AIR Awards of 2009


The AIR Awards of 2009 is the fourth annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards and was an award ceremony at The Forum Theatre, in Melbourne, Australia on 23 November 2009 to recognise outstanding achievements of local artists who release their work through an Australian-owned independent record label and distribute their work through a locally owned distribution firm.
The event was again sponsored by German liquor brand, Jägermeister and was filmed for a one-hour special on Australian pay-TV music broadcaster Channel V. The event was hosted by The Chaser's Julian Morrow.
AIR GM Nick O'Byrne told Billboard the awards are slowly attracting more corporate sponsorship, saying "As far as the awards themselves go, we're developing a history of recognising artists that are yet to hit widespread mainstream success - like Gotye and Hilltop Hoods did in 2006 - or are just starting to blossom like Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and British India last year and Blue King Brown the year before."

Nominees and winners

AIR Awards

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface; other final nominees are listed alphabetically.
Best Independent Artist of the YearBest Independent Album

  • The Drones - Havilah
  • *Bertie Blackman – Secrets and Lies
  • *Dappled Cities – Zounds
  • *Decoder Ring – They Blind the Stars, and the Wild Team
  • *C.W. Stoneking – Jungle Blues
    • Best Independent Single/EPBreakthrough Independent Artist of the Year
  • Philadelphia Grand Jury – "Going to the Casino"
  • *Architecture in Helsinki – "That Beep"
  • *Art vs. Science – Art vs. Science
  • *Bertie Blackman – "Heart"
  • *Sia – "Buttons"
  • Bertie Blackman
  • *Art vs. Science
  • *John Steel Singers
  • *Oh Mercy
  • *Sia
    • Best Independent Blues and Roots AlbumBest Independent Country Album
  • C.W. Stoneking – Jungle Blues
  • *Bonjah – Until Dawn
  • *Ash Grunwald – Fish Out of Water
  • *Carus Thompson – Creature of Habit
  • *The Waifs – Live from the Union of the Soul
  • Adam Brand – Hell of a Ride
  • *Kirsty Lee Akers – Better Days
  • *James Blundell – Portrait of a Man
  • *Tania Kernaghan – Livin' the Dream
  • *Amber Lawrence – The Mile
    • Best Independent Dance AlbumBest Independent Hard Rock or Punk Album
  • Art vs. Science - Art vs. Science
  • The Nation Blue – Rising Waters
  • *The Amity Affliction – Severed Ties
  • *Closure in Moscow – First Temple
  • *I Killed the Prom Queen – Sleepless Nights & City Lights
  • *Mammal – The Majority
    • Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban AlbumBest Independent Jazz Album
  • Pez – A Mind of My Own
  • *Astronomy Class – Pursuit of Happiness
  • *Funkoars – The Hangover
  • *Gully Platoon – The Great Divide
  • *Hermitude – Threads
  • The World According to James - Lingua Franca