The 2023 Music Victoria Awards were handed out tonight (30th October) in a ceremony at The Edge, Fed Square. Mutti Mutti songwriter and activist Kutcha Edwards and industry advocate and policy developer Kirsty Rivers were inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame. See below for the full list of winners in the industry-voted and public-voted categories.
Song of the year went to Julia Jacklin for ‘Love, Try Not to Let Go’ from last year’s PRE PLEASURE. Cash Savage and the Last Drinks won album of the year for their 2023 release, So This Is Love. Cable Ties took home the awards for Best Group and Best Rock or Punk Work. Immy Owusu was named Best Musician and Jen Cloher won Best Solo Artist.
Julia Jacklin – ‘Love, Try Not To Let Go’
Public-voted categories
Best Song or Track
- RVG – ‘Nothing Really Changes’
- Miss Kaninna – ‘Blak Britney’
- Forest Claudette – ‘Mess Around’ (feat. EARTHGANG)
- NO ZU – ‘Liquid Love’
- Julia Jacklin – ‘Love, Try Not To Let Go’ – WINNER
Best Album
- Cable Ties – All Her Plans
- Cash Savage and the Last Drinks – So This is Love – WINNER
- Jen Cloher – I Am The River, The River Is Me
- Julia Jacklin – PRE PLEASURE
- Teether and Kuya Neil – STRESSOR
Best Solo Artist
- Adalita
- Forest Claudette
- Gena Rose Bruce
- Jen Cloher – WINNER
- Sarah Mary Chadwick
Best DJ
- CAITY WATSØN
- Cara Murphy – WINNER
- Moopie
- Rakhi
- Uone
Best Group
- Cable Ties – WINNER
- Folk Bitch Trio
- Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 & Tim Shiel
- RVG
- Surprise Chef
Best Regional Act
- Bones and Jones
- Code Chroma
- Immy Owusu
- Leah Senior
- Watty Thompson – WINNER
Best Metro Festival
- Brunswick Music Festival (Wurundjeri)
- Leaps and Bounds Music Festival (Wurundjeri)
- Melbourne International Jazz Festival (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
- RISING Melbourne (Kulin Nation) – WINNER
- YIRRAMBOI Festival including The Archie Roach Block Party (Wurundjeri)
Best Regional Festival
- Boogie – Tallarook (Taungurung)
- Esoteric Festival – Donald (Dja Dja Wurrung)
- OK Motels – Charlton (Dja Dja Wurrung)
- Port Fairy Folk Festival (Gunditjmara) – WINNER
- Winter Sounds – Daylesford (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Best Large Venue (Metro)
- Forum Melbourne (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung) – WINNER
- Melbourne Recital Centre (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
- Northcote Theatre (Wurundjeri)
- Palais Theatre – St Kilda (Boonwurrung)
- The Corner Hotel – Richmond (Wurundjeri)
Best Small Venue (Metro)
- Brunswick Ballroom (Wurundjeri) – WINNER
- Northcote Social Club (Wurundjeri)
- Shotkickers – Thornbury (Wurundjeri)
- The Gem – Collingwood (Wurundjeri)
- The Night Cat – Fitzroy (Wurundjeri)
Best Regional Venue or Presenter (Under 50 gigs)
- Meeniyan Town Hall – South Gippsland (Bunurong) – WINNER
- The Minerva Ballaarat (Wadawurrung)
- The Blues Train – Bellarine Peninsula (Wadawurrung)
- Trash Cult – Bendigo (Dja Dja Wurrung)
- The Vine Hotel – Wangaratta (Bpangerang)
Best Regional Venue or Presenter (Over 50 gigs)
- Caravan Music Club – Archies Creek (Boonwurrung) – WINNER
- Palais-Hepburn (Dja Dja Wurrung)
- The Barwon Club Hotel – Geelong (Wadawurrung)
- The Bridge Hotel – Castlemaine (Dja Dja Wurrung)
- Volta – Ballarat (Wadawurrung)
Industry voted categories
Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent (First Peoples entrants only)
- Charlie Needs Braces – WINNER
- Jada Weazel
- Kiwat Kennell
- Miss Kaninna
- Pirritu
Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award (Deaf and Disabled entrants only)
- Artemis Muñoz
- BATTS
- Jimmy from Thornbury
- Katie Dey – WINNER
- Mathilde Anne
MAV Diasporas Award (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse entrants only)
- Black Jesus Experience
- Don Glori
- Mitch Tambo
- Origami with Wang Zheng-Ting – WINNER
- The Cloud Maker
Best Blues Work
- Damon Smith – WINNER
- Eddie Ink
- Nigel Wearne
- Paul Buchanan’s Voodoo Preachers
- The Teskey Brothers
Best Country Work
- Charlotte Le Lievre
- De Porsal
- Henry Wagons
- Matt Joe Gow – WINNER
- Nathan Seeckts
Best Electronic Work
- Close Counters – WINNER
- Lastlings
- Memphis LK
- The Oddness
- Tim Shiel
Best Experimental or Avant-Garde Work
- Aviva Endean
- Fia Fiell
- Maria Moles – WINNER
- Patrick Hartono
- R. Rebeiro
Best Folk Work
- Dandelion Wine
- Folk Bitch Trio
- Katankin
- Leah Senior
- Lucy Wise – WINNER
Best Heavy Work
- DEAD
- FACELESS BURIAL
- GELD
- ISUA – WINNER
- The Maggie Pills
Best Hip Hop Work
- Agung Mango – WINNER
- Strictly D.T
- Teether & Kuya Neil
- VOLDY
- Yung Shōgun
Best Jazz Work
- Don Glori
- Fran Swinn
- Joshua Moshe – WINNER
- Nat Bartsch
- The Rookies
Best Pop Work
- daine – WINNER
- Mia Wray
- Mitch Tambo
- Monnie
- Telenova
Best Reggae or Dancehall Work
- ALETHIA
- Crown Heights
- JahWise
- Killah Keys – WINNER
- Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Best Rock or Punk Work
- Cable Ties – WINNER
- Cash Savage and the Last Drinks
- CIVIC
- CLAMM
- RVG
Best Producer
- Anna Laverty
- Candice Lorrae
- Gab Strum – WINNER
- Lucy Blomkamp
- Simon Lam
Best Soul, Funk, R’n’B or Gospel Work
- 30/70
- Bumpy – WINNER
- Forest Claudette
- Mo’Ju
- Surprise Chef
Best Musician
- Daniel Farrugia
- Immy Owusu – WINNER
- Jen Sholakis
- Joshua Moshe
- Sam Teskey
Further Reading
Nominees, Hall of Fame Inductees Announced for 2023 Music Victoria Awards
Vv Pete, Collarbones, cherry chola Lead 2023 FBi SMAC Nominations
Immy Owusu Contends with Darkness and Death in ‘Mantra’ Music Video
