Genesis Owusu’s ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ Wins Australian Music Prize

Genesis Owusu adds the 17th annual Australian Music Prize to their bulging collection.

With their debut full-length LP Smiling With No Teeth (Ourness/AWAL), the hip-hop and funk oracle wins the Soundmerch AMP, awarded to the 2021 Australian album of the year.

Along with the winner’s spoils, Owusu snares A$30,000 ($22,000) in cash, thanks to headline sponsor Soundmerch.

Owusu accepted the prize via satellite from soundcheck at his sold-out show at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. “This means a lot,” comments Owusu. “This is an award with a lot of esteem, not to mention putting real money back into music at a time like this is so crucial. I’m super grateful, and I’m keen to use this prize to help spread my art across the world, shouting out Australian talent on the way.”

Born in Ghana, and raised in Australia’s capital Canberra, Owusu has sustained a dream hot streak for the past four or so months.

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Following its release March 5, 2021, the record won the coveted Australian album of the year at the 2021 J Awards, and just days later, scooped four ARIA Awards, including album of the year,

The set, a potent cocktail of rock, hip-hop, funk and touches of old-school British punk, was produced by 2021 ARIA Award-winning producers Andrew Klippel and Dave Hammer, plus Matt Corby, Harvey Sutherland and Joe LaPorta.

The AMP is inspired by Britain’s Mercury Music Prize, with a mission to identify Australia’s most important releases of the previous year.

Today, it’s recognized as the most prestigious award for Australian recording artists honoring the album as an art form.

Smiling With No Teeth was the last album standing after a music industry panel boiled down a longlist of 450 eligible releases, to 110 official nominations, and then a shortlist of nine titles.

This year’s 30-strong judging panel featured industry experts, radio presenters, music writers, retailers, and artists, including inaugural guest international judge Billy Bragg.

“When we appoint judges we don’t tell them how to judge, or what we’re looking for,” explains Scott Murphy, AMP founder and director. “We simply say that this prize is about the album format (so don’t base your judgement on 1, 2 or 3 tracks) and that originality is the number one consideration. ‘Smiling With No Teeth ‘stacks up perfectly as said so by at least 80% of our judging panel. Well done Kofi.”

The AMP, announced today during a ceremony held in Melbourne, has been won by the likes of A.B.Original, Courtney Barnett, The Jezabels, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Sampa the Great (twice) and last year’s champ, The Avalanches’ We Will Always Love You.

Previous Australian Music Prize Recipients

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

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