Australian Independent Record Labels Association

Australian Independent Record Labels Association
Founded 1996
Country of origin Australia
Location Melbourne, Victoria
Official website AIR Website

The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (previously known as Association of Independent Record Labels and often known as AIR) is a non profit, non government association dedicated to supporting the growth and development of Australia's independent recording sector. AIR represents Australian owned record labels and independent artists based in Australia.[1]

AIR's primary purpose is to foster an increasing marketplace for Australian independent music and assist in the long-term development, growth and success of Australia 's independent recording industry.[2]

History

AIR was started by a group of Sydney and Melbourne music industry professionals and labels, who began meeting regularly to formulate ideas on how to start an industry association that would assist the ongoing development of Australia's independent record industry. The association was incorporated in 1996 thanks to a small donation from Phantom Records, and received its first operation funding grant from the Australia Council for the Arts in 1998.

Additional Australia Council funding was received in 2000, and in this same year, members also voted to change AIR's legal status from Incorporated Association to Company Limited by Guarantee.[1]

AIR moved its base from Sydney, New South Wales, to Brisbane, Queensland, in 2004 when Stuart Watters (formerly of Q Music, Queensland's state music council) took over as its Chief Executive Officer. In 2007 AIR moved its operations from Brisbane to Melbourne, Victoria, where it is now based in the Rubber Records and Media Arts Lawyers building in North Melbourne.

Members

AIR began as a small association with 25 members to a company with over 200 financial members across all sectors of the Australian music industry.[1] AIR's membership of significant Australian Independent Record Labels includes but is not limited to Head Records, Shock Records, Elefant Traks, Obese Records, Dew Process, Liberation Music, Plus One Records, Remote Control Records Pty Ltd, MGM Distribution, UNFD – We Are Unified, Ivy League Records, Vitamin Records, Eleven: A Music Company, Red Cat Records, Illusive Sounds, Future Classic, Casadeldisco Records and Jarrah Records.[3]

Independent Music Charts

In 2000, AIR inaugurated the Independent Music Charts which track the sales of Australia's highest selling independent artists. The top 20 independent singles and albums are published on a weekly basis but genre charts for Jazz, Hip Hop, Blues and Roots, Hard Rock/Punk, Country are published once a month. The AIR Charts differ from the ARIA Charts because they focus on Australian artists represented only by Australian independent labels.

Titles are eligible to be included in the AIR Charts if they are Australian, the title is released on an independent label / or, self-released and where it is either distributed through an independent distributor or where an independent label uses the services of a major or its subsidiary to distribute the title.[4]

Awards

The association's annual Independent Music Awards are run in conjunction with the AIR Charts and celebrate the year's highest charting independently released Australian singles and albums.[5]

The selection of the 10 finalists for each category is based upon a total score calculated across all 20 AIR independent chart positions over that year. The winner is voted for by a judging panel consisting of approximately 350 members of the retail and media sectors of the Australian independent music industry.[6]

The Independent Music Awards recognise Australian 100% independent artists (100% independent in this context refers to releases whose masters are owned independently of major labels and are also distributed independently by an Australian owned distributor).[7]

2006 winners

2007 winners

2008 winners

2009 winners

  • Best Independent Album: The Drones – Havilah
  • Best Independent Single/EP: Philadelphia Grand Jury – Going To The Casino
  • Best Independent Artist: The Drones
  • Breakthrough Independent Artist: Bertie Blackman
  • Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album: Pez – A Mind Of My Own
  • Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album: The Nation Blue – Rising Waters
  • Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album: Art vs. Science – Art vs. Science
  • Best Independent Blues and Roots Album: C. W. Stoneking – Jungle Blues
  • Best Independent Jazz Album: The World According To James – Lingua Franca
  • Best Independent Country Album: Adam Brand – Hell of a Ride

2010 winners

2011 winners

  • Best Independent Artist: The Jezabels
  • Breakthrough Independent Artist: Emma-Louise
  • Best Independent Album: Adalita – Adalita
  • Best Independent Single/EP: The Jezabels – Dark Storm
  • Most Popular Independent Artist: 360
  • Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album: My Disco – Little Joy
  • Best Independent Blues and Roots Album: Gurrumul – Rrakala
  • Best Independent Country Album: Wagons – Rumble Shake and Tumble
  • Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album: Drapht – The Life of Riley
  • Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album: Pnau – Soft Universe
  • Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single: Joint winners: Tommy Trash & Tom Piper – All My Friends and Seekae – Blood Bank
  • Best Independent Jazz Album: Sandy Evans – When The Sky Cries Rainbows

2012 winners

  • Best Independent Artist: The Jezabels
  • Breakthrough Independent Artist: Chet Faker
  • Best Independent Album: Royal Headache – Royal Headache
  • Best Independent Single/EP: Chet Faker – Thinking In Textures
  • Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album: DZ Deathrays – Bloodstreams
  • Best Independent Blues and Roots Album: Lanie Lane – To The Horses
  • Best Independent Country Album: Jess Riberio & The Bone Collectors – My Little River
  • Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album: 360 – Falling & Flying
  • Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album: Hermitude – Hyperparadise
  • Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single: Tom Piper & Daniel Farley – LGFU
  • Best Independent Jazz Album: Mike Nock Trio Plus – Hear and Know
  • Best Independent Label: Elefant Traks

2013 winners[8]

  • Carlton Dry Global Music Grant: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
  • Best Independent Artist: Flume
  • Breakthrough Independent Artist: Vance Joy
  • Best Independent Album: Flume – Flume
  • Best Independent Single/EP: Vance Joy – God Love You When You're Dancing EP
  • Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – 12 Bar Bruise'
  • Best Independent Blues and Roots Album: Paul Kelly – Spring and Fall
  • Best Independent Country Album: Catherine Britt – Always Never Enough
  • Best Independent Hip Hop Album: Seth Sentry – This Was Tomorrow
  • Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album: Flume – Flume
  • Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single: Flume – Holdin' On
  • Best Independent Jazz Album: Jonathan Zwartz – The Remembering and the Forgetting of the Air
  • Best Independent Label: Future Classic
  • Best Independent Classical Album: Amy Dickson – Catch Me If You Can

2014 winners

  • Carlton Dry Global Music Grant: Remi
  • Best Independent Artist: Courtney Barnett
  • Breakthrough Independent Artist: Sheppard
  • Best Independent Album: Violent Soho – Hungry Ghost
  • Best Independent Single/EP: Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener
  • Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album: Violent Soho – Hungry Ghost
  • Best Independent Blues and Roots Album: Dan Sultan – Blackbird
  • Best Independent Country Album: Halfway – Any Old Love
  • Best Independent Hip Hop Album: Remi – Raw x Infinity
  • Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album: RUFUS – Atlas
  • Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single: Peking Duk feat. Nicole Millar- High
  • Best Independent Jazz Album: Paul Grabowsky Sextet – The Bitter Suite
  • Best Independent Label: I OH YOU

Worldwide Independent Networks

AIR is a member of WIN (Worldwide Independent Networks) which is a coalition of independent music bodies from countries throughout the world. Other member organisations of WIN include A2IM (USA), ABMI (Brazil), ADISQ (Canada), AIM (UK), AIRCO (South Africa), Audiocoop (Italy), BIMA (Belgium), CIRPA (Canada), DUP (Denmark), ILCJ (Japan), IMI (India), IMNZ (New Zealand), Impala (Europe), INZIMA (Israel), Pronafon (Mexico), SOM (Sweden), UFI (Spain), UPFI (France), VTMOE (Austria) and VUT (Germany).[9]

On 4 July 2008 AIR took part in WIN's Independents Day initiative, the first annual coordinated celebration of independent music across the world. As a major part of these celebrations AIR conducted an online poll for Australia's greatest independent records of all time.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About Us". Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
  2. ↑ http://www.air.org.au/index.php?apply=&webpage=default&cID=1967&PHPSESSID=&menuID=207, Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR) 2012
  3. ↑ http://www.air.org.au/index.php?apply=&webpage=default&cID=2197&PHPSESSID=&menuID=614, Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR) List of Members
  4. ↑ "About the AIR Charts". Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  5. ↑ "2008 Jägermeister AIR Awards". Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR). 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
  6. ↑ "Awards Guidelines". Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR). 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
  7. ↑ "About The AIR Awards". Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  8. ↑ 2013 Awards
  9. ↑ "WIN Membership Criteria". Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  10. ↑ "Independents Day Australia". Retrieved 9 December 2008.
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