Nominations for the Australian Women in Music Awards are open from today, calling for all women in the music industry to nominate for an award.
This year, there are 19 award categories that musicians, producers, techs, writers and more can apply for before nominations close on May 28.
Australian Women in Music (AWM) has hosted the awards since 2018. Over the last five years, the organisation has received more than 1500 nominations, with 190 finalists and 73 award recipients.
Vicki Gordon, the founding executive producer and program director at AWM, said the organisation’s first awards ceremony in 2018 was a “watershed moment” for Australia’s music industry.
“In a long overdue and much needed expression of solidarity and leadership, AWMA set the foundation for change, igniting collaboration and support nationally for diverse female creatives, non-binary and LGBTQI+ and GNC artists, First Nations and Multicultural female artists, students, techs, female artists living in remote and regional areas, and music practitioners across all genres of music,” Gordon said.
This year, the AWM awards will be held in Brisbane on October 2, and Sarah McLeod, the incoming AWM board director and guitarist, encourages all to submit a nomination for themselves or on behalf of someone they know.
“Having been in this male dominated industry for so many years, I’m thrilled to be joining the Board of AWM,” McLeod said.
“The community is so strong and getting stronger every year, I’m excited to see where we can take it.”
“The awards help lift and recognise the talent and hard work that occurs on stage and behind the scenes. Nominate yourself or your friends. We want you in.”
The AWM is supported by the Queensland government and has been since its inaugural event in 2018.
Minister for Women and Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman said the awards shines a light on the bright future ahead of Australia’s music industry, spearheaded by women.
“Our government has proudly supported AWMA since the very beginning, celebrating women on stage, back stage and behind the scenes while also promoting gender equality and diversity, including the voices of First Nations women,” Minister Fentiman said.
“The future of our music industry looks bright as our government continues to invest in a 10-year roadmap to promote arts, culture, and creativity.
“As Minister for Women, recognising and celebrating the success of women is a vital part of promoting equality in any industry, and AWMA provides that opportunity through Australian music.”
Women in the music industry
At the core of AWM is to promote gender equality in Australia’s music industry. According to a report commissioned by the House of Commons in the UK, women are underrepresented in several sectors of the industry on a global scale. While women musicians reach incredible feats both in Australia and globally, women represent less than a third of top-selling artists in music and only 14 per cent of songwriters internationally.
In 2022, there were just 187 women and non-binary people credited as a producer or engineer on the top 50 streamed tracks. This is compared to 3,781 men.
In this year’s Triple J Hottest 100 countdown, just three of the top 10 featured artists were women or non-binary.
A University of Sydney report from 2017 found women represent a third of all employed musicians in Australia. Lead author Associate Professor Rae Cooper described Australia’s music industry as a room with “glass walls” for women.
“Women in the music industry are not only confronted with the ‘glass ceiling’, but also ‘glass walls’, where women congregate in occupations and sectors where the majority of employees are women,” she said.