See the full list of artists and industry heads nominated for the 2022 SAM Awards.
SA Music Awards announces 2022 finalists
The 2022 SAM Awards are but a week away, and this year’s finalists have finally been revealed.
Kenyan-born and Adelaide-raised artist Elsy Wameyo, who released her debut EP Nilotic this year, is nominated across six categories, including Best Song, Best Release, Best Solo Artist, Best Music Video, People’s Choice Hip Hop Artist of the Year and Best Studio Engineer/Producer.
Other multi-category nominees include Tilly Tjala Thomas, Electric Fields, The Empty Threats, TOWNS, Lola and the seven-time winners from last year’s awards, Teenage Joans.
The South Australian Music Awards will this year take place at the Hindley Street Music Hall, on Thursday, 17 November.
If you’d like to join in on SA Music’s night of nights, grab a ticket at the website.
To see if your mate’s band, or your mate’s mate’s band has made it into the nomination round, read on below.
Major finalists
BEST SONG
Teenage Joans – Terrible
Horror My Friend – Devotion
Tilly Tjala Thomas – Ngai Yurlku Nhiina
TOWNS – Season 5 (Break My Fall)
Elsy Wameyo – River Nile
WANDERERS – Nothing in This World
BEST NEW ARTIST
Ethanol Blend
Molly Rocket
LOLA
The Vains
Twine
BEST REGIONAL ARTIST
Ella & Sienna
Germein
Tilly Tjala Thomas
Ellen Tefanis
PTL
BEST ABORIGINAL OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST
MARLON X RULLA
Tilly Tjala Thomas
Electric Fields
Rob Edwards
DEM MOB
BEST GROUP
Slowmango
SONS OF ZÖKU
The Empty Threats
Electric Fields
TOWNS
BEST SOLO
Elsy Wameyo
Tilly Tjala Thomas
Jess Day
Motez
Lucas Day
BEST RELEASE
LOLA – Don’t Tell My Mum
The Empty Threats – The Empty Threats
Elsy Wameyo – Nilotic
WANDERERS – WANDERERS
SONS OF ZÖKU – SÜN
Industry finalists
BEST STUDIO
Wundenberg’s Recording Studios
Cactus Cactus Sound
Matrix Recording Studio
Palomino Sound Recorders
Songbird Society
BEST STUDIO ENGINEER/ PRODUCER
Elsy Wameyo
Lewis Wundenberg
Mario Späte
Kiah Gossner
Ryan Martin John
BEST LIVE TECHNICIAN
Lachlan Sheehan
Nathan D’Agostino
Michael Wickens
Ryan Martin John
Luke Hancock
BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL / EVENT
Froth & Fury Fest
Day Dance
Spin Off Festival
Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival
BEST SMALL FESTIVAL / EVENT
Half Strange Festival 5
PAK Music Live at Wundenbergs
SALT Festival
Space Jams
Skate Daze – On The Flip Side
BEST MANAGER
Alexandra Karatassa (Five Four Entertainment)
Sian Walden (Little Acorn Music)
Sue Germein
Rachel Whitford (27 Music)
Sebastian James (27 Music)
BEST VENUE
Grace Emily Hotel
Lion Arts Factory
UniBar ADL
Jive
The Wheatsheaf Hotel
BEST REGIONAL VENUE / ACTIVATION
Adelaide Guitar Festival
Big Easy Radio
Space Jams – Robe
The Three Brothers Arms
Nautilus Arts Centre – SALT Stage
BEST COVER ART
Paloma Ellery (SONS OF ZÖKU – SÜN)
Kyle Woodman (The Vains – Pussy Power)
Zinia King (The Cortex Shift – Magic Bearded Chicken Subverts The System)
Harrison Tomlian (Olyan – Outer)
Tobin Lush (Jen Lush – Let Loose The Beating Birds)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Elsy Wameyo & Richard Coburn (Elsy Wameyo – ‘Nilotic’)
Conor Mercury/House of Spaghetti (The Empty Threats – ‘K’)
Lemonade City (Teenage Joans – ‘Terrible’)
Jack Bielby (Electric Fields – ‘Catastrophe’)
Jed Newton (LOLA – ‘What’s The Point’)
Tobin Lush (Jen Lush – ‘Let Loose The Beating Birds’)
BEST INNOVATION
Adelaide Guitar Festival – The Backstage Sessions
Andrew Muecke – Happy Ghosts
Porch Records
Rebel Yell
BEST MUSIC EDUCATOR
Adelaide Youth Orchestras
Robert Taylor aka DJ RAGZ
Hayley Wedding
Jenna Miltenoff
Leena Regan
People’s choice finalists
BLUES AND ROOTS
Cal Williams Jr.
Dojo Rise
Stormhorse
Sue Baker
The Danger Dolphins
COUNTRY
Ella & Sienna
Ellen Tefanis
Matt Ward
Very Jane
Workhorse
ELECTRONIC
Happy Ghosts
Jethro
Motez
Pines
The Lunar Society
EXPERIMENTAL
Adam Page
Slowmango
SONS of ZÖKU
The Empty Threats
Travis Cook
FOLK
Anya Anastasia
Diamond Skies
Kaurna Cronin
Loren Kate
Ukulele Death Squad
HEAVY
Dirty Pagans
KEYAN
Outsider
Scott Reed’s String Theory
SwordfishTrombone
HIP HOP
Ironic
INFINITIES
Elsy Wameyo
DEM MOB
We Move Like Giants
JAZZ
Alexander Flood
Mike Stewart Big Band
Sam Cagney
Soylent Green
The Shaolin Afronauts
POP
Ebony Emili
Electric Fields
Estée
Germein
Mum Friends
PUNK
Agapanther
Church Moms
Lickity Split
LOLA
Teenage Joans
ROCK
Lucas Day
Molly Rocket
Mums Favourite
TOWNS
Wolf & Cub
SOUL/FUNK/RNB
Dino Jag
Lauren Greco
Mum Thinks Blue
Natasha Bianca
Wanderers