Cub Sport, Jem Cassar-Daley and Joff Bush Lead Wins + James Blundell Honoured at This Year’s Queensland Music Awards
The QMA’s ceremony saw performances from world class acts and honoured some of the country’s finest artists.
Artists and industry figureheads alike gathered under the roof of Fortitude Music Hall this evening to celebrate the finest in Queensland music. The 2024 Queensland Music Awards ceremony hosted a night of striking performances from Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra, Jude York, Sachém and more, while Cub Sport, Jem Cassar-Daley and Joff Bush won the most awards for their impeccable work from this past year and James Blundell was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hosted by Myf Warhurst and Michael Tuahine, the event, historic in its significant support of rising Queensland talent, was kicked off with a powerful Welcome to Country from songwoman Maroochy Barambah.
Beloved Matt Hsu was the evening’s musical director, setting the tone early with his Obscure Orchestra officially opening the show covering Regurgitator’s iconic ‘Song Formerly Known As’, a smashing throwback in acknowledgement of host organisation QMusic’s 30th anniversary celebrations this year.
A night of highs, the presentations were scattered with sets from the state’s best performers. Jem Cassar-Daley joined Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra on stage for a breathtaking live rendition of her track, ‘King Of Disappointment’.
Later in the evening, rapper and poet Sachém brought the energy as he masterfully performed his tune ‘My City,’ before more performances from Emerging Artist of the Year Jude York, FELONY., Taitu'uga, and Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra tribute to Bluey.
QMusic CEO Kris Stewart said, “The talent that comes up on that stage every year never ceases to amaze me. Tonight was a display of Queensland artists showing the rest of the world how it’s done and having their hard work rewarded.”
Across the ceremony, Brisbane’s pop powerhouses Cub Sport took out both the coveted Album Of The Year award for Jesus At The Gay Bar, as well as the Electronic Award for album track ‘Songs About It.’ However, they were not to be overtaken by the pop queen, Jem Cassar-Daley, who also earned herself the prestigious Song Of The Year and Pop awards with her hit, ‘King of Disappointment.’
With equal success, Bluey music composer Joff Bush won both the Children’s Music Award for ‘Dance Mode’ and Music For Screen Award for ‘Cricket,’ both of which were written for the juggernaut TV show.
Act two of the night opened with an historic collaborative rendition of ‘Way Out West’ between country nominees Hayley Marsten, Melody Moko and Tori Forsyth in homage to this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner, James Blundell. In a glittering career spanning 34 years, 14 studio albums, nine CMAA Golden Guitars, induction into the CMAA Role of Renown and the CMC Hall of Fame, Blundell is arguably the most influential Australian male country artist of his generation
Asked what receiving the QMA Award means to him, the icon said with a twinkle in his eye, “It is an acknowledgement of survival. I say to all the young artists I work with that longevity is a major part of the equation. You can be fabulous for a nanosecond but to sustain a career, well you've got to be a bit more interesting (laughs). Now I have never claimed or intended to be an interesting artist, but I have lived very honestly and very much in the public eye. So, I am very grateful to receive this award.”
The best in Blues/Roots was given to legends Busby Marou for their track ‘Conversation,’ who were joined by fellow winners Tori Forsyth and her track ‘Sometimes’ for the Country Award, Minor Gold with ‘Cannonball’ for the Folk Award, and longtime favourites DZ Deathrays with ‘My Mind Is Eating Me Alive’ for the Heavy Award.
Ozi Jarel took out the Hip Hop award with ‘Uptown,’ while Tia Gostelow won in the Indigenous category with ‘Spring To Life,’ Andrew Butt Trio won Jazz with ‘Le Baiser Salé’ and FELONY. took out Rock with ‘Everyone I Like Wants To Kill Themselves’.
In the Soul/Funk/RnB category Sahara Beck took the crown with ‘Compromise’, while Taitu’uga with his tune ‘Falealili Manusamoa’ won in World. Meanwhile, Parker’s track ‘Sofa Bed’ won the Youth Award and LT’s ‘Act Your Age’ earned her the Regional win.
The Video Award went to Luis Campbell, Adam Hasa & Julian Panetta for ‘make it so easy’ by Jordan Briton feat. JUNO, while the Export Award went to Skin on Skin. The state’s Highest Selling Single was ‘Atmosphere’ by Fisher & Kita Alexander and the Highest Selling Album was Acres by Brad Cox.
The scholarships gifted at the Queensland Music Awards are a significant contribution to our state’s finest. Sharing $75,000 of funding, this year the Billy Thorpe Scholarship went to Lottie Mcleod, the Carol Lloyd Award to Jo Davie, the Dennis ‘Mop’ Conlon Scholarship to Kristal West, the Grant McLennan Fellowship to Georgia Potter, and the Dalwood-Wylie Foundation Scholarship to Ethan Roberts.
As voted by the people, the awards for Metro Venue of the Year went to The Fortitude Music Hall, Regional Venue of the Year to Kings Beach Tavern, Festival of the Year to Gympie Music Muster and Accessible Venue of the Year to Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct.
The 2024 Queensland Music Awards are produced by QMusic which is supported by the Queensland Government.
MAJOR AWARDS
SONG OF THE YEAR
Jem Cassar-Daley – ‘King of Disappointment’
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Cub Sport - Jesus at the Gay Bar
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
James Blundell
SCHOLARSHIPS
2023 BILLY THORPE SCHOLARSHIP
Lottie McLeod
2023 CAROL LLOYD AWARD
Jo Davie
DENNIS "MOP" CONLON SCHOLARSHIP
Kristal West
2023 GRANT MCLENNAN FELLOWSHIP
Georgia Potter
DALWOOD-WYLIE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Ethan Roberts
CATEGORY AWARDS
BLUES | ROOTS AWARD
Busby Marou – ‘Conversation’
CHILDREN'S MUSIC AWARD
Joff Bush – ‘Dance Mode’ (Bluey)
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL & MUSIC FOR STAGE
Karin Schaupp – ‘Cybernylon’
COUNTRY AWARD
Tori Forsyth – ‘Sometimes’
ELECTRONIC AWARD
Cub Sport – ‘Songs About It’
FOLK AWARD
Minor Gold – ‘Cannonball’
HEAVY AWARD
DZ Deathrays – ‘My Mind Is Eating Me Alive’
HIP HOP AWARD
Ozi Jarel – ‘Uptown’
INDIGENOUS AWARD
Tia Gostelow - ‘Spring To Life’
JAZZ AWARD
Andrew Butt Trio – ‘Le Baiser Salé’
MUSIC FOR SCREEN
Joff Bush – ‘Cricket’ (Bluey)
POP AWARD
Jem Cassar-Daley – ‘King of Disappointment’
ROCK AWARD
FELONY. – ‘Everyone I Like Wants To Kill Themselves’
SOUL | FUNK | RNB AWARD
Sahara Beck – ‘Compromise’
WORLD AWARD
Taitu'uga – ‘Falealili Manusamoa’
YOUTH (AGES 10 – 17) AWARD
PARKER – ‘SOFA BED’ '
REGIONAL | REGIONAL AWARD
LT – ‘Act Your Age’
VIDEO AWARD
Luis Campbell, Adam Hasa & Julian Panetta – ‘make it so easy’ by Jordan Briton feat. JUNO
EXPORT AWARD
Skin on Skin
HIGHEST SELLING SINGLE
Fisher & Kita Alexander – ‘Atmosphere’
HIGHEST SELLING ALBUM
Brad Cox - Acres
VENUES + FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR AWARDS
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD METRO VENUE OF THE YEAR
The Fortitude Music Hall
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD REGIONAL VENUE OF THE YEAR
Kings Beach Tavern
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Gympie Music Muster
ACCESSIBLE VENUE OF THE YEAR
Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct
