Australian Music Prize


The Australian Music Prize is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The award made by Australian Music Prize Ltd, a sole-purpose entity sponsored by a variety of music industry figures and record companies. The AMP was established in 2005.
Unlike the more mainstream ARIA music awards, The AMP aims to encourage Australian music of excellence – the prize's stated aim is to "financially reward and increase exposure for an Australian artist who have produced and commercially released what specially appointed judges vote is the best contemporary music album in any one calendar year". In this sense, the AMP is broadly comparable to the UK's Mercury Music Prize.
2008's prize director Tracey Grimson says having a number one album counts for very little in the judging.
The prize typically launches at the start of October each year and accepts entries in October and November. A short list is announced the following February and then a winner at an event in Sydney in March.

Past winners and short list nominees

YearWinnerAlbumShortlisted nominees & albumsOther awardsRef
2005The DronesWait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
2006Augie MarchMoo, You Bloody Choir
  • Bob Evans – Suburban Songbook
  • Gotye – Like Drawing Blood
  • Howling Bells – Howling Bells
  • Jackie Marshall – Fight n'Flight
  • Lisa Gerrard – The Silver Tree
  • Sarah Blasko – What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have
  • The Drones – Gala Mill
  • The Grates – Gravity Won't Get You High
  • The inaugural Red Bull Award for Outstanding Potential was awarded to Gotye.
    • 2007The Mess HallDevils Elbow
  • Architecture in Helsinki – Places Like This
  • bluejuice – Problems
  • Dardanelles – Mirror Mirror
  • The Devastations – Yes U
  • Lisa Miller – Morning in the Bowl of Night
  • Midnight Juggernauts – Dystopia
  • New Buffalo – Somewhere, Anywhere
  • Perry Keyes – Last Ghost Train Home
  • Urthboy – The Signal
  • The MySpace Public Vote Award was won by New Buffalo.
  • The Red Bull Award for Outstanding Potential was won by bluejuice.
    • 2008Eddy Current Suppression RingPrimary Colours
  • The Presets – Apocalypso
  • Beaches – Beaches
  • The Drones – Havilah
  • Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
  • C. W. Stoneking – Jungle Blues
  • Jack Ladder – Love Is Gone
  • Tom Cooney – Presque Vu
  • Ross McLennan – For the New World
  • The Red Bull Award for Best Debut Album was won by Jack Ladder for Love is Gone.
    • 2009Lisa MitchellWonder
  • Bertie Blackman – Secrets and Lies
  • Black Cab – Call Signs
  • Kid Sam – Kid Sam
  • Lucie Thorne – Black Across the Field
  • Oh Mercy – Privileged Woes
  • Sarah Blasko – As Day Follows Night
  • The Mess Hall – For The Birds
  • Urthboy – Spitshine
  • The Red Bull Award for Best Debut Album was won by Oh Mercy for Privileged Woes.
    • 2010Cloud ControlBliss Release
  • The Holidays – Post Paradise
  • Dan Kelly – Dan Kelly's Dream
  • Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush To Relax
  • Gareth Liddiard – Strange Tourist
  • Pikelet – Stem
  • Richard in Your Mind – My Volcano
  • Sally Seltmann – Heart That's Pounding
  • Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
  • The Red Bull Award for Best Debut Album was won by The Holidays for Post Paradise.
    • 2011The JezabelsPrisoner
  • Abbe May – Design Desire
  • Adalita – Adalita
  • Boy & Bear – Moonfire
  • Gotye – Making Mirrors
  • Gurrumul – Rrakala
  • Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders – Hurtsville
  • Kimbra – Vows
  • The Middle East – I Want That You Are Always Happy
    • 2012HermitudeHyperParadise
  • Flume – Flume
  • Tame Impala – Lonerism
  • The Presets – Pacifica
  • Grand Salvo – Slay Me in My Sleep
  • Jess Ribero & the Bone Collectors – My Little River
  • Liz Stringer – Warm in the Darkness
  • Daily Meds – Happy Daze
  • Urthboy – Smokey's Haunt
    • 2013Big ScaryNot Art
  • Jen Cloher – In Blood Memory
  • Dialectrix – The Cold Light of Day
  • Kirin J. Callinan – Embracism
  • Beaches – She Beats
  • Horrorshow – King Amongst Many
  • Jagwar Ma – Howlin'
  • Cloud Control – Dream Cave
  • Jimblah – Phoenix
    • 2014REMIRaw X Infinity
  • #1 Dads – About Face
  • Blank Realm – Grassed Inn
  • C. W. Stoneking – Gon' Boogaloo
  • Caitlin Park – The Sleeper
  • Chet Faker – Built on Glass
  • Laura Jean – Laura Jean
  • The Peep Tempel – Tales
  • Total Control – Typical System
    • 2015Courtney BarnettSometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
  • Dan Kelly – Leisure
  • Dick Diver – Melbourne, Florida
  • Gold Class – It's
  • Jess Ribeiro – Kill It Yourself
  • Methyl Ethel – Oh Inhuman Spectacle
  • My Disco – Severe
  • Royal Headache – High
  • Sarah Blasko – Eternal Return
  • Tame Impala – Currents
    • 2016A.B. OriginalReclaim Australia
  • The Avalanches – Wildflower
  • Big Scary – Animal
  • Camp Cope – Camp Cope
  • D.D Dumbo – Utopia Defeated
  • King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity
  • Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
  • Olympia – Self Talk
  • The Peep Tempel – Joy
    • 2017Sampa the GreatBirds and the BEE9
  • Beaches – Second of Spring
  • Darcy Baylis – Intimacy & Isolation
  • HTMLflowers – Chrome Halo
  • Jen Cloher – Jen Cloher
  • Jordan Rakei – Wallflower
  • Liars – TFCF
  • Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine
  • The Vampires – The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke
    • 2018GurrumulDjarimirri
  • Abbe May – Fruit
  • Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
  • Dead Can Dance – Dionysus
  • Grand Salvo – Sea Glass
  • Laura Jean – Devotion
  • The Presets – Hi Viz
  • Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
  • Sam Anning – Across A Field As Vast As One
    • 2019Sampa the GreatThe Return
  • Ainslie Wills – All You Have Is All You Need
  • Amyl and the Sniffers – Amyl and the Sniffers
  • Dispossessed – Warpath Never Ended
  • Julia Jacklin – Crushing
  • Methyl Ethel – Triage
  • Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
  • Sleep D – Rebel Force
  • Thelma Plum – Better in Blak