Nominations for National Indigenous Music Awards open

Nominations open today for the 2014 NIMAs, which will be held August 15 at the Darwin Amphitheatre.

Dan Sultan will be headlining the awards ceremony, which will also feature a hip hop showcase paying homage to the strong Indigenous scene, featuring artists Jimblah and Briggs - among other acts yet to be announced.

In addition, entries for triple j’s Unearthed competition have also opened, with the winner performing at the awards. Previous winners include Thelma Plum and Robbie Miller.

Nominations are open to the general public, and close on June 20, with finalists announced on July 16. All categories are listed below, although voters need only vote in the categories they wish.

Mark Smith, Manager of MusicNT, told TMN: "The NIMAs continue to showcase excellence in the Indigenous music scene and this year is no exception. We are pleased to bring Dan Sultan back to the territory to celebrate the night, and the showcase of Indigenous hip hop, presented by Nathan Lovett-Murray, promises to showcase this vital sector of the industry."

The Darwin Amphitheatre is a great stage to perform on, in a beautiful part of the world", added Sultan. "I’m really looking forward to it - it’s a great night."

National Award Categories

• Artist of the Year
• Album of the Year
• Song of the Year
• New Talent of the Year
• Film Clip of the Year
• Cover Art of the Year
• Community Music Project Award– Community Music Clip of the Year 2014

NT Award Categories

• G.R. Burarrawanga Memorial Award
• School Band of the Year
• Traditional Music Award