It's that time of year again. National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) are held every year under that stars of the historic Darwin Amphitheatre and celebrate the valuable contribution that Indigenous musicians make to our country's music industry.
This year Australia can look forward to performances from A.B. Original with Dan Sultan, Australian icon Paul Kelly, Numbulwar Red Flag Dancers, Leah Flanagan and the 2016 NIMA New Talent winner Gawurra. The 2017 New Talent nominees Electric Fields, Apakatjah and Emily Wurramara will also join the line-up.
For over 12 years, the NIMAS has hosted music greats like, Yothu Yindi, Dr G Yunupingu, East Journey, Frank Yamma, B2M, The Tableland Drifters, Warren H. Williams and Arnhem Land rockstars Saltwater Band.
SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS
A.B. ORIGINAL – January 26
The deadly duo released anti-Australia Day track with Dan Sultan which controversially (and ironically) landed in the Top 20 of triple j's Hottest 100, a music countdown celebrating January 26.
EMILY WURRAMARA – Hey Love
Emily’s childhood on Groote Eylandt was one of water, music, travel, fishing and extended family. Emily's mother told her stories of dreams and dolphins that become the inspiration to her music.
Emily is now a seasoned performer who has taken her music around the country and abroad with shows and festival appearances from Sweden to France and Queensland's Woodford Folk Festival.
LEAH FLANAGAN – Chills
Emily Wurramara releases 'Hey Love' to tell her mother's story of racial and physical abuse in school Source: Heapsaflash Media
Darwin musician and songwriter, Leah Flanagan delivers an ageless voice with complex and alluring lyrics that has her audiences entranced. Chills is the wondrous opening number from her 2016 album and is about "the heartache of being close to someone emotionally distant".
LONELY BOYS – Hunter
Hailing from the remote Arnhemland community of Ngukurr, 700 km south-east of Darwin, Lonely Boys are a six-piece guitar inspired punk rock band. They're signed to the well-known NT record label, Skinny Fish music and earlier this year, supported US rock royalty Queens of the Stone Age, despite having no clue who the major band was!
Troy Cassar-Daley is at the top of the Australian Country Music scene. His track, 'Things I Carry Around' is the third track of his 2016 album of the same title, and last year Cassar-Daley also released a biography of the same name.
Yirrmal Marika is Yolngu man from Yirrkala North East Arnhem land, the established songwriter and guitarist is known for his beautiful voice, singing songs about his homeland and culture with wisdom and spirituality beyond his age.
Yirrmal at Boomerang Festival 2017 Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/gallery/gallery-boomerang-festival-2017
FILM CLIP OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS
- A.B. ORIGINAL – January 26
- DAN SULTAN – Magnetic
- LONELY BOYS – Hunter
- LORRPU – Lorrpu
COMMUNITY MUSIC CLIP NOMINATIONS
- HALLS CREEK - Save The Water “Ngaba”
- LOGAN - Logan City
- NGUKURR - Choose Water
- NPY LANDS - With Knowledge Comes New Friends – Dust Up 2016 – Warakurna
NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS
- APAKATJAH
- ELECTRIC FIELDS
- EMILY WURRAMARA
- TIA GOSTELOW
- YIRRMAL
TRADITIONAL MUSIC AWARD NOMINATIONS
- WANGGA : COMPLETE CD SET NUMBULWAR RED FLAG DANCERS
Also check out the NITV coverage of the 2016 NIMA's
