West Thebarton & Heaps Good Friends Lead SAM Awards Nominations

The annual Music SA South Australian Music (SAM) Awards have today announced the finalists for this year's awards, with West Thebarton and Heaps Good Friends leading the charge. 

West Thebarton are the most nominated with six nominations, including Best Song, Best Music Video, Best Group and Best Release. Heaps Good Friends follow with five nominations, while AB Original, MANE and Wing Defence all have four nominations.

Crown & Anchor Hotel, Fat Controller, Jive, Rocket Bar & Rooftop and Wheatsheaf Hotel have all been nominated for the Best Music Venue award, while WOMADelaide and Stonecutters Festival are among the Best Music Festival/Event nominees. 

Winners will be announced at this year's SAM Awards at the Adelaide Town Hall on 8 November. Check out the full list of nominees below.

SAM Awards 2018 Finalists

Best Studio
Chapel Lane Studios
Ghostnote Recording Studio
Island Recording Studios
Mixmasters Productions
Wunderberg’s Recording Studio
 
Best Engineer
Jimmy Balderston
Luke Hancock
Mario Spate
Michael Ellingford
Neville Clark
 
Best Music Festival / Event – presented by moshtix
A Day of Clarity (Clarity Records)
Futuresounds Adelaide
Stonecutters Festival
Porch Sessions
WOMADelaide
 
Best Music Venue – presented by AHA (SA Branch)
Crown & Anchor Hotel
Fat Controller
Jive
Rocket Bar and Rooftop
Wheatsheaf Hotel
 
Best Manager
Alex Karatassa
Craig Lock
Emma Coyle & Joel Byrne (Sundial Productions)
Little Acorn Music (Sian Walden)
Sue Germein 
 
Best Cover Art - presented by VERSION Design
Heaps Good Friends (Dan Steinert & Tim Coyle – photographer Kate Potter)
K21 (Joel “Vans The Omega” Moore)
Laura Hill (Darren Longbottom Photographer & Todd Fischer Design)
Neon Tetra (Jack Fenby)
West Thebarton (Nick Astanei Design and Morgan Sette photographer)
 
Best Music Video - presented by Channel 9
Abbey Howlett (Video International and Capital Waste) – Colour Me Gold
Heaps Good Friends (Aaron Schuppan and Heaps Good Friends) – I Could Eat A Full Packet Of Yo Yos
Mallrat (Rory Pippan and Young Black Youth) – Better
West Thebarton (Aaron Schuppan/Video International) – Bible Camp
Wing Defence (Lewis Brideson and Dave Court) – Listerine
 
Best Song - presented by APRA AMCOS
AB Original – Blaccout
Adrian Eagle – 17 Again
Ollie English – How Many Times
MANE – Chasing Butterflies
West Thebarton – Bible Camp
 
Best New Artist
Adrian Eagle
Elsy
Paradise Club
Pinkish Blu
Wing Defence
 
Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island Artist - presented by Nexus Arts
AB Original
Corey Theatre
Eskatology
Jessica Wishart
Nathan May
 
Best Group
AB Original
Grenadiers
Heaps Good Friends
Wanderers
West Thebarton
 
Best Solo
Adrian Eagle
Dyspora
MANE
Motez
Timberwolf
 
Best Release – presented by The Music
AB Original – Blaccout
Heaps Good Friends – Hug Me EP
MANE – Chasing Butterflies
West Thebarton – Different Beings Being Different
Wing Defence – Listerine
 
THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS FINALISTS 

 Blues & Roots Artist - presented by The Gov
Emily Davis
Lazy Eye
Ollie English
The Skeleton Club
Wanderers
 
Country Artist - presented by Grace Emily Hotel
Amber Joy Poulton
Haystacks Calhoon
Kelly Brouhaha
Stafan Hauk
The Heggarties
 
Electronic Artist - presented by Fresh 92.7
Harli
Hartway
Jethro
Motez
PNK F
 
Experimental Artist - presented by Ghostnote Studios
Abbey Howlett
Bjéar
Brodie Trent
Howl N Bones
Robot Sex Dolls
 
Folk Artist - presented by Wheatsheaf  Hotel
Bromham
Laura Hill
Mary Webb
The Tangerines
Sarah King
 
Heavy Award - presented by Underground Records
Dirty Pagans
Hidden Intent
Hindsight
The Straight-Jacket Tailors
Wings of Thanatos
 
Hip Hop Award - presented by Northern Sound System
Daydream Fever
Dyspora
K21
Shook
Tkay Maidza
 
Jazz Artist - presented by Elder Con
Adam Page
Chelsea Lee
Django Rowe
Er@ser Description
Kate Fuller and the Boys Club
 
Pop Artist - presented by Fat Controller
Germein
Heaps Good Friends
MANE
Neon Tetra
W.M.N
 
Punk Award - presented by Three D Radio
Horror My Friend
Sleep Talk
Stabbitha & The Knifey Wifeys
Wing Defence
Young Offenders
 
Rock Award - presented by Crown & Anchor
Donnarumma
Lead Worm
Ripcord
The Dunes
West Thebarton
 
World Music Award - presented by WOMADelaide
ELSY
Local Revolution
Los Mescalitos
The Coconut Kids
The Jango