Big Scary’s ’Not Art’ takes out the Australian Music Prize

Big Scary’s second record, the genre-hopping Not Art, has taken out the 9th Australian Music Prize. The duo walk away with $30,000, courtesy of PPCA.

As is often the case with the AMP, there was a musically diverse shortlist: the abrasive art-pop of Kirin J Callinan, the distortion-drenched dreamscapes of Melbourne’s Beaches, and the Beach Boys-lost-in-Manchester psychedelia of Jagwar Ma sat alongside Jen Cloher’s touching collection In Blood Memory, and Blue Mountains MC Dialectrix.

The eleven-strong judging panel featured a mix of musicians, journalists and music retailers, including Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner, Renee Geyer, and Chris Johnston (The Age).

In case you are wondering how the album as a format will suffer through the rapidly-changing musical media landscape, noted producer and keynote speaker Steve Lillywhite assured the attendants at today’s AMP luncheon at Sydney’s The Basement that it was safe. "As long as there is weed, there will be albums", he quipped, before launching into a number of stories of his time working with U2, Morrissey, The La’s, and other artists.

The 9th Coopers AMP Shortlisted Albums

‘She Beats’ by Beaches

‘Not Art’ by Big Scary

‘Dream Cave’ by Cloud Control

‘The Cold Light Of Day’ by Dialectrix

‘King Amongst Many’ by Horrorshow

‘Howlin’’ by Jagwar Ma

‘In Blood Memory’ by Jen Cloher

‘Phoenix’ by Jimblah

‘Embracism’ by Kirin J Callinan