Thaddeus Rudd, the co-owner and co-President of one of the world's best respected indie labels, Mom+Pop Music, will present the closing keynote address at AIR’s Indie-Con Australia conference.

Rudd will share the story of Mom + Pop, from its small beginnings in 2008, to how it became the support system in the US for acts like Flume, Courtney Barnett, Tash Sultana, Jai Wolf, Alina Baraz and Sunflower Bean.

Thaddeus Rudd

Taking place across Thursday 25 and Friday 26 July at LOT FOURTEEN in Adelaide, Indie-Con Australia will also see Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA, host the opening keynote address. Smith will address the work of IMPALA and its ongoing efforts to grow the independent music sector.

Helen Smith, Executive Chair of Impala

The two-day conference will explore topics such as synchronisation and music publishing, video and gaming, mental health in the music industry, the future of the label, and insights into China.

Alongside the conference's announcement today are the nominees for the annual AIR Awards, which acknowledges the outstanding and inspiring talent of independent artists.

The 2019 AIR Award nominees are:

BEST INDEPENDENT ARTIST COURTNEY BARNETT GURRUMUL JULIA JACKLIN LAURA JEAN METHYL ETHEL

BEST INDEPENDENT ALBUM OR EP COURTNEY BARNETT – TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL EMMA LOUISE – LILAC EVERYTHING GURRUMUL – DJARIMIRRI LAURA JEAN – DEVOTION ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER – HOPE DOWNS

BEST INDEPENDENT SINGLE A.B. ORIGINAL - BLACCOUT COURTNEY BARNETT – NAMELESS, FACELESS G FLIP – ABOUT YOU LAURA JEAN – GIRLS ON THE TV MOJO JUJU – NATIVE TONGUE

BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY PPCA CONFIDENCE MAN DIDIRRI EMILY WURRAMARA G FLIP HATCHIE

BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM B WISE – AREA FAMOUS COOL OUT SUN – COOL OUT SUN MILWAUKEE BANKS – NO TIME SPACE INVADAS – WILD WORLD TASMAN KEITH – MISSION FAMOUS

BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM BECCY COLE - LIONESS HALFWAY – RAIN LOVER LACHLAN BRYAN AND THE WILDES - SOME GIRLS (QUITE) LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC THE WOLFE BROTHERS – COUNTRY HEART WILLIAM ALEXANDER – THE KID FROM BOURKE

BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM DAN SULTAN – KILLER UNDER A BLOOD MOON EMILY WURRAMARA - MILYAKBURRA GARBRIELLA COHEN – PINK IS THE COLOUR OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE JOHN BUTLER TRIO – HOME MIA DYSON – IF I SAID ONLY SO FAR I TAKE IT BACK

BEST INDEPENDENT HARD ROCK, HEAVY OR PUNK ALBUM CAMP COPE – HOW TO SOCIALISE & MAKE FRIENDS DZ DEATHRAYS – BLOODY LOVELY HIGH TENSION - PURGE LITTLE UGLY GIRLS – LITTLE UGLY GIRLS WEST THEBARTON - DIFFERENT BEINGS BEING DIFFERENT

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE/ELECTRONICA  ALBUM OR EP BRAILLE FACE - LIGHTLETTING CONFIDENCE MAN – CONFIDENT MUSIC FOR CONFIDENT PEOPLE NINA LAS VEGAS ­– LUCKY GIRL PACES - ZAG TOTAL GIOVANNI - EUPHORIA

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE DOM DOLLA - TAKE IT FISHER – LOSING IT HERMITUDE - STUPID WORLD FEAT. BIBI BOURELLY ODD MOB – INTRINSIC WHAT SO NOT – BEAUTIFUL (FEAT. WINONA OAK)

BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM HARRY JAMES ANGUS – STRUGGLE WITH GLORY JAMES MORRISON/WILLIAM MORRISON/HARRY MORRISON/PATRICK DANAO – MIDNIGHT TILL DAWN JONATHAN ZWARTZ – ANIMARUM MILDLIFE - PHASE

BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM ACO COLLECTIVE – COLLECTIVE WISDOM GRIGORYAN BROTHERS/ADELAIDE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/BENJAMIN NORTHEY – BACH CONCERTOS GURRUMUL – DJARIMIRRI NICOLE CAR/AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA/RICHARD TOGNETTI -  HEROINES

AIR members receive complimentary entry to the Indie-Con Australia conference as well as the AIR Awards. Click here to find out if you qualify to become an AIR member. General admission tickets are now on sale.