Overview
This weekend, the country's best First Nations musicians will come together for the 2020 National Indigenous Music Awards. Taking over TV screens, mobiles and social feeds, the annual music awards will be live-broadcast across NITV, Double J, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from 7pm AEST on Saturday, August 8. And there'll be quite a few special guests making an appearance, too.
For the awards part of the evening, the country's best musicians will be battling out across seven categories: song of the year, album of the year, film clip of the year, community clip of the year, new talent of the year, Indigenous language awards and, the big 'un, artist of the year. Electric Fields, Emily Wurramara, Jessica Mauboy, Mau Power, Thelma Plum and Baker Boy (who's back to potentially snag the prize two years running) are up for artist, while film clip contenders include 'House Fyre' by Briggs featuring Tim Minchin, Dallas Woods' 'If It Glitters It's Gold' and 'Drowning' by Miiesha.
In between announcing winners, there'll be shows from the likes of Archie Roach, Thelma Plum and Mau Power, as well as a special performance of 'My Island Home' by songwriter Neil Murray and Christine Anu, in tribute to the song's original performers, the Warumpi Band.
The one and only Midnight Oil will also be making an appearance. The Aussie rockers are back — with new music, no less. They'll be performing 'Gadigal Land' — their first new song in almost two decades — off their new mini album The Makarrata Project. The band is donating its share of profits from the project to organisations raising awareness about The Uluru Statement from The Heart.
While you're waiting for the awards on Saturday, you can listen to NIMAs 2020 Spotify playlist over here.
Electric Fields
NIMA will be live-broadcast across NITV, Double J, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from 7pm AEST on Saturday, August 8.
Images: David Hancock