Cub Sport, Jem Cassar-Daley & Joff Bush Win Big At 2024 Queensland Music Awards

The iconic Queensland Music Awards has returned for its 2024 edition, celebrating the state’s best and brightest artists, venues and industry figures.

The ceremony, hosted by Myf Warhurst and Michael Tuahine, went down at the Fortitude Music Hall tonight (April 17) and was immediately memorable, thanks in no short part to phenomenal performances from the likes of Jude York, Taitu’uga, FELONY. and Sachém (among others).

Matt Hsu was the event’s musical director, kicking off the night with his Obscure Orchestra performing Regurgitator’s classic Song Formerly Known As (and later in the night, a brilliant tribute to Bluey).

In a press statement, QMusic CEO Kris Stewart said of the performances we saw: “The talent that comes up on that stage every year never ceases to amaze me. Tonight was a display of Queensland artists showing the rest of the world how it’s done and having their hard work rewarded.”

As for the winners themselves, Cub Sport nabbed two of the night’s biggest awards, taking out the Electronic category with Songs About It and Album Of The Year with Jesus At The Gay Bar. Also taking home two awards were Jem Cassar-Daley (who won the Pop and Song Of The Year awards with King Of Disappointment) and Bluey composer Joff Bush (who won the Music For Screen and Children’s Music awards with Cricket and Dance Mode, respectively).

Meanwhile, James Blundell was honoured with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Jo Davie earned the prestigious Carrol Lloyd award. Georgia Potter won the Grant McLennan fellowship, while three incredible winners joined her in taking out scholarships: Lottie McLeod in the honour of Billie Thorpe, Kristal West in the honour of Dennis ‘Mop’ Conlon, and Ethan Roberts for the Dalwood-Wylie Foundation.

In a statement of his own, Blundell said of what his accolade represents: “It is an acknowledgement of survival. I say to all the young artists I work with that longevity is a major part of the equation. You can be fabulous for a nanosecond but to sustain a career, well you've got to be a bit more interesting [laughs]. Now I have never claimed or intended to be an interesting artist, but I have lived very honestly and very much in the public eye. So, I am very grateful to receive this award.”

As for the remaining category awards, this year’s Blues & Roots title went to Busby Marou (for Conversation), while Country went to Tori Forsyth (Sometimes), Folk went to Minor Gold (Cannonball), Heavy went to DZ Deathrays (My Mind Is Eating Me Alive), Hip-Hop went to Ozi Jarel (Uptown), Jazz went to the Andrew Butt Trio (Le Baiser Salé) and Rock went to FELONY. (Everyone I Like Wants To Kill Themselves).

Sahara Beck won the Soul, Funk and R&B award for her track Compromise, with Taitu’uga taking out the World award for Falealili Manusamoa, and Tia Gostelow taking out the Indigenous award for Spring To Life. Furthermore, the Export award went to Skin On Skin, the Regional award went to LT (for Act Your Age), and the Youth award went to PARKER (for SOFA BED). And last but not least, the award for Contemporary Classical & Music For Stage went to Karin Schaupp for her work on Cybernylon.

In the way of stat-based awards, Brad Cox was honoured for having the highest-selling album with Acres, while Fisher and Kita Alexander’s Atmosphere won a trophy for being the highest-selling single.

For venues and festivals, the Fortitude Music Hall was voted by the public as the Metro Venue Of The Year, while the Kings Beach Tavern in Caloundra was named Regional Venue Of The Year. The people of Queensland also voted for the Gympie Music Muster as the 2024 Festival Of The Year, and the Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct won the title of Accessible Venue Of The Year.

See below for the full list of winners from this year’s Queensland Music Awards.

QUEENSLAND MUSIC AWARDS – 2024 WINNERS

MAJOR AWARDS

SONG OF THE YEAR

Jem Cassar-Daley – King Of Disappointment

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Cub Sport – Jesus At The Gay Bar

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

James Blundell

SCHOLARSHIPS

2023 BILLY THORPE SCHOLARSHIP

Lottie McLeod

2023 CAROL LLOYD AWARD

Jo Davie

DENNIS "MOP" CONLON SCHOLARSHIP

Kristal West

2023 GRANT MCLENNAN FELLOWSHIP

Georgia Potter

DALWOOD-WYLIE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP

Ethan Roberts

CATEGORY AWARDS

BLUES & ROOTS AWARD

Busby Marou – Conversation

CHILDREN'S MUSIC AWARD

Joff Bush – Dance Mode (Bluey)

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL & MUSIC FOR STAGE

Karin Schaupp – Cybernylon

COUNTRY AWARD

Tori Forsyth – Sometimes

ELECTRONIC AWARD

Cub Sport – Songs About It

FOLK AWARD

Minor Gold – Cannonball

HEAVY AWARD

DZ Deathrays – My Mind Is Eating Me Alive

HIP-HOP AWARD

Ozi Jarel – Uptown

INDIGENOUS AWARD

Tia Gostelow – Spring To Life

JAZZ AWARD

Andrew Butt Trio – Le Baiser Salé

MUSIC FOR SCREEN

Joff Bush – Cricket (Bluey)

POP AWARD

Jem Cassar-Daley – King Of Disappointment

ROCK AWARD

FELONY. – Everyone I Like Wants To Kill Themselves

SOUL, FUNK & R&B AWARD

Sahara Beck – Compromise

WORLD AWARD

Taitu'uga – Falealili Manusamoa

YOUTH (AGES 10-17) AWARD

PARKER – SOFA BED

REGIONAL | REGIONAL AWARD

LT – Act Your Age

VIDEO AWARD

Luis Campbell, Adam Hasa & Julian Panetta – make it so easy (Jordan Briton ft. JUNO)

EXPORT AWARD

Skin On Skin

HIGHEST SELLING SINGLE

Fisher & Kita Alexander – Atmosphere

HIGHEST SELLING ALBUM

Brad Cox – Acres

VENUE + FESTIVAL AWARDS

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD METRO VENUE OF THE YEAR

The Fortitude Music Hall

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD REGIONAL VENUE OF THE YEAR

Kings Beach Tavern

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

Gympie Music Muster

ACCESSIBLE VENUE OF THE YEAR

Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct