Amyl And The Sniffers, Alice Ivy Win Big at 2025 AIR Awards

With three trophies each Amyl And The Sniffers and Alice Ivy were the big winners at the 2025 AIR Awards, presented Thursday night at the Adelaide Town Hall.

Amy and co. have dominated on the awards circuit in recent months, with a slew of ARIA, APRA and Rolling Stone Australia Awards.

In the South Australia capital, they kept a good thing going with AIR honours for Independent Album Of The Year And Best Independent Rock Album or EP for Cartoon Darkness, alongside Independent Song Of The Year for “U Should Not Be Doing That”.

The all-conquering four-piece went a perfect three-from-three, continuing their rare form on the awards trail. In recent weeks and months, the band nabbed two Rolling Stone Australia Awards and snagged the March cover of the magazine, headlined Coachella, played Glastonbury Festival and landed a Brit Award nomination for Best International Group, and “U Should Not Be Doing That” collected the peer-voted Song of the Year award at the APRAs.

Producer Alice Ivy was on hand to collect her hattrick of wins, in the categories of for Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album or EP and Independent Producer Team Of The Year for Do What Makes You Happy, and Best Independent Dance/Electronica Or Club Single with “Do I Need To Know What Love Is?” featuring the Teskey Brothers’ Josh Teskey.

Miss Kaninna doubled up with trophies of Best Independent Hip-Hop Album or EP for Kaninna and for Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Also on the night, veteran singer, songwriter and musician David Bridie received The 2025 Outstanding Achievement Award, and with it, a $5,000 cash prize from the independents' global rights agency Merlin, a financial lift for business and professional development.

Bridie was nominated by AIR members in recognition of his work through Wantok Musik Foundation.

In one of the night’s top prizes, ABC Music took out the Best Independent Label, which carries with it a digital marketing campaign valued at $3,000 from supporting partner Moshtix.

The Amity Affliction, Emma Donovan, Kasey Chambers and Parvyn also joined the winners circle.

Performers on the night include Parvyn, Queenie, Alice Ivy, and Emily Wurramara, who just hours earlier was the subject of a special “case study” on her winning NARA album at AIR’s 2025 Indie-Con, which concludes Friday.

2025 AIR Awards Winners

Best Independent Label
ABC Music

2025 Outstanding Achievement Award - Sponsored By Merlin
David Bridie

Independent Publicity Team Of The Year
Thinking Loud - Royel Otis, Pratts & Pain

Independent Music Video Of The Year
Nick Rae, Jordan Ruyi Blanch - 3%, Won’t Stop Feat. Jessica Mauboy

Independent Mix, Studio Or Mastering Engineer Of The Year
Nick Herrera - Miss Kaninna, Kaninna

Independent Album Of The Year
Amyl And The Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness

Independent Song Of The Year
Amyl And The Sniffers - U Should Not Be Doing That

Best Independent Soul/Rnb Album Or EP
Ella Thompson - Ripple On The Wing

Best Independent Country Album Or EP
Kasey Chambers - Backbone

Best Independent Blues And Roots
Album Or EP
Emma Donovan - Til My Song Is Done

Best Independent Pop Album Or EP
Good Morning - Good Morning Seven

Best Independent Rock Album Or EP
Amyl And The Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness

Best Independent Classical Album Or EP
Electric Fields X Melbourne Symphony Orchestra - Live In Concert

Independent Marketing Team Of The Year
The Annex, Ourness – Royel Otis, Pratts & Pain

Independent Producer Of The Year
Alice Ivy - Do What Makes You Happy

Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year - Presented By Ppca
Miss Kaninna

Best Independent Hip Hop Album Or EP
Miss Kaninna - Kaninna

Best Independent Dance Or Electronica Album Or EP
Alice Ivy - Do What Makes You Happy

Best Independent Dance, Electronica Or Club Single
Alice Ivy - Do I Need To Know What Love Is? Feat. Josh Teskey

Best Independent Jazz Album Or EP
Parvyn - Maujuda

Best Independent Punk Album Or EP
Gut Health - Stiletto

Best Independent Heavy Album Or Ep
The Amity Affliction - Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)

Best Independent Children's Album Or EP
Teeny Tiny Stevies - The Green Album