Australian Music Prize on track for March 2021, sets up online store

The Australian Music Prize (AMP) is on track to deliver its 16th winner in March 2021, founder and director Scott B. Murphy has confirmed.

Its judges have been rating 300 Australian albums considered the best in 2020 since June.

Some 52 albums are nominated so far, including those by Tame Impala, DMAs, The Necks, Violent Soho and 5 Seconds Of Summer, #1 Dads, Cable Ties, L-Fresh The Lion, Gordi, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Fanny Lumsden and Gordon Koang.

“It's important to note that the process is ongoing,” Murphy said.

“The Stage 1 judges will be listening right up to the end of the year as albums will be released until then – so the list of nominated albums will grow.”

With many of the AMP’s sponsors badly affected this year, organisers had to look for options to raise prize money.

After rejecting the idea of a crowd-funding campaign, Murphy partnered with merchandise company SoundMerch to launch an online store to sell branded T-shirts and face masks.

70% of all profits from sales go to artists via the prize money and marketing for their albums.

An announcement will be made in December with the complete list of finalists.

“Last year this list was 107 albums out of 440 eligible albums – the numbers are looking similar this year," Murphy said.

The shortlist will be published by February, and the winner in March. At this stage, it’s doubtful that the traditional industry lunch as part of the grand announcement will go ahead.