“We’re so thrilled to be the winners of the prestigious AMP Award and be amongst the esteemed winners of the past,” reads a statement from The Avalanches following their win. “We’d love to thank everyone involved in making this award happen especially SoundMerch, also to the many people who helped us put this record together. A truly special day for us and we’re so grateful.”
SoundMerch is headline sponsor for this year’s award, which carries A$20,000 ($15,600) in prize money for the winner.
We Will Always Love You dropped last December and features assists from the likes of Blood Orange, Jamie xx, Weezer, Denzel Curry, and is the follow-up to 2016’s Wildflower, which opened at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The LP “overflows with ideas, samples, and guests across their unique blend of blissed-out disco, soul, and psychedelia,” note AMP’s organizers.
The Avalanches’ debut Since I Left You from 2000 is considered a modern classic and one of the great Australian albums of any generation.
With their AMP victory, the Melbourne outfit joins the likes of previous winners Gurrumul, Courtney Barnett, A.B. Original, and last year’s victor Sampa the Great, the only two-time champ in the history of the award.
The Soundmerch Australian Music Prize Finalists
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
Blake Scott – Niscitam
Emma Donovan and The Putbacks – Crossover
Fanny Lumsden – Fallow
Gordon Koang – Unity
Miiesha – Nyaaringu
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Ziggy Ramo – Black Thoughts
The AMP Winners
2020 – The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
2019 – Sampa the Great – The Return
2018 – Gurrumul – Djarimirri
2017 – Sampa the Great, Birds and the BEE9
2016 – A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia
2015 – Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
2014 – REMI – Raw X Infinity
2013 – Big Scary, Not Art
2012 – Hermitude, HyperParadise
2011 – The Jezabels, Prisoner
2010 – Cloud Control, Bliss Release
2009 – Lisa Mitchel, Wonder
2008 – Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Primary Colours
2007 – The Mess Hall, Devils Elbow
2006 – Augie March, Moo, You Bloody Choir
2005 – The Drones, Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
