WAM’s Song of the Year 18/19 Winners Announced

26 Jun

Taking place at Perth’s newest and most exciting live music venue, Freo.Social, the WAM Song of the Year, presented by Act-Belong-Commit has been taken out by Carla Geneve as the Overall Grand Prize winner for her song Greg’s Discount Chemist.

Albany born singer-songwriter Carla Geneve burst onto the Perth music scene just a few years ago and quickly won over audience with her unique brand of honest raw indie rock with a splash of folk inspiration. Her debut single Greg’s Discount Chemist gives “A big shot of lyrical cough syrup” [Laundry Echo]. The song paints a picture of getting sick, getting well, having a crush and getting on. This incredibly strong debut earned Carla the top gong for the night.

Grand Prize Runner-up was Flewnt (Josh Eggington & Vanessa Hopes) with their song Kya Kyana and the Grand Prize Second Runner-up went to Riley Pearce for his track Elephants.

But it was Flewnt who led the way, picking up three awards for the Outstanding Indigenous and Urban/Hip Hop categories alongside their Grand Prize Runner-Up win for Kya Kyana (which translates as “welcome to the ceremonial ground” in Noongar). The full list of #WAMSOTY winners is a true testament to the rich songwriting talent West Australian music has to offer, with Ava Sharp, Brayden Sibbald, Elderflower, Electrocity Ensemble, Feels, Nick Abbey, Pat Chow, Stephen de Filippo, Tara Tiba, The Eastern Line, The Hunting Birds, Tom Fisher and The Layabouts and Trolley Boy also taking out category honours.

WAM Award winner and adored Perth songwriter, Odette Mercy took on MC duties at the spectacular awards event, which featured performances by award winners Pat Chow, Tara Tiba and Flewnt, nominee Echo Adore, and Rhubarb Records DJs.

WAM CEO Mike Harris remarked on Carla’s win “WAM’s Song of the Year just seems to get stronger each year with the quality and number of entries in 2019 blowing all our minds. I don’t judge the songs and for that I am grateful as picking winners from this field would have been very tough. Grand Prize winner Carla Geneve is an incredible talent with an enviable future in music. Congratulations to Carla and all the other winners, finalists and all the entrants not just for winning Song of the Year (though that is important) but for being leaders in WA’s unique music scene.”

Healthway Acting CEO Jeremy Hubble said that Healthway will provide $280,000 to WAM over the next two years to promote the Act-Belong-Commit message through programs including the Song of the Year Awards.

“These Awards are a great way for people to get together, and for artists to connect with other artists and express themselves through music,” Mr Hubble said. “The Act-Belong-Commit campaign encourages us to protect and maintain our mental wellbeing, and the new award category dedicated to songs that promote mental health is a great way to demonstrate this commitment.”

FULL LIST OF 2018/19 #WAMSOTY WINNERS

GRAND PRIZE WINNER Carla Geneve Greg’s Discount Chemist

GRAND PRIZE RUNNER-UP Flewnt Kya Kyana

GRAND PRIZE SECOND RUNNER-UP  Riley Pearce Elephants

ACT-BELONG-COMMIT Presented by Act-Belong-Commit | Studio Sponsor Vision Studios

WINNER Pat Chow Are You Okay?

OTHER NOMS FPs You’ll Be Alright, Mitchell Martin Be Myself, Ninth Time Lucky Half Of Me, The Skeleton Collective All I Wanna Be

BLUES/ROOTS Presented by Perfect Pitch Publishing | Studio Sponsor JRF Recording Studio

WINNER Tom Fisher and The Layabouts Old Man Of The Blues

OTHER NOMS Farraday’s Cage In Starlight, Jenny Gaunt Time, Karin Page Box (feat. Ash Grunwald), Mark Turner Stone Cold, Yo Yo Sun City

COUNTRY Presented by Spotify | Studio Sponsor Soundbaker Studios

WINNER The Eastern Line Letter To A Baby Girl

OTHER NOMS Harry Jakamarra Little Southern Girl, Julie Kember Can I Wear Your Shoes, Mike Goodwin I’ll Be Gone, The Little Lord Street Band Heartache Moon, Wayward Johnson and The Adjustment Broken Dollar Dream

ELECTRONIC Presented by Alex Hotel |Bivouac | Studio Sponsor Pavement Studios

WINNER Feels They Need Us (feat. Stella Donnelly)

OTHER NOMS Fourth State Lost In Dreams, Jamilla KING, KrisA GOTTA BE IN MOTION, Mel Kay PHOENIX, RUER I Don’t Need Ya

EXPERIMENTAL Presented by Space Cassette | Studio Sponsor Blackbird Sound Studio

WINNER Stephen de Filippoa moment like this . . ?

OTHER NOMS Bolt Gun Exorcism Refuge, Intenso The Machines Are Learning To Keep Their Secrets, Jean-Michael Maujean Gerygone: for two PVCellos, Original Past Life Infinity, samarobyn The Insect Apocalypse

FOLK Presented by Clancy’s Fremantle | Studio Sponsor Blondel Recording Studios

WINNER Riley Pearce Elephants

OTHER NOMS Camarano Food For The Worms, King Ibis Reminiscing, Simone & Girlfunkle Belly Of Time, The Hunting Birds Hidden In These Waters, Wild Oak These Words

HEAVY/METAL Presented by Firestarter Distribution | Studio Sponsor Templeman Audio

WINNER Elderflower Perished Walls Speak

OTHER NOMS Agnesis Ransack, All This Filth This Is Misery, Bayview Suspect Belly Full Of Lies, Chaos Divine Unspoken, Odditry Tarantula

JAZZ Presented by @placeorpoint | Audiofly | Studio Sponsor Crank Recording

WINNER Nick Abbey Song For Days When

OTHER NOMS Ben Matthews Redman, Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian Jazz Group Where Would I Be Without You, Harry Mitchell 31, Imogen Thomson/ Austin Salisbury The Only Dude, Tim Newhouse Collective Southbank

OUTSTANDING INDIGENOUS Presented by Nannup Music Festival | Studio Sponsor Poons Head Studios

WINNER Flewnt Kya Kyana

OTHER NOMS Aliwah! Boodja, Joan & The Giants Hold Me, Natasha Eldridge Because Of Her We Can, Onyx Never See You, Phoneline Valentine Gone

OUTSTANDING REGIONAL Presented by APRA AMCOS | Studio Sponsor Hopping Mouse Studios

WINNER Brayden Sibbald Spider’s Web

OTHER NOMS ASKYA Purpose, Ash Pluggy & Boston Switch Better Alone, Just A Though Follow Me (feat. Jasmine Gannaway), Kiera Jas Shadows, Latehorse Two Streets

POP Presented by Sorrento Strategic Music | Studio Sponsor Tone City Recording Studio

WINNER The Hunting Birds Currents

OTHER NOMS Bri Clark Goodbye, Cloning Epilogues, Echo Adore Caught In History, Noah Dillon You Did It To Yourself, Teischa Haunt Me

PUNK/HARDCORE Presented by Rhubarb Records/XVinylX | The Poster Girls | Studio Sponsor Sumo Sound Studios

WINNER Trolley Boy Derby Jetty

OTHER NOMS Castle Bravo Something More, My Shadow & I Drugs, Pat Chow Martyrdom, The Bob Gordons Jerry Seinfeldhair, Blindspot The Right Swipe

ROCK Presented by Freo.Social | Studio Sponsor Tunafish Recording Company

WINNER Carla Geneve Greg’s Discount Chemist

OTHER NOMS Camarano Table Mountain, Cattle Class Dog Shit Days, Ghost Care Another, Homebrand Blue, Shangrila Stay

SCHOOLS & UNDER 14 Presented by City of Fremantle | Studio Sponsor Real2Reel

WINNER Ava Sharp Shattered Heart

OTHER NOMS Aia Klara Change, Angelina Curtis Fire Between, Anika Louise Just Friends, DETOUR Hero, Mitchell Ballardin Sherbert Sunset

SCHOOLS 15-17 Presented by Lolly Box Music | Studio Sponsor Artisan Music

WINNER Electrocity Ensemble Can’t Help This Feeling

OTHER NOMS Farraday’s Cage Lifeline, Intrusion Rage, Jayda D’Agostino I’m Alright, Mali Jo$e Show Love

URBAN/HIP HOP Presented by RTRFM | Macando Music | Studio Sponsor Sundown Studios

WINNER Flewnt Kya Kyana

OTHER NOMS DEAD TOOTH Falling Through Flaws, Hyclass Queen, Jacob De Gaye Repeat After Me, Jamilla Beautiful, Terri Danelle Ain’t No Love Song

WORLD Presented by I Heart Songwriting Club | Studio Sponsor Shanghai Twang Studios

WINNER Tara Tiba Bahar

OTHER NOMS Ben Matthews Cold Bones, Steve Hensby Band Naf Naf, Grace Barbé Problenm, Kate Pass Kohesia Ensemble The Fire, Randa and The Soul Kingdom 2048

Check out the 2018/19 WAM Song of the Year Nominee Spotify Playlist here: https://spoti.fi/2VQFpzi

WAM recognises the generous support of our Song of the Year partners and sponsors.

Prize Sponsors: Alex Hotel, Audiofly, Bivouac, Debaser Studio, Firestarter Music, I Heart Songwriting Club, Lolly Box Music, Macando Music, Perfect Pitch Publishing, Place or Point, Rhubarb Records / XVinylX, RTRFM, Space Cassette, Spotify, The Poster Girls.

Studio Sponsors: Artisan Music, Blackbird Sound Studio, Blondel Recording Studios, Crank Recording, Debaser Studios, Hopping Mouse Studios, JRF Recording Studio, Pavement Studios, Poons Head Studios, Real2Reel Studio, Shanghai Twang Studios, Soundbaker Studios, Sumo Sound Studios, Sundown Studios, Tunafish Recording Company, Tone City Recording Studio, Vision Studios.

WAM respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and learn, and pay respect to the Whadjuk Noongar people and their elders, past, present and emerging.