Genesis Owusu came away a big winner of this year’s J Awards, with the Canberra multi-hyphenate scooping two of the five awards on offer.
In their 17th year for 2021, triple j celebrated some incredible musicians and their output, as well as their impact on the broader Australian music community in general over the past 12 months.
With his debut album Smiling With No Teeth, Genesis Owusu captivated many, and has earned him both the Australian Album of the Year J Award and the triple j and rage Australian Music Video of the Year gong (‘The Other Black Dog’, directed by Riley Blakeway).
The double win feels like a bit of a victory lap moment for Genesis Owusu, who first came to triple j’s attention as an Unearthed High finalists all the way back in 2015.
Said Nick Findlay of Smiling With No Teeth winning Australian Album Of The Year, “From early in his career, Genesis Owusu made it obvious that he was an artist that you could not pigeonhole, and no better example of this is on Smiling With No Teeth.”
“His debut album is equal parts chaos and consistency; a hugely ambitious record that absolutely nails its vision, wrapped up in outstanding storytelling and bold, confident sonic landscapes.”
The J Awards also acknowledged the achievements of artists like The Avalanches, who were named the Double J Artist of the Year, and King Stingray, who came out strong as the Unearthed Artist of the Year. Both artists represented two exciting moments of Australian music: King Stingray, with their incredible breakthrough with ‘Hey Wanhaka’ and The Avalanches, whose return with We Will Always Love You set a whole new standard of acclaim for the Melbourne icons.
Jaguar Jonze has also had her tireless advocacy and support of survivors of sexual harassment and abuse acknowledged, with the Brisbane artist taking the 2021 Done Good Award. Last year, Jaguar Jonze was nominated for the Unearthed Artist of the Year J Award, but since then, she has been passionately furthering her activism, as well as creating new music like recent single, ‘WHO DIED AND MADE YOU KING?’
