Triple j, Double J and triple j Unearthed have announced the winners of their annual J Awards, after revealing the 2018 nominees earlier this month.
Middle Kids have claimed the prestigious triple j Australian Album of the Year award for their debut album Lost Friends, beating out albums by the likes of Amy Shark, Courtney Barnett, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Tash Sultana.
“From Middle Kids’ first Unearthed upload through to their incredible debut album and beyond, their song-writing is instantly familiar while being refreshingly original,” says triple j Music Director, Nick Findlay.
“Most records have peaks and troughs, but it’s all peaks on this release. At the heart of every song is Hannah Joy’s golden voice; combined with Hannah, Tim and Harry’s instrumentation creates a rich sonic palette that traverses anthemic rock, alt-country and bitter sweet indie ballads.”
The Double J Artist of the Year award went to late Indigenous singer-songwriter Gurrumul, whose posthumous final album Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) was released in April.
Sydney rapper Kwame claimed the Unearthed Artist of the Year award after capturing triple j Unearthed‘s attention with his track ‘WOW’, before going on to perform at Splendour In The Grass.
Meanwhile, the Australian Music Video of the Year award went to Mojo Juju‘s video for ‘Native Tongue’ (below), directed by Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore. Shot in regional Victoria, the video features the Djuki Mala Dancers and the Pasefika Victoria Choir.
Catch the full list of this year’s J Award winners (and nominees), below.
2018 J Awards
triple j Australian Album of the Year
Amy Shark – Love Monster
Camp Cope – How To Socialise & Make Friends
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
DMA’S – For Now
Hockey Dad – Blend Inn
Middle Kids – Lost Friends — WINNER
Ocean Alley – Chiaroscuro
Polaris – The Mortal Coil
RÜFÜS DU SOL – SOLACE
Tash Sultana – Flow State
Double J Artist of the Year
Gurrumul — WINNER
John Butler Trio
Mojo Juju
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Sampa The Great
Unearthed Artist of the Year
Angie McMahon
G Flip
KIAN
Kwame — WINNER
Slowly Slowly
Australian Music Video of the Year
B Wise – ‘Feel Something’
DZ Deathrays – ‘Like People’
Golden Vessel – ‘BIGBRIGHT’ {ft. Elkkle, E^ST & Duckwrth}
Mojo Juju – ‘Native Tongue’ — WINNER
Sampa The Great – ‘Black Girl Magik’ {ft. Nicole Gumbe}
