The finalists are in for this year’s SA Music Awards, with indie groups Swapmeet and the Tullamarines among those vying for top honours. See the full list of artists who made the cut.
Four-piece indie folk-rock band Swapmeet leads this year’s SA Music Award nominations with six categories up for the taking, including Best Song, Best Release (EP/Album) and Best Group.
The band has been making music since 2023, often swap instruments with each other while recording and handle production themselves.
Their March release ‘I Know! ’ was nominated for Song of the Year, which CityMag described as “a delightful listen and a promising signal of what’s to come for the band” ahead of a stellar year of releases that saw them become mainstays in CityMag’s best new music column.
Their debut album Mount Zero is at the forefront of an indie wave in this year’s nominations, with multi-instrumental folk-pop singer My Chérie and pop-rock group The Tullamarines racking up five nominations each, including for Best Release.
With the release of their EP Safety Blanket in 2025, The Tullamarines have had a busy year, playing their first international shows in May and an Australia-wide tour due to kick off in November.
They join a Best New Artist lineup that includes four-piece alternative folk band and CityMag favourites Any Young Mechanic, who are nominated for their debut album The Modern Shoe is Ruining the Foot, and surf-pop group PASH, who are fresh off playing Queensland’s Big Sound last month – the largest music industry festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
After four nominations and two wins last year, singer-songwriter Ella Ion has scored another four nods, including for Best Release and Best Song, following the release of her debut album Liminal Archive. The album is a seven-track debut full of breathy vocals, soft guitars and deep lyrics.
She headlines an all-female roster for Best Solo Artist, including multi-genre singer-songwriter Erin Buku, RnB artist Nat Luna and ukulele-pop singer LILLI.
It might be pop and indie’s year for nominations, but rap artists are also recognised in the finalists.
Rapper and singer-songwriter Elsy Wameyo scores three nods, including for Best Solo Artist, while APY Lands group DEM MOB are up for an impressive five nominations after 10 wins in just three years.
The group are the first to rap in their native Pitjantjatjara language and are nominated for Best Regional Artist, Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Artist and Best Music Educators.
The Awards will be held on November 10 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Full list of SA Music Awards nominees
Major awards
Best Song
effie isobel – ‘Hidden Treasure’
Ella Ion – ‘My Love’
My Chérie – ‘5 years’
Oscar the Wild – ‘Sunrise’
Swapmeet – ‘I Know!’
Best New Artist
Any Young Mechanic
PASH
Praise Mangena
Sacrificial Larynx
The Hazys
The Tullamarines
Best Regional Artist
Alison Newman & the Tassels
DEM MOB
Erin Buku
Gernz
Rob Edwards
Sexy As Shit
Best Solo Artist
Ella Ion
Elsy Wameyo
Erin Buku
LILLI
Nat Luna
Best Group
Lola
You might like
Sacrificial Larynx
Swapmeet
The Empty Threats
The Tullamarines
Best Release (EP/Album)
Any Young Mechanic – The Modern Shoe Is Ruining The Foot
Ella Ion – Liminal Archive
Molly Rocket – The Dogs Are Barking
My Chérie – Life is Short and Life is Long
Swapmeet – Mount Zero
The Tullamarines – Safety Blanket
Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Artist
Ware & Jusst
BOUSTA
DEM MOB
Marlon
Rob Edwards
Industry awards
Best Cover Art
Maryam Rahmani – Kamand by Kaspar Schmidt Mumm
Marlon – Blood In The Water
The Dandy Buzzkills – The Dandy Buzzkills (I Presume)
The Empty Threats – Happy Birthday by Emmaline Zanelli
The Tullamarines – Safety Blanket
Best Large Music Festival (more than 1000 people)
Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival
Adelaide Guitar Festival
Gather Sounds
Side By Side
WOMADelaide
Best Live Music Photograph
Deb Kloeden – Yungblud
Elise De Simoni – Oscar the Wild
Henry Maurin – LOLA
Justin White – I Killed the Prom Queen
Neasan McGuiness – My Chérie
Best Live Music Venue
Hindley Street Music Hall
Lion Arts Factory
Lowlife Basement Bar
UniBar Adelaide
Wheatsheaf Hotel
Best Live Production Crew
David Musch
Letisha Ackland
Luke Hancock
Nathan Smith
Ryan Martin John
Best Manager
Gully
Hannah Louise
Rachel Whitford
Sebastion James
Tayla Carlaw
Best Music Educator
DEM MOB
Jennifer Trijo
Joseph Cheek
Keith Crellin
Martin Butler
Best Music Video
Bryce Kraehenbuehl – My Cherie (Box of Pencils)
Elsy Wameyo – Elsy Wameyo (WAMEYO)
Liam Woolcock / Rachel Whitford – TOWNS (Magnificent)
Mayah Salter – Swapmeet (Halfway)
Richie Coburn – Marlon (Blood In The Water)
Best Regional Music Venue
Caltowie Chilled Out ’n’ Fired Up Music Festival
OC Soundfest
On The Road – Adelaide Guitar Festival
She Bop Festival
Space Jams
Best Small Festival
Caltowie Chilled Out ’n’ Fired Up Music Festival
Coastal Sounds
Dougstock
Porch & Recreation
Space Jams
Subscribe for updates
Best Studio
Cactus Cactus Sound
Island Recording Studios
Songbird Society
Wizard Tone Studios
Wundenberg’s Recording Studio
Best Studio Engineer/Producer
James Brown
Mario Spate
My Chérie
Ryan Martin John
Swapmeet
People’s Choice Awards
Blues and Roots
Amin & Lachlan
Badland Caravan
Lucas Day
The Dead Regulars
The Sundials
Country
Brad Chicken & the Bootstraps
Caressa
Jo Page
Motorcycle Jones
Ryan Martin John
Electronic
Lizzie Bradley & Inkswell
Seek N Destroy
Sexy As Shit
TONIX
V O E
Experimental and Art
Awnings
Chemistry Music
Maajela
Praise Mangena
Rakali
Folk
Any Young Mechanic
Bromham
Ella Ion
Meg Carlin
Sienna Hart
Heavy
Heartline
MACËY
Sacrificial Larynx
xGemmini
Hip Hop
A.Ware & Jusst
DEM MOB
Elsy Wameyo
LIL CUE
Tommy Marsh
Jazz
JT Sextet
Live Slug Reaction
Tiffany Gaze
The Jackson Mack Big Band
Pop
Ben Sutto
effie isobel
My Chérie
RENAÉ
The Tullamarines
Punk
Donni Heat
Lola
Molly Rocket
Stormy-Lou
TOWNS
Rock
Greasy
Oscar The Wild
Swapmeet
The Dandy Buzzkills
The Genevieves
Soul/Funk/RnB
Elizabeth Ruyi
Maybe Hugo
Nat Luna
OPULENCE
San Dragan
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
