at the Fly By Night Musicians’ Club in Fremantle. There were 80 nominees across 16 categories were chosen from over 1,200 entries. The Grand Prize carried a prize of $5,000 cash, a publishing deal with Shock Music Publishing, a recording and mastering package courtesy of Poons Head Studios and James Hewgill Music, and a run of 500 CDs supplied by Diskbank.
The sixteen award winners were:
- Urban - "Skyhawks" by Mathas
- World/Folk - "Son of a Son of a King" by Michael Strong and The Ghost Anyway
- Regional - "Spirit Calling" by Simon and Tammy London
- Cafe - "Era Quondam" by Minute 36
- Schools 14 Yrs and below - "Everything" - Convict X
- Schools 15-17 Yrs - "Rocket Ship" by King George
- Rock - "Acute" by Sugar Army
- Pop - "Streamers" by Umpire
- Heavy - "Total Existence Failure" by Voyager
- Mentally Healthy - "I'm Not Scared" by Black Board Minds
- Blues and Roots - "Lover Don’t You Wanna" by DivCraft
- Experimental - "A Vexing Predicament" by Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving
- Country - "Sleeping Alone" by Timothy Nelson
- Jazz - "Thinking Without Thinking" by Tilman Robinson
- Indigenous - "Here I Go" by Black Poet
- Electronic/Dance - "They Wanna Dance" by Scott Tomlinson
2009 Grand Prize
"Streamers" by Umpire
2009 Popular Vote
"Run for the Hills" by The Words
2010
The 2010 WAM Song of the Year was announced by the Hon. Dr Graham Jacobs MLA – Minister for Mental Health, at the Fly By Night Musicians’ Club in Fremantle. The Grand Prize carried a prize of $5,000 cash, a publishing deal with Perfect Pitch Publishing, a recording and mastering package courtesy of Poons Head Studios and James Hewgill Music, and a run of 500 CDs supplied by Diskbank.
The sixteen award winners were:
- Urban - "Nothin 2 Say" by Jarrid Allen (Jakovaull), Andrew Wright & Brooke Wilkie
- World/Folk - "The Silver Yacht" by Rachel & Henry Climb a Hill
- Regional - "Burning" - Simone Keane
- Love - "Take it Slow" by Slackjaw & Episode
- Schools 14 Yrs and below - "This Ground" - Jake Wylde
- Schools 15-17 Yrs - "Breakfast in Bedlam" by Georgi Kay
- Rock - "Mis Adventure" by Sons of Rico
- Pop - "Lay the Noose" by Schvendes
- Heavy - "Behold" by Dsycord
- Mentally Healthy - "Rag Doll" by Simone Keane
- Blues and Roots - "Hoborockabilly" by The Wilderness
- Experimental - "Scene from a Window" by Rachel Dease
- Country - "Juliette" by The Ghost Hotel
- Jazz - "The Deep Fryer" by Chris Sealey
- Indigenous - "I Was Singing for the Good Times" by Azzy Bartlett & Kyle Bartlett (Dardy Azz Productions)
- Electronic/Dance - "Into Another" by Matt Mclean
2010 Grand Prize
"Breakfast in Bedlam" by Georgi Kay
2010 Popular Song
"Take Me Home" by Them Little Secrets and Fred Rea
References
- ↑ "On the Record Profile: WAM" (PDF). Phonographic Performance Company of Australia Ltd (PPCA). September 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- 1 2 "Lauren Brede wins WAM Song of the Year 2004". Propelarts (Youth Arts WA). 5 October 2004. Retrieved 009-04-07. Check date values in:
|access-date=
(help) - ↑ "WAM Song of the Year '03". Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc. 2004. Archived from the original on 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "The Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc - 2004 Annual Report" (PDF). Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "Year of the Panda". Propelarts (Youth Arts WA). 1 November 2005. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "Kav Temperley & Panda band to play WAM song of the year 06". The West Australian. 10 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "WAM Song of the Year Ceremony - October 19th 2006". Procopy - Promote Multimedia Pty Ltd. 30 September 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "2006 WAM Song of the Year Awards". InterSector (Western Australian State Government). 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "The 2006 WAM Award Winners are:". Procopy - Promote Multimedia Pty Ltd. 21 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "Erik Hecht wins WAM Song Of The Year". Triple J. 25 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "Entries open for WAM Song of the Year". Country Music Bulletin. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "Fontaine takes WAM Song of the Year award". FasterLouder.com.au. 1 November 2007. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "2007 WAM Song of the Year announced". Music Council of Australia. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "WAM song of the year 2008". Perth Now. 24 June 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ Eliezer, Christie (7 October 2008). "WAM cancels popular vote for Song of the Year". TheMusic.com.au. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- ↑ "WAM Song of the Year:The 2008 Winners!". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). 13 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-07.