ABOUT THE AMP
The Australian Music Prize Ltd is an organisation established to encourage, reward and promote Australian music of excellence.
Each year an Australian artist or group is awarded The Amp, receiving a cash prize in recognition of the outstanding creativity they exhibited based on an original album released in that year. In 2008, the cash prize has increased to $30,000 thanks to principal partner PPCA.
The Amp was founded in the spirit of the UK’s prestigious Mercury Music Prize, whose winners have included Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Dizzee Rascal, M People and Primal Scream. Along with a cash prize for the winning artist, both the winner and the finalists (known collectively as the Shortlist) share in widespread media and retail exposure.
The Amp is unique in Australia – a critically judged award which honours contemporary Australian artists based on their creative excellence. Any artist has the opportunity to be Shortlisted and potentially to win – regardless of record sales, genre, level of public recognition or record label affiliation.
The Amp aims to promote the health and growth of the local industry both within Australia and overseas.
