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]
AIR Awards
The annual AIR 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 AIR 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
- Best Performing Independent Album
Hilltop Hoods - The Hard Road - Best Performing Independent Single/EP
Blue King Brown - Blue King Brown - Best Independent Artist
Hilltop Hoods - Best New Independent Artist
Gotye
2007 Winners
- Best Independent Album
John Butler Trio - Grand National - Best Independent Single/EP
Sneaky Sound System - "UFO" - Best Independent Artist
Sneaky Sound System - Best New Independent Artist
British India - Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia - Best Independent Blues and Roots Album
C.W. Stoneking - King Hokum - Best Independent Jazz Album
The Ben Winkleman Trio - The Spanish Tinge - Best Independent Country Album
Gina Jeffries - Walks of Life
2008 Winners
- Best Independent Album
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Gurrumul - Best Independent Single/EP
The Getaway Plan - Where the City Meets the Sea - Best Independent Artist
The Herd - Best New Independent Artist
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album
The Herd - Summerland - Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours - Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Peret Mako - The Devil is in the Detail - Best Independent Blues and Roots Album
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Gurrumul - Best Independent Jazz Album
Tina Harrod - Work Songs - Best Independent Country Album
Bec Willis - Bec Willis
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
- Most Popular Independent Artist
John Butler Trio - Best Independent Artist
Dan Sultan - Breakthrough Independent Artist
Cloud Control - Best Independent Album
Cloud Control - Bliss Release - Best Independent Single/EP
Little Red - Rock It - Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album
Urthboy - Spitshine - Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
Parkway Drive - Deep Blue - Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Midnight Juggernauts - The Crystal Axis - Best Independent Blues and Roots Album
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can - Best Independent Jazz Album
Stu Hunter - The Gathering - Best Independent Country Album
Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill and the Hillbillies - Lost Music Blues
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
- 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
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).[8]
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.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 "About Us". Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
- ↑ http://www.air.org.au/index.php?apply=&webpage=default&cID=1967&PHPSESSID=&menuID=207, Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR) 2012
- ↑ 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
- ↑ "About the AIR Charts". Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
- ↑ "2008 Jägermeister AIR Awards". Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR). 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
- ↑ "Awards Guidelines". Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR). 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
- ↑ "About The AIR Awards". Retrieved 9 December 2008.
- ↑ "WIN Membership Criteria". Retrieved 9 December 2008.
- ↑ "Independents Day Australia". Retrieved 9 December 2008.