HERMITUDE WINS THE 8th AUSTRALIAN MUSIC PRIZE
The Coopers Amp is proud to announce Hermitude as the winner of The 8th Australian Music Prize, and recipient of $30,000 courtesy of principal partner PPCA, for their fourth studio album HyperParadise.
The announcement was made at Amped Up In Conversation, where some of the industry’s finest watched on as Hermitude emerged from a list of nine shortlisted artists, not to mention afield of more than 300 artist albums of 2012, to claim the prestigious prize.
The win caps off an impressive year for Hermitude, which has seen them take out an AIR award, two SMAC awards, an ARIA nomination and a triple j JAward nomination. Their Villain Tour last month saw repeat sellouts across the nation, with demand in Sydney and Melbourne necessitating three shows in each city.
Featuring the heavily-spun and nationally-adored single ‘Speak of the Devil’, HyperParadise leaves a slew of praise in its wake. The Coopers Amp title further solidifies the integrity of the Blue Mountains duo and proves this is one album that goes far beyond the hype.
Speaking at Amped Up In Conversation, international guest Daniel Glass (president and founder of the esteemed Glassnote EntertainmentGroup) commended the quality of this year’s winner and shortlisted artists: Flume (Flume), Tame Impala (Lonerism), The Presets (Pacifica), Grand Salvo (Slay Me In My Sleep), Jess Ribeiro & The Bone Collectors (My Little River), Liz Stringer (Warm In The Darkness), Daily Meds (Happy Daze) and Urthboy (Smokey’s Haunt).
It has been a rewarding and revolutionary time for The Australian Music Prize, who welcomed renowned Australian brewery Coopers as its namingrights partner and abolished the entry fee of previous years, making all Australian artist albums of 2012 eligible. This year saw the introduction and success of Amp Alive, a free live music event staged in Melbourne’s Federation Square, and The Coopers Amp’s continued support of Australian music through healthy debate and discussion at Amped Up In Conversation.
Founder and Prize Director Scott Murphy, congratulates Hermitude on taking out The 8th Australian Music Prize and acknowledges the steadfast support of prize partners: “Thanks to the partners we’ve had since we started the prize and the welcoming of new ones like the great Coopers brand, we’ve been able to pull off an impressive year here at The Coopers AMP!
“This prize celebrates great Australian music and in particular originality – Hermitude is certainly original, distinctive and very deserving of The Coopers AMP,” Scott says.
With an ongoing commitment to artist development, PPCA deems Hermitude a worthy recipient of this year’s $30,000 cash prize.
“On behalf of all at PPCA, it is an honour to present Hermitude with a cheque for $30,000 for what is truly a remarkable album and a worthy addition to the growing list of AMP winners that have left their mark on the Australian music scene,” says the group’s CEO Dan Rosen. “Congratulations to Hermitude and we hope this contribution from PPCA will provide further assistance in taking their music to the world.”
The Coopers Amp winner is decided by a democratic voting process, whereby a panel of judges discuss and evaluate each shortlisted album based on its individual and unique merits. The judges of The Coopers Amp are predominantly returning judges from previous years: Chris Berkley, Deborah Conway, Dave Faulkner, Tim Freedman, Mike Glynn, Chris Johnston, Shannon Logan, Christopher Powell and Bernard Zuel – together with first time judge, Sam Lockwood, a member of last year’s winner, The Jezabels.
The Coopers Amp thanks its principal partners PPCA, Channel [V] and JB Hi-Fi, as well as patrons of The Coopers Amp, judges, industry sponsors and the Australian artists who continue to make this prize possible. For more information on The Coopers Amp, visit www.thecoopersamp.com.au and www.facebook.com/australianmusicprize