The New Queensland Music Awards Officially Launched

After five years and close to 8000 entries Queensland’s annual Q Song Awards are stepping up a gear, today being officially relaunched as the Queensland Music Awards.

In that time Q Song has played a major role in shining the spotlight on the State’s finest songwriters and, by growing to become the Queensland Music Awards, the new program will broaden that focus with a host of new categories and public involvement.

For the first time, music fans will have the chance to vote in three new categories – Most Popular Female Artist, Most Popular Male Artist and Most Popular Band – while a panel of respected national music industry identities will select the Queensland’s Album of the Year.

Q Music Executive Officer Denise Foley – whose organisation is behind the Awards – explains the time is right to expand the scope of the annual awards.

“The Q Song Awards helped highlight the depth of songwriting talent across the State and demonstrate that songs are the heart of our industry,” Ms Foley says. “But through this new identity, the Queensland Music Awards will further recognise the broad talent and dedication it takes to be an exceptional performer or make a world class album.”

The awards will continue to retain a focus on songwriting and will now be open to both published and unpublished artists able to submit their songs to a refined number of genre categories including: Pop, Rock, Heavy, Blues/Roots, Country, Electronic/Dance, Urban, Jazz, Schools (Years 6 – 12), Folk/Singer-Songwriter, and World.

A specially selected panel of judges will select the winners in those genres alongside the additional categories Indigenous and Regional.

All genre finalists will then go into the running to collect the coveted Song of The Year Award – previous winners have included Hungry Kids of Hungary, Kate Miller-Heidke and Tim Steward.

Category winners will be supported through a major national promotional campaign delivered online through Q Music and with support from media partners including The Courier-Mail, 612 ABC Brisbane and ABC Local Radio.

Entries open Friday April 15 with full application details – including the new reduced submission fees – online now at www.queenslandmusicawards.com.au.

The Awards ceremony will also incorporate the announcement of Arts Queensland’s $10,000 Billy Thorpe Scholarship which opens today for applications. The annual Billy Thorpe Scholarship provides a structured range of support for an emerging musician to establish their professional career through career planning and the opportunity to record with a local producer.

Winners of all categories will be announced at the Queensland Music Awards night, to be held at new venue The Old Museum on August 16.

Ms Foley says the Awards will be officially launched tonight with a special event featuring performances from former Q Song winners Emma Louise and Andrew Redford.

“It is the discovery of that kind of talent that will continue to promoted and celebrated through the Queensland Music Awards,” she says.

More detail – including a range of sponsorship opportunities – is available online now at www.queenslandmusicawards.com.au
 

Published: 15 Apr 2011 by QMusic Newsdesk