Triple wins for Motez, Wing Defence, at Tuesday night's SAM Awards

Adelaide acts Motez and Wing Defence were rewarded for their distinctive sounds, with three wins each at the South Australian Music Awards last night (November 3).

Baghdad-born producer Motez, a leading edge in Australian house, uses his background in computer engineering when he creates his beats.

Wing Defence, aka Paige Court, and Skye Walter, who named themselves after a position in netball, play a blend of punk and bubblegum.

In a first for the SAM Awards, Motez and Wing Defence tied for Best Release as 29 trophies were handed out on the grounds of UniBar Adelaide’s College Green.

INDUSTRY VOTED

Best Studio: Ghostnote Recording Studios

Best Studio Engineer/Producer: Mario Spate

Best Live Technician: Luke Hancock

Best Major Festival/Event: St. Jerome’s Laneway, Adelaide

Best Small Festival/Event: The Porch Sessions

Best Venue: Lion Arts Factory

Best Cover Art: Todd Fischer, Lost Woods

Best Manager: Matthew Khabbaz

Best Music Video: Montez, Pilot Studio, Mapped: Design, Daggers Production, Kelsee Pedler Montez (‘Soulitude’)

Best Song: Jess Day, ‘Affection’

Best New Artist: Siberian Tiger/ Slowmango

Best Group: Wing Defence

Best Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Artist: Jessica Wishart

Best Solo Artist: Jess Day

Best Release: Motez (‘Soulitude’), Wing Defence (‘Friends)

Best Music Educator: Nick O’Connor

Best Innovation: Play/ Pause/ Play

Adelaide UNESCO City of Music award for Best International Collaboration: Farhan Shah & Uan Khatola

Music SA community achievement award: Craig Armstrong

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Blues And Roots: Ollie English

Country: Jessica Wishart

Electronic: Motez

Experimental: Sons Of Zoku

Folk: Naomi Kete

Heavy: No No No No No

Hip Hop: We Move Like Giants’

Jazz: Django Rowe

Pop: Germein

Punk: Wing Defence

Rock: Towns

Soul/Funk/ R&B: Wanderers

Performers on the night were J. Milla, Lonelyspeck, Chelsea Manor and SEABASS.