Deborah Cheetham, Celia Craig, Elena Kats-Chernin, Genevieve Lacey and Katie Noonan are among the finalists announced for the Australian Women in Music Awards.

Deborah Cheetham

Deborah Cheetham. Photo © Wayne Quilliam

When announcing the names of the finalists, founding Executive Director Vicki Gordon confirmed that the two-day event will now be held in Brisbane in 2022, with a conference and showcase on 17 May and the Awards ceremony on 18 May. The latest Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA) were initially planned for October 2020 then postponed to October 2021 as a result of the pandemic. But with COVID lockdowns continuing, they have now been rescheduled again.

“As a national event which draws on the creative expertise of artists and music practitioners from every state, combined with our priority to provide safe travel for First Nations women from regional and remote communities, the risk of producing a safe event at this stage is unacceptably high,” said Gordon, explaining the postponement.

Founded in October 2018, the AWMA turn the spotlight on women. They recognise First Nations and multicultural performers and music practitioners, and focus on excellence in artistry, technical and production skills, leadership, cross-cultural...