J Award
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station triple j and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations triple j, Triple J Unearthed and Double J As part of triple j's 30th anniversary celebrations in 2005, the station inaugurated a single "J Award" to be given for "an album of outstanding achievement as an Australian musical work of art - for its creativity, innovation, musicianship and contribution to Australian music." In 2007, a new award for "Unearthed Artist of the Year" was added and the original award was renamed as the "Australian Album of the Year" An additional category for "Australian Music Video of the Year" was added in 2008, originally with triple j tv as a co-presenter but that role is now filled by ABC TV program rage. The newest category in the J Awards is for the"Double J Australian Artist of the Year", which was introduced in 2014. The awards are given in an on-air ceremony held in November each year as part of triple j's AusMusic Month.
The J Award trophy
The initial style of J Award trophy was a rectangular glass plaque with the J Award logo over a section of frosted glass. It was only used from 2005 until 2007 and can be seen in photos with past winners under the history section of the J Award website.The current J Award trophy is a 3-D design that features the top third of the J Award logo, the Emu and Kangaroo crossed necks and heads, and is made of glass and has the Categories & Winners inscribed onto them. It has remained largely unchanged since its inception in 2008.
Triple J Australian Album of the Year
- First Awarded: 2005. Previously known as: "The J Award".
The Judging criteria for the triple j Australian Album of the Year is open to any album released either independently or through a record company by an Australian artist. The album must be available for purchase and any album sent to triple j in consideration for airplay is automatically also in consideration for the J Award given it’s received by triple j within this period.
Year | Nominations | Album Title |
2005 | - | - |
2005 | Lior | Autumn Flow |
2005 | Downsyde | When the Dust Settles |
2005 | Ben Lee | Awake is the New Sleep |
2005 | Cog | The New Normal |
2005 | Architecture in Helsinki | In Case We Die |
2005 | The Beautiful Girls | We're Already Gone |
2005 | The Drones | Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By |
2005 | Faker | Addicted Romantic |
2005 | The Panics | Sleeps Like a Curse |
2005 | Gyroscope | Are You Involved? |
2005 | Pivot | Make Me Love You |
2005 | Clare Bowditch & the Feeding Set | What Was Left |
2005 | The Herd | The Sun Never Sets |
2005 | Wolfmother | Wolfmother |
2005 | Bernard Fanning | Tea and Sympathy |
2006 | - | - |
2006 | Augie March | Moo, You Bloody Choir |
2006 | The Living End | State of Emergency |
2006 | Hilltop Hoods | The Hard Road |
2006 | Gotye | Like Drawing Blood |
2006 | The Grates | Gravity Won't Get You High |
2006 | The Sleepy Jackson | Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird |
2006 | Dan Kelly & the Alpha Males | Drowning in the Fountain of Youth |
2006 | Bob Evans | Suburban Songbook |
2006 | Macromantics | Moments in Movement |
2006 | Sarah Blasko | What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have |
2006 | SubAudible Hum | In Time For Spring, On Came The Snow |
2006 | Blue King Brown | Stand Up |
2007 | - | - |
2007 | The John Butler Trio | Grand National |
2007 | Josh Pyke | Memories & Dust |
2007 | Silverchair | Young Modern |
2007 | The Vasco Era | Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside |
2007 | Architecture in Helsinki | Places Like This |
2007 | British India | Guillotine |
2007 | Midnight Juggernauts | Dystopia |
2007 | Katalyst | What's Happening |
2007 | Urthboy | The Signal |
2007 | The Panics | Cruel Guards |
2007 | Grinspoon | Alibis & Other Lies |
2007 | Bumblebeez | Prince Umberto and the Sister of Ill |
2007 | Pnau | Pnau |
2008 | - | - |
2008 | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! |
2008 | The Presets | Apocalypso |
2008 | Cut Copy | In Ghost Colours |
2008 | Cog | Sharing Space |
2008 | Birds of Tokyo | Universes |
2008 | Bliss n Eso | Flying Colours |
2008 | TZU | Computer Love |
2008 | Eddy Current Suppression Ring | Primary Colours |
2008 | Sparkadia | Postcards |
2008 | The Grates | Teeth Lost, Hearts Won |
2008 | Augie March | Watch Me Disappear |
2008 | The Drones | Havilah |
2009 | - | - |
2009 | Karnivool | Sound Awake |
2009 | Hilltop Hoods | State of the Art |
2009 | Bertie Blackman | Secrets and Lies |
2009 | Sarah Blasko | As Day Follows Night |
2009 | Kid Sam | Kid Sam |
2009 | Phrase | Clockwork |
2009 | Paul Dempsey | Everything is True |
2009 | Philadelphia Grand Jury | Hope is for Hopers |
2009 | Oh Mercy | Privileged Woes |
2009 | Lisa Mitchell | Wonder |
2010 | - | - |
2010 | Cloud Control | Bliss Release |
2010 | Sia | We Are Born |
2010 | Tame Impala | Innerspeaker |
2010 | Washington | I Believe You Liar |
2010 | Birds of Tokyo | Birds of Tokyo |
2010 | Bliss N Eso | Running on Air |
2010 | Parkway Drive | Deep Blue |
2010 | M-Phazes | Good Gracious |
2010 | Bag Raiders | Bag Raiders |
2010 | Angus & Julia Stone | Down the Way |
2011 | - | - |
2011 | Drapht | The Life of Riley |
2011 | Architecture in Helsinki | Moment Bends |
2011 | Art vs. Science | The Experiment |
2011 | Gotye | Making Mirrors |
2011 | Kimbra | Vows |
2011 | Papa Vs Pretty | United in Isolation |
2011 | The Jezabels | Prisoner |
2011 | Big Scary | Vacation |
2011 | Ball Park Music | Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs |
2011 | The Middle East | I Want That You Are Always Happy |
2012 | - | - |
2012 | Tame Impala | Lonerism |
2012 | Alpine | A Is For Alpine |
2012 | Hermitude | HyperParadise |
2012 | Ball Park Music | Museum |
2012 | The Rubens | The Rubens |
2012 | Bertie Blackman | Pope Innocent X |
2012 | Regular John | Strange Flowers |
2012 | Oh Mercy | Deep Heat |
2012 | Urthboy | Smokey's Haunt |
2012 | The Presets | Pacifica |
2012 | Sarah Blasko | I Awake |
2012 | Parkway Drive | Atlas |
2013 | - | - |
2013 | Northlane | Singularity |
2013 | Karnivool | Asymmetry |
2013 | Horrorshow | King Amongst Many |
2013 | Abbe May | Kiss My Apocalypse |
2013 | Boy & Bear | Harlequin Dream |
2013 | Flume | Flume |
2013 | RÜFÜS | Atlas |
2013 | The Drones | I See Seaweed |
2013 | Cloud Control | Dream Cave |
2013 | Jagwar Ma | Howlin |
2014 | - | - |
2014 | sleepmakeswaves | love of cartography |
2014 | Seekae | The Worry |
2014 | Hilltop Hoods | Walking Under Stars |
2014 | King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard | I'm In Your Mind Fuzz |
2014 | Thundamentals | So We Can Remember |
2014 | Flight Facilities | Down To Earth |
2014 | Ball Park Music | Puddinghead |
2014 | #1 Dads | About Face |
2014 | Total Control | Typical System |
2014 | Remi | Raw X Infinity |
2014 | Chet Faker | Built on Glass |
2014 | The Preatures | Blue Planet Eyes |
2015 | - | - |
2015 | Alison Wonderland | Run |
2015 | Alpine | Yuck |
2015 | Courtney Barnett | "Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit" |
2015 | Gang of Youths | The Positions |
2015 | Hermitude | Dark Night Sweet Light |
2015 | Jarryd James | Thirty One |
2015 | Parkway Drive | Ire |
2015 | Seth Sentry | Strange New Past |
2015 | Tame Impala | Currents |
2015 | The Rubens | Hoops |
2016 | - | - |
2016 | The Avalanches | Wildflower |
2016 | Big Scary | Animal |
2016 | Camp Cope | Camp Cope |
2016 | D.D Dumbo | "Utopia Defeated" |
2016 | Flume | Skin |
2016 | Julia Jacklin | Don't Let the Kids Win |
2016 | Montaigne | Glorious Heights |
2016 | SAFIA | Internal |
2016 | Sticky Fingers | Westway |
2016 | Violent Soho | WACO |
2017 | - | - |
2017 | A.B. Original | Reclaim Australia |
2017 | Alex Lahey | I Love You Like A Brother |
2017 | Ali Barter | A Suitable Girl |
2017 | Gang of Youths | Go Farther In Lightness |
2017 | Gordi | Reservoir |
2017 | Meg Mac | Low Blows |
2017 | Methyl Ethel | Everything Is Forgotten |
2017 | The Smith Street Band | More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me |
2017 | Thundamentals | Everyone We Know |
2017 | Vera Blue | Perennial |
2018 | Amy Shark | Love Monster |
2018 | Camp Cope | How To Socialise & Make Friends |
2018 | Courtney Barnett | Tell Me How You Really Feel |
2018 | DMA's | For Now |
2018 | Hockey Dad | Blend Inn |
2018 | Middle Kids | Lost Friends |
2018 | Ocean Alley | Chiaroscuro |
2018 | Polaris | The Mortal Coil |
2018 | RÜFÜS DU SOL | SOLACE |
2018 | Tash Sultana | Flow State |
2018' | - | - |
Unearthed Artist of the Year
- First Awarded: 2007. Previously known as: "Unearthed J Award".
The Judging criteria for the Unearthed Artist of the Year is open to any artist who has had a ground breaking and impactful last 12 months. Any Unearthed artist who wins a sponsored competition or is featured on Unearthed is eligible for this award. Any artist registered on the Unearthed site during this period is also eligible in consideration for nomination for this award.
Year | Nominations | Notes |
2007 | - | - |
2007 | Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers | From New South Wales who won the 2007 The Great Escape, who have subsequently supported Kate Miller-Heidke, Old Man River and The Paper Scissors. The band released their debut album Love Needs Us on the Warner Music label. |
2007 | Illzilla | Hip Hop artists who won the 2006 Falls Festival and then played at the Pyramid Rock Festival. They have also supported acts such as Astronomy Class and played at the finals of the DMC Championships. |
2007 | Institut Polaire | Western Australia's who won the Perth Big Day Out. They have since signed to Sydney's Popfrenzy Records releasing their first EP The Fauna and the Flora. They have toured twice nationally in the past year, supporting international acts The Clientele, Camera Obscura, and WA tour supports with New Buffalo. |
2007 | Leroy Lee | From New South Wales who won the support slot for NSW leg of Missy Higgins' national tour. |
2007 | Young and Restless | From Canberra who won the 2006 Homebake Festival. They have since toured across the country with the Erase Errata, Cansei de Ser Sexy and Love Is All. They have also signed with local independent label, Dot Dash Recordings, releasing their self-titled debut album in mid-July, 2007, then embarking on a successful headline tour of their own. |
2008 | - | - |
2008 | Art vs. Science | Won the Splendour in the Grass Unearthed competition and have also played at Parklife, and are scheduled to perform at the upcoming Falls Festival. |
2008 | Cassette Kids | Were the Unearthed winners of the 2008 Big Day Out and have completed a national tour supporting The Presets. |
2008 | City Riots | From South Australia, played the 2008 Big Day Out and Fuse Festival in Adelaide, then flew overseas to play the Great Escape Festival in the UK, playing sideshows at the Camden Barfly, and international pop festival in Liverpool. The band then played a five-week tour of the United States, taking in Milwaukee’s Summerfest with The Bravery, Wave Gathering Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey. |
2008 | Harlequin League | From Western Australia, the Unearthed winners on the 2008 Big Day Out and have supported The Freestylers, The Cops, Regurgitator, Expatriate, The Panda Band, Dardanelles, and The Checks. |
2008 | John Steel Singers | From Queensland, winners of Unearthed's Brisbane leg of 2008 Big Day Out. The John Steel Singers have shared the stage with Polyphonic Spree, Built To Spill, Kelley Stoltz, The Brunettes, The Panics and The Panda Band, performing at the Playground Weekender, Was I There In Your Future?, Essential Festival and Come Together Festival. |
2008 | Numbers Radio | Won the Valley Fiesta Unearthed Competition. |
2009 | - | - |
2009 | Philadelphia Grand Jury | Winners of the Sydney Big Day Out competition. |
2009 | The Middle East | A musical collective based in Townsville. |
2009 | Seth Sentry | A Melbourne hip hop artist. |
2009 | Washington | Winner of the Melbourne Big Day Out competition. |
2010 | - | - |
2010 | Stonefield | Winners of the Unearthed High competition in 2010, from Gisborne, Victoria. Performed at the triple j showcase at the One Movement Festival in Perth, which resulted in them being booked for Glastonbury. |
2010 | Gypsy & The Cat | Played the NME weekender festival in London. They have also played at a number of Australian festivals, including Splendour in the Grass, Parklife Festival, and One Movement festivals and have supported The Strokes and Foals. |
2010 | Big Scary | A two-piece band, who were the unearthed winners for the Pushover Festival in Melbourne. They have supported Editors, Florence and the Machine and toured with Birds of Tokyo. |
2010 | Boy And Bear | Unearthed winners for the Homebake festival in 2009. They have toured Australia with Angus and Julia Stone and Hungry Kids of Hungary. In 2010, they toured Britain with Laura Marling and supported Mumford & Sons on their Australian tour. |
2010 | The Jezabels | A four-piece musical group from Sydney. Have played a number of festivals around Australia, including the Big Day Out, Pyramid Rock, Festival of the Sun, Playground Weekender, Come Together, Peats Ridge Festival, and Soundwave. They also supported Canada’s Tegan & Sara on their Australian tour, as well as touring with Regurgitator, Bluejuice, Dukes of Windsor, Van She, Sparkadia and Josh Pyke. |
2011 | - | - |
2011 | Ball Park Music | |
2011 | Emma Louise | |
2011 | Husky | |
2011 | Lanie Lane | |
2011 | San Cisco | |
2012 | - | - |
2012 | Flume | |
2012 | The Rubens | |
2012 | Chance Waters | |
2012 | Kingswood | |
2012 | Thelma Plum | |
2013 | - | - |
2013 | Tigertown | |
2013 | SAFIA | |
2013 | Jeremy Neale | |
2013 | Wave Racer | |
2013 | Dustin Tebutt | |
2013 | Jackie Onassis | |
2013 | Remi | |
2014 | - | - |
2014 | Ceres | |
2014 | Coin Banks | |
2014 | Japanese Wallpaper | |
2014 | Airling | |
2014 | Meg Mac | |
2014 | UV Boi | |
2015 | - | - |
2015 | Boo Seeka | |
2015 | Feki | |
2015 | Gordi | |
2015 | Tired Lion | |
2015 | Vallis Alps | |
2016 | - | - |
2016 | Alex Lahey | |
2016 | Gretta Ray | |
2016 | Julia Jacklin | |
2016 | Kuren | |
2016 | Tash Sultana | |
2017 | - | - |
2017 | Alex the Astronaut | |
2017 | Baker Boy | |
2017 | Confidence Man | |
2017 | Ruby Fields | |
2017 | Stella Donnelly | |
2018 | - | - |
2018 | Angie McMahon | |
2018 | G Flip | |
2018 | KIAN | |
2018 | Kwame | |
2018 | Slowly Slowly |
Australian Music Video of the Year, co-presented by rage
- First Awarded: 2008. Previously known as: "Australian Music Video of the Year, co-presented by triple j tv".
The Judging criteria for the Australian Music Video of the Year is open to any director who had an outstanding achievement as an Australian Music Video work of art over the past year. This award celebrates directors whom have exhibited creativity, originality, technical excellence and impact on the audience. Any music video must be available and any video sent to rage in consideration for airplay is automatically also in consideration for the J Award given it’s received by the ABC music video library within this period.
Year | Director Nominations | Music Videos |
2008 | - | - |
2008 | Josh Groom, Angus and Julia Stone | Angus and Julia Stone - "Just a Boy" |
2008 | Callum Cooper | TZU - "Computer Love" |
2008 | Mike Daly | The Herd - "2020" |
2008 | Kris Moyes | The Presets - "My People" |
2008 | Sam Bryant | Josh Pyke - "Make You Happy" |
2009 | - | - |
2009 | Yanni Kronenberg and Lucinda Schreiber | Firekites - "Autumn Story" |
2009 | Sam Bennetts | Bluejuice - "Broken Leg" |
2009 | Pradeep Senanayake | Astronomy Class - "Where You At?" |
2009 | Ton Noakes | The Scare - "Could Be Bad" |
2009 | Alex Roberts | Art vs. Science - "Parlez vous Francais?" |
2009 | Chris Frey | Karnivool - "Set Fire To The Hive" |
2010 | - | - |
2010 | Sam Kristofski | Parades - "Loserspeak in a New Tongue" |
2010 | Mairi Cameron and Stephen Lance | Washington - "Sunday Best" |
2010 | John Hillcoat | Grinderman - "Heathen Child" |
2010 | Director: SPOD | Richard in Your Mind - "Candelraba" |
2010 | Lucinda Schreiber and Beatrice Pegard | Midnight Juggernauts - "Lara Versus the Savage Pack" |
2011 | - | - |
2011 | David Michod | Children Collide - Loveless |
2011 | Natasha Pinkus | Gotye - Somebody The I Used To Know |
2011 | Samuel Bennetts | Bluejuice - Act Yr Age |
2011 | Emma Tomelty | Hermitude - Speak Of The Devil |
2011 | SPOD | Art vs Science - A.I.M. Fire |
2012 | - | - |
2012 | Luci Schroder | Alpine - "Hands" |
2012 | Darcy Prendergast | Gotye - "Easy Way Out" |
2012 | Dimitri Basil | Flight Facilities - "Foreign Language" |
2012 | Kris Moyes | Kirin J. Callinan - "Way II War" |
2012 | Quan Yeomans | Bertie Blackman - "Boy" |
2012 | Selina Miles | Hilltop Hoods - "Rattling the Keys To the Kingdom" |
2013 | - | - |
2013 | Josh Thomas | Clubfeet - "Everything You Wanted" |
2013 | Christian J Heinrich & Nicholas Rabone | Bluejuice - "SOS" |
2013 | Darcy Prendergast | The Paper Kites - "Young" |
2013 | Matt Campbell | Kingswood - "Ohio" |
2013 | Adam Callen | Thundamentals - "Smiles Don't Lie" |
2013 | Dimitri Basil | Vance Joy - "Riptide" |
2014 | - | - |
2014 | Toby & Pete | Chet Faker - "Talk Is Cheap" |
2014 | Darcy Prendergast and Andrew Goldsmith | Hudson and Troop - "Frameless" |
2014 | Mark Alston | Illy - "One For the City" |
2014 | Jason Galea | King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Hot Wax" |
2014 | Sia Furler and Daniel Askill | Sia - "Chandelier" |
2014 | Jack Peddey | Client Liaison - "Free of Fear" |
2015 | - | - |
2015 | Darcy Prendergast and Josh Thomas | Boy and Bear - "Walk The Wire" |
2015 | Heath Kerr and Josh Davis | Briggs - "Children Came Back" |
2015 | Charlie Ford | Courtney Barnett - "Pedestrian At Best" |
2015 | Clemens Habicht | Flume - "Some Minds" |
2015 | Natalie Erika James | Life Is Better Blonde - "Mine" |
2016 | - | - |
2016 | Sunny Leunig | Courtney Barnett - "Elevator Operator" |
2016 | Jim Elson | D.D Dumbo - "Satan" |
2016 | Danny Cohen and Jason Galea | King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "People-Vultures" |
2016 | Tom Noakes | Tigerilla Ft. Gill Bates - "Tulips" |
2016 | Alex Smith | Olympia - "Smoke Signals" |
2017 | - | - |
2017 | Josh Davis and Heath Kerr | A.B. Original - "Report To The Mist" |
2017 | Tim White | Client Liaison – "A Foreign Affair ” |
2017 | Matt Sav | Jack River - "Fool’s Gold" |
2017 | Danny Cohen | Kirin J. Callinan - "Big Enough " |
2017 | PAXI | Methyl Ethel - "Ubu” |
2018 | - | - |
2018 | JAEN Collective | B Wise - "Feel Something" |
2018 | Guss Mallmann | DZ Deathrays - "Like People" |
2018 | Harry Deadman | Golden Vessel - "BIGBRIGHT" |
2018 | Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore | Mojo Juju - "Native Tongue" |
2018 | Sanjay De Silva | Sampa the Great - "Black Girl Magik" |
Double J Artist of the Year
- First Awarded: 2014.
The Judging criteria for the Double J Artist of the Year is open to any artist or group who had a standout year. This award celebrates artists whom have released or produced an album that's resonated with Double J as an impressive musical work of art; have pulled off significant live performances, events or tours; or made a valued contribution through their music to Australian arts and culture. Any albums must be available for purchase and any album sent to Double J in consideration for airplay is automatically also in consideration for the J Award given it’s received by Double J within this period.
Year | Nominations | Notes |
2014 | - | - |
2014 | Kate Miller-Heidke | |
2014 | Mia Dyson | |
2014 | Augie March | |
2014 | Blank Realm | |
2014 | Steve Smyth | |
2014 | Caitlin Park | |
2015 | - | - |
2015 | Blank Realm | |
2015 | Emma Donovan & the PutBacks | |
2015 | Hiatus Kaiyote | |
2015 | Tim Rogers | |
2015 | Paul Kelly | |
2016 | - | - |
2016 | The Drones | |
2016 | Jordan Rakei | |
2016 | King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | |
2016 | Ngaiire | |
2016 | Teeth & Tongue | |
2017 | - | - |
2017 | Dan Sultan | |
2017 | Jen Cloher | |
2017 | Kardajala Kirridarra | |
2017 | Lance Ferguson | |
2017 | Paul Kelly | |
2018 | - | - |
2018 | Gurrumul | |
2018 | John Butler Trio | |
2018 | Mojo Juju | |
2018 | Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever | |
2018 | Sampa the Great |
Most awards and nominations
The only artists to have won more than one J Award are: Tame Impala, who won Australian Album of the Year in 2010 and 2012; and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, who won Double J Artist of the Year and Australian Music Video of the Year in 2016. Many artists have been nominated for multiple awards, including the following:Nominations | Artist | Years |
4 | The Drones | 2005, 2008, 2013, 2016 |
4 | Gotye | 2006, 2011, 2012 |
4 | Hilltop Hoods | 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014 |
4 | Art vs Science | 2008, 2009, 2011 |
4 | Ball Park Music | 2011, 2012, 2014 |
4 | Darcy Prendergast | 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 |
4 | Flume | 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 |
4 | King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | 2014, 2016 |
4 | Courtney Barnett | 2015, 2016, 2018 |
3 | Architecture in Helsinki | 2005, 2007, 2011 |
3 | Augie March | 2006, 2008, 2014 |
3 | Sarah Blasko | 2006, 2009, 2012 |
3 | The Presets | 2008, 2012 |
3 | Bertie Blackman | 2009, 2012 |
3 | Bluejuice | 2009, 2011, 2013 |
3 | Karnivool | 2009, 2013 |
3 | Washington | 2009, 2010 |
3 | Big Scary | 2010, 2011, 2016 |
3 | Boy & Bear | 2010, 2013, 2015 |
3 | Parkway Drive | 2010, 2012, 2015 |
3 | Tame Impala | 2010, 2012, 2015 |
3 | Hermitude | 2011, 2012, 2015 |
3 | Alpine | 2012, 2015 |
3 | The Rubens | 2012, 2015 |
3 | Thundamentals | 2013, 2014, 2017 |