Cub Sport, The Teskey Brothers Lead Finalists for 2024 AIR Awards

Cub Sport, The Teskey Brothers and Jem Cassar-Daley will take great form into the 2024 AIR Awards, set for Thursday, Aug. 1 at Queen’s Theatre in Adelaide.

Cub Sport is hunting a triple. The Brisbane electronic pop foursome is shortlisted for best independent dance or electronica and independent album of the year for their ARIA No. 1 collection, Jesus At The Gay Bar, and their Adam Munnings-directed clip for “Keep Me Safe” is up for independent music video of the year. Cub Sport pounced for two wins at last month’s 2024 Queensland Music Awards.

Also at the AIR Awards, The Teskey Brothers, led by Josh and Sam, are up for best independent blues and roots album or EP and independent marketing team of the year (Ivy League, Mushroom).

The Teskeys are fresh from winning the songwriter of the year at the 2024 APRA Music Awards, and best record at the 2024 Rolling Stone Australia Awards for their ARIA No. 1 album The Winding Way, and their manager, Jeremy Furze, was named manager of the year at the 2024 AAM Awards.

Meanwhile, Jem Cassar-Daley’s “King of Disappointment” could be crowned song of the year, though it faces competition from works by Genesis Owusu (“Leaving The Light”), Maple Glider (“Don’t Kiss Me”), RVG (“Nothing Really Changes”) and Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers (“I Used To Be Fun”).

Cassar-Daley, daughter of homegrown country great Troy Cassar-Daley, won a brace at the 2024 QMAs, including the night’s top honor – song of the year (for “King of Disappointment”).

Best independent label will be contested by ABC Music, Dot Dash Recordings, Ourness, Poison City Records and Spinning Top Records.

Now in its 18th year, the AIR Awards are a celebration of the best and brightest from Australia’s independent music community. This year’s edition welcomes two new categories, recognizing best independent music video and best independent producer.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognize the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience,” comments minister for arts. Andrea Michaels, member of parliament.

This year’s ceremony will once more be bookended by the Indie-Con Australia conference, a gathering that focuses “on issues that are specifically relevant to the independent music sector,” say organizers, the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR). The South Australian Music Development Office is major sponsor for the annual awards. Details on the program and lineup of speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 2024 Air Awards Nominees:

Best Independent Blues And Roots Album Or EP
Dan Sultan – Dan Sultan
Dope Lemon – Kimosabè
Georgia Mooney – Full Of Moon
Leah Senior – The Music That I Make
The Teskey Brothers – The Winding Way

Best Independent Hip-Hop Album Or EP
Genesis Owusu – Struggler
Jk-47 – Revision For Regrowth
Teether &Amp; Kuya Neil – Stressor
Urthboy – Savour
Ziggy Ramo – Sugar Coated Lies

Best Independent Country Album Or EP
Fanny Lumsden – Hey Dawn
Henry Wagons – South Of Everywhere
Maple Glider – I Get Into Trouble
The Wolfe Brothers – Livin’ The Dream
Travis Collins – Any Less Anymore

Best Independent Jazz Album Or EP
Elixir – A Small Shy Truth
Grievous Bodily Calm – Cascades
Lance Gurisik &Amp; Jeremy Rose – Cull Portal
Mike Nock – Hearing
The Rookies – Feed The Fire

Best Independent Classical Album Or EP
Australian Chamber Orchestra / Richard Tognetti – Beethoven Symphonies 1, 2 & 3
‘Eroica’
Karen Jacobsen – Misogyny Opus
Neil Gaiman & Fourplay String Quartet – Signs Of Life
Russell Morris – The Real Thing Symphonic Concert
Slava Grigoryan – Gratitudes

Best Independent Children’s Album Or EP
Amber Lawrence – A Very Aussie Aussie Christmas
Emma Memma- Ballet Time
Josh Pyke – It’s Gonna Be A Great, Great Day!
The Wiggles – Ready Steady Wiggle
Whistle & Trick – Bananas And Other Delicious Things

Best Independent Dance, Electronica Or Club Single
Confidence Man – On & On (Again)
Fisher & Kita Alexander – Atmosphere
Memphis Lk – Black And Blue
Odd Mob & Omnom – Losing Control
The Jungle Giants – Trippin Up

Best Independent Punk Album Or EP
Enola – All Is Forgiven EP
Luca Brasi – The World Don’t Owe You Anything
Private Function – 370HSSV 0773H
Radio Free Alice – Radio Free Alice
Teenage Joans – The Rot That Grows Inside My Chest

Best Independent Heavy Album Or EP
C.O.F.F.I.N – Australia Stops
Glitoris – Glitoris
Polaris – Fatalism
Redhook – Postcard From A Living Hell
Void Of Vision – Chronicles

Best Independent Dance Or Electronica Album Or EP
Big Wett – Pu$$Y
Cub Sport – Jesus At The Gay Bar
Haiku Hands – Pleasure Beast
Simona Castricum – Sink
Skeleten – Under Utopia

Best Independent Rock Album Or EP
Alex Lahey – The Answer Is Always Yes
Pacific Avenue – Flowers
Royel Otis – Sofa Kings
RVG – Brain Worms
Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers – I Love You

Best Independent Soul/RnB Album Or EP
Bumpy – Morning Sun Ep
Immy Owusu – Lo-Life!
Ruby Jackson – Sweeter For Me
Wilsn – Those Days Are Over
Women Of Soul Collective – Feel Good

Best Independent Pop Album Or EP
Hatchie – Giving The World Away (Deluxe)
Jack River – Endless Summer
Kate Ceberano – My Life Is A Symphony
Molly Millington- 5 Stages
Nat Vazer – Strange Adrenaline

Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year – Presented By PPCA
Big Wett
Chloe Dadd
Enola
Pacific Avenue
Royel Otis

Independent Song Of The Year
Genesis Owusu – Leaving The Light
Jem Cassar-Daley – King Of Disappointment
Maple Glider – Don’t Kiss Me
Rvg – Nothing Really Changes
Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers – I Used To Be Fun

Independent Album Of The Year
Cub Sport – Jesus At The Gay Bar
Genesis Owusu – Struggler
Jen Cloher – I Am The River, The River Is Me
Maple Glider – I Get Into Trouble
Rvg – Brain Worms

Best Independent Label
ABC Music
Dot Dash Recordings
Ourness
Poison City Records
Spinning Top Records

Independent Marketing Team Of The Year
Domestic La La – Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers, I Love You
I Oh You, Mushroom – Dma’s, How Many Dreams?
Ivy League, Mushroom – The Teskey Brothers, The Winding Way
Slow Clap- Private Function, 370hssv 0773h
The Annex, Ourness, Awal – Genesis Owusu, Struggler

Independent Publicity Team Of The Year
I Oh You, Mushroom – DMA’s, How Many Dreams?
Janine Morcos – Teenage Joans, The Rot That Grows Inside My Chest
Jessica Searle – Jen Cloher, I Am The River, The River Is Me
Thinking Loud – Genesis Owusu, Struggler
This Much Talent – Nat Vazer, Strange Adrenaline

Independent Music Video Of The Year
Adam Munnings – Cub Sport, Keep Me Safe
Chris Cowburn – Emma Donovan, Blak Nation
Hayden Somerville – Rvg, Nothing Really Changes
Sean Higgins – Adam Noviello, Fumbling
Tobias Willis – Georgia Mooney, War Romance

Independent Producer Of The Year
Bonnie Knight – Enola, All Is Forgiven Ep
Konstantin Kersting – DMA’S, How Many Dreams?
Oscar Dawson – Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers, I Love You
Pnau – Multiple Singles In 2023
Tom Iansek – Maple Glider, I Get Into Trouble