The Australian music industry is launching a new music award that will follow the ethos of the good old Mercury Music Prize.
The Australian Music Prize, or the AMP, is being supported by Australia's Phonographic Performance Company of Australia and will look to "financially reward and increase exposure" for an Australian artist, or group of artists, who have commercially released what a panel of judges consider to be the best contemporary music album of the year. The financial reward is Aus$ 25,000, put up by the PPCA.
Announcing the new award, John O'Donnell, MD of EMI Australia and Chairman of the PPCA, told reporters: "I believe that The Amp 2005 is a fantastic and important initiative, created to recognise artistic excellence in the music field. The Amp welcomes artists of all genres and types to submit entries. Our judging criteria is not related to sales or fashion, but to quality songs and or performance. The Amp will fill a void and encourage artists of all types."
Scott Murphy, who will oversee the AMP project, added: "I'm overwhelmed by the across the board support from the Australian music industry for this venture and in particular with the funding offered by our partner, PPCA. Without the PPCA The Amp 2005 may not have been possible. It's an ideal partnership as PPCA targets the same group of people that we do, that being artists of Australia who are producing and releasing new, original and creative music."
Organisers of the prize will accept nominations until 3 Oct. A shortlist of eight albums will then be announced at the start of January, with the final overall winner announced in February.