Consider yourself clued-in to what's sonically good in Adelaide? Make your opinion known by voting for the best band or musical outfit in your genre of choice for this year’s South Australian Music Awards, the winners of which will be revealed at a ceremony in November.

Ballots have officially opened for the 2021 South Australian Music (SAM) Awards, with over 150 bands in the running for more than 10 people’s choice gongs.

Solo musos and bands – such as riotous rock two-piece TOWNS, vibrant virtuoso Stellie, street-turned-stage rap star Brenton Torrens, and experimental ensemble The Empty Threats – are in the running for the following awards:

• Blues and Roots (presented by the Adelaide UniBar);
• Country (presented by the Grace Emily Hotel);
• Electronic (presented by Fat Controller);
• Experimental (presented by The Lab);
• Folk (presented by the Wheatsheaf Hotel);
• Heavy (presented by ARMI);
• Hip Hop (presented by The Gov);
• Jazz (presented by the Gilbert Street Hotel);
• Pop (presented by Lion Arts Factory);
• Punk (presented by Three D Radio);
• Rock (presented by Jive); and
• Soul/Funk/RnB (presented by Woodville Town Hall).

Voting in the SAM Awards is free, but you can only cast your vote once. It’s also recommended that you vote only in the categories you’re familiar with; for example, if you’re a pop-aficionado and heavy metal isn’t your thing, steer clear of those crunchy riffs.

SAM’s industry and major awards, spanning best venue to sound technician, will be decided by a panel of 15 national and local judges, all of whom either work in the music industry or are valued members of the community.

Adjudicators include Five Four Entertainment event manager and festival curator Alex Karatassa, Triple J Home and Hosed host Declan Byrne, Adelaide-to-New-York-to-Adelaide rapper Nelson Dialect, Girls Rock! Adelaide Co-Director Hannah Fairlamb, and Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) lecturer Grayson Rotumah, among others.

The SAM Awards are presented annually by Music SA, with support from the South Australian Government, major partners, and a variety of sponsors within the state’s music community.

Winners will be announced at the SAM Awards ceremony, held on Thursday, 18 November, at the Old Adelaide Gaol in Thebarton. Early bird tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased here.

Although organisers are remaining tight-lipped on who’s billed to perform at this year’s event, previous award ceremonies have included a star-studded lineup, boasting SAM alumni such as hip-hop rising star Adrian Eagle and electronic outfit (and Eurovision entrants) Electric Fields.

Keep an eye on the SAM Awards’ socials for updates on when the full program is revealed.