2008 Award Finalists Announced

Australian Blues Music Awards

MEDIA RELEASE

2008 Award Finalists Announced

The awards to recognise excellence in Australian Blues Music, will be presented on Thursday 7^th February 2008 at the Tattersalls Hotel in Goulburn as a part of the official opening of the 12^th annual Australian Blues Music Festival.

The Awards are independent of the Australian Blues Music Festival and named after Chain, the only blues band to have had a national number one hit in Australia. The Awards are recognised as the industry's most prestigious honour and are presented each year to recognise excellence in Blues Music in Australia. The Awards are based on recorded product only, with a panel of judges from across Australia.

Australian Blues Music 'Chain' Awards will be presented for: Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Talent, Female Vocalist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Duo or Group of the Year and Producer of the Year.

Whilst the judging process for the Australian Blues Music 'Chain' Awards is entirely independent of the selection panel for the Australian Blues Music Festival, many of the artists appearing at the 2008 Australian Blues Music Festival are finalists across the seven categories. These include: Gail Page, Hat Fitz, Kate Meehan and Skip Landy, Pugsley Buzzard, The Lyman Debut and Marshall and the Fro. This highlights the calibre of the performers appearing at the 2008 Festival.

Chase The Sun and Gail Page head up the list of finalists for the 2008 Awards, with each having no less than six (6) nominations across the seven categories.

The National Press Club of Australia, one of Australia's premier blues rooms, in conjunction with the Australian Blues Music 'Chain' Awards will be hosting a satellite 'Chain' Awards for those that are unable to make it to Goulburn for the Awards. Members and their mates are free, and for everyone else it is $10 at the door. The satellite Awards kick of at 7pm with performances by Chase The Sun and a support act. The National Press Club of Australia is located at 15 National Circuit, Barton ACT. For enquiries contact (02) 6232 4350.

The finalists for the 2008 Awards are:

SONG OF THE YEAR

You Gotta Go - Chase The Sun (Album: Chase The Sun)
Through The Fire - Gail Page (Album: Colours That Run)
Play Me Sumthin New - Hat Fitz (Album: Play Me Sumthin New)
Dead End Road - Joe Galea Band (Album: Hiding Under Cover)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Chase The Sun by Chase The Sun
Colours That Run by Gail Page
Hiding Under Cover by Joe Galea Band
Way Down The River by Sugarcane Collins

DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Chase The Sun - You Gotta Go
(Album: Chase The Sun)
Gail Page and Parris Macleod - Without You Here
(Album: Colours That Run)
Kate Meehan and Skip Landy - It Ain't Like It Is
(Album: Pocketful of Blues)
Steve Romig and Mike Kelly - Way Down Homeless Blues
(Album: The Friday Sessions)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Anni Piper - More I Keep on Losing (Album: Texas Hold 'Em)
Gail Page - Through The Fire (Album: Colours That Run)
Jan Preston - The Big Beat (Album: Boogie Boots)
Kate Meehan - I'm A Woman (Album: Pocketful of Blues)

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Jan Rynsaardt (Chase The Sun) - Gypsy Woman
(Album: Chase The Sun)
Pugsley Buzzard - Hammer These Tongs
(Album: Hammer These Tongs)
Ash Dilorenzo (The Lyman Debut) - Annie Roadside
(Album: Blue Harvest)
Tim Gaze (Tim Gaze and Rob Grosser) - Voodoo Chile
(Album: River City Blues)

NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR

Chase The Sun - You Gotta Go (Album: Chase The Sun)
Gail Page - Shape I'm In (Album: Colours That Run)
Heather Frahn Trio - Gracious (Album: Synergy)
Marshall and the Fro - Soldiers (Album: Marshall and the Fro)

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

Ryan Van Gennip for Chase The Sun's self-titled album Chase The Sun
Parris Macleod for Gail Page's album Colours That Run
Sugarcane Collins for his self produced album Way Down The River
Tim Gaze and Rob Grosser for their self produced album River City Blues

Doors open for the Awards presentation at Goulburn's Tattersalls Hotel at 7pm, and will feature performances by Stingray (WA), Natural Ball (QLD) and Collard Greens and Gravy (VIC). Tickets are $15.00 and are available at the door, or free for people wearing a 3-Day Festival wristband.

ENDS
23 January 2008

Media Enquiries: Please contact Sarah Dawson, Australian Blues Music Awards Administrator on (02) 4823 4492.

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