THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN
MUSIC AWARDS (SAM)
announce host & performers
for 2020

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Photo – Nick Astanel

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With less than two weeks  to go until the 2020 South Australian Music (SAM) Awards, organisers have unveiled the talented performers and host for this year’s event. 

Held for the first time in a specially constructed outdoor format, the 2020 SAM Awards continue to be a highlight of the South Australian music industry calendar, celebrating the best in local music now and looking ahead to the New Year.

Helming proceedings at the SAM Awards this year will be Three D Radio’s Isaac Selby, bringing that local music expertise and knowledge to the role; guiding everyone through the ceremony, which will see the best of South Australian music celebrated across 29 Industry Voted and People’s Choice award categories.

“I can’t wait to help celebrate the achievements of our fantastic local scene while hosting the SA Music Awards! The talented humans in our music community and close proximity to my house have made it one of my favourite in the world.” Isaac Selby

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The SAM Awards this year will see dynamic and genre-diverse performances from four of the city’s best acts. Emerging hip-hop and R&B artist J-MILLA will perform alongside indie rock group SEABASS, experimental producer and songwriter Lonelyspeck, as well as breakthrough pop-punk trio Chelsea Manor. All up for awards themselves in November, ticket holders will be able to get a reminder as to why these artists are garnering attention around the country, and stand out as strong names to watch in 2021.

“Being in a band from Regional SA, we don’t often get opportunities like this to showcase our music, so it’s a real honour for us to be in invited to perform in front our family, friends and peers at the SA Music Awards.” Chelsea Manor

The SOLD OUT 2020 SAM Awards take place this year at the University of Adelaide’s Cloisters and Unibar Lawns, shifting from its traditional seated dinner gala format, to an outdoors event fit for the summer. Proceeding in accordance with the current COVID-19 safe protocols, the SAM Awards are on track to deliver their most memorable year yet; an excellent way to send off what’s been a year on pause for the entire live music community.

Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said South Australia was in the fortunate position to be able to celebrate its brightest stars in this format. “The music industry has suffered more than most this year, and I’m very pleased we’ll be able to get together safely to acknowledge South Australia’s incredibly talented musicians,” Minister Pisoni said.

Nominees for the SAM Awards this year features some incredible names pushing South Australian music forward including EAST AV3, Naomi Keyte, Motez, TOWNS and DyspOra; while the efforts of those engineers, producers, venues, events, visual artists, managers and videographers are also set to be recognised across a series of lucrative award categories.

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SAM Awards 2019 by Nick Astanei

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2020 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN
MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES

INDUSTRY VOTED AWARDS

BEST STUDIO ​
(Presented by Adelaide Music Collective) 

Adelaide Recording Studios
Ghostnote
Island Recording Studios
Spare Second Studio
Stone Shed Studio
Wundenbergs Recording and Rehearsal Studio

BEST STUDIO ENGINEER
​(Presented by SAE Institute Adelaide)

Chris Panousakis
Kiah Gossner
Jimmy Balderston
Lewis Wundenberg
Mario Spate

BEST LIVE TECHNICIAN ​
(Presented by Novatech)

Lisa Lane-Collins
Luke Hancock
Noni Espinosa
Patrick Lockwood
Peter Wing

BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL/EVENT

Day of Clarity
Porchland 
St Jerome’s Laneway Festival – Adelaide 
Thebartonia

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL/EVENT
(Presented by UniBar Adelaide

Field Good Festival
Freefall Festival
PAK: Live at Wundenbergs
Stonecutters
The Porch Sessions

BEST VENUE
​(Presented by AHA – SA Branch​)

Crown and Anchor Hotel
Grace Emily Hotel
Jive
Lion Arts Factory
The Wheatsheaf Hotel

BEST COVER ART ​
(Presented by Version Design)

Dave Court (DyspOra)
Jack Fenby (Cat Lucky)
Jack Fenby (The Empty Threats)
Julie Thornberg-Thorsoe (Kaurna Cronin)
Todd Fischer (Lost Woods)

BEST MANAGER ​
(Presented by Association of Artist Managers)

Alex Karatassa
Diana Sautelle
Matthew Khabbaz
Planet shhh!
Sue Germein

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BEST MUSIC VIDEO 

Bottleneck Studios (Uomo)
EAST AV3
Harry Nelli (Venice Queens)
Lonelyspeck
Motez, Pilot Studio, Mapped Design, Daggers Production, Kelsee Pedler (Motez)

BEST SONG ​
(Presented by APRA AMCOS)

EAST AV3
Stellie
Jess Day
St Jacques
Naomi Keyte

BEST NEW ARTIST
​(Presented by WOMADelaide)

Cat Lucky
EAST AV3
SEABASS 
Siberian Tiger
Slowmango

BEST GROUP
​(Presented by Derringers Music)

EAST AV3
Slowmango
SEABASS
TOWNS
Venice Queens
Wing Defence

BEST ABORIGINAL/TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST
(Presented by Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music – CASM) 

J-Milla
Jessica Wishart
Nathan May
Sonz of Serpents
Tunu

BEST SOLO ARTIST​
(Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre) 

Jess Day
Kaurna Cronin
Lonelyspeck
Motez
Ollie English
Stellie

BEST RELEASE ​
(Presented by themusic.com.au)

EAST AV3
Lonelyspeck
Motez
Ollie English
Wing Defence

BEST MUSIC EDUCATOR
(Presented by SAMII) 

Grayson Rotumah
Kultar Ahluwalia
James Alberts
Naomi Keyte
Nick O’Connor

BEST INNOVATION​
(Presented by CityMag)

Mosaic Audio Visual
Play/Pause/Play
Space Jams
Sunny Side Uploads
Thursday Night Knock Offs – Sparkke at the Whitmore
WheatyLIVE

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SAM Awards 2019 by Nick Astanei

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PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS FINALISTS 

BLUES & ROOTS ​
(Presented by Radio Adelaide) 

JimmyBay
Lucky Seven 
Ollie English
Rat Tamango
The Streamliners

COUNTRY ​
(Presented by Grace Emily Hotel) 

Cassidy Rae Gaiter 
Cookie Baker
Jessica Wishart
Matt Ward 
Nathan May

ELECTRONIC
(Presented by Moshtix)

Hartway
Jethro 
Lonelyspeck
Motez
Zac Eichner 

EXPERIMENTAL ​
(Presented by Ancient World) 

Heinous Crimes
Slowmango
SODA
Sons of Zoku
The Empty Threats

FOLK​
(Presented by The Wheatsheaf Hotel) 

Katie Pomery 
Loren Kate
Naomi Keyte
Siberian Tiger
Tom West

HEAVY ​
(Presented by Enigma)

Alt.
Dirty Pagans
Hidden Intent
NO NO NO NO NO
Terminal Zero 

HIP HOP
(​Presented by The Gov​)

DyspOra
East AV3
Laitisi Diesa
Outside Lines 
We Move Like Giants

JAZZ​
(Presented by Elder Conservatorium)

Alex Taylor
Django Rowe
Er@ser Description
Nick Pennington & Angus Mason
The Boys Club

POP ​
(Presented by Jive)

Ashton Fraser
Germein
Jess Day
MANE
The Montreals

PUNK​
(Presented by Three D Radio)

Bitchspawn
Chelsea Manor
Collateral Damage
The Lizards
Wing Defence

ROCK​
(Presented by Crown and Anchor) 

Horror My Friend
Oscar the Wild
SEABASS
TOWNS
Venice Queens

SOUL/FUNK/R&B​
(Presented by Woodville Town Hall) 

Elsy Wameyo
Isaac Thomas
Legs of Ivar
Leni
Wanderers 

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2020 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN
MUSIC AWARDS

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020

UniBar Adelaide,
Cloisters and Lawns
Kaurna Land
Entrance from Victoria Drive

The SAM Awards is looking ahead to the future in continuing their commitment to celebrating the thriving community of musicians that really make SA Great.

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Official Website
Facebook – Instagram – YouTube

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Photo – Nick Astanel

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