Australian Independent Record Labels Association

History

AIR was started by a group of Sydney and Melbourne music industry professionals and labels, who began meeting regularly to formulate ideas on how to start an industry association that would assist the ongoing development of Australia’s independent record industry. The Association was incorporated in 1996 thanks to a small donation from Phantom Records, and received its first operation funding grant from The Australia Council for the Arts in 1998.

Additional Australia Council funding was received in 2000, and in this same year, members also voted to change AIR’s legal status from Incorporated Association to Company Limited by Guarantee.

AIR moved its base from Sydney, New South Wales to Brisbane, Queensland in 2004 when Stuart Watters (formerly of Q Music, Queensland's state music council) took over as its Chief Executive Officer.

In 2007 AIR moved its operations from Brisbane to Melbourne, Victoria where it is now based in the Rubber Records and Media Arts Lawyers building in North Melbourne.

Members

AIR began as a small association with 25 members to a company with over 200 financial members across all sectors of the Australian music industry. AIR's membership of significant Australian Independent Record Labels includes but is not limited to Head Records, Shock Records, Elefant Traks, Obese Records, Dew Process, Liberation Music, Plus One Records, Remote Control Records Pty Ltd, MGM Distribution, UNFD - We Are Unified, Ivy League Records, Vitamin Records, Eleven: A Music Company, Red Cat Records, Illusive Sounds, Future Classic, Casadeldisco Records and Jarrah Records.

Independent Music Charts

In 2000, AIR inaugurated the Independent Music Charts which track the sales of Australia's highest selling independent artists. The top 20 independent singles and albums are published on a weekly basis but genre charts for Jazz, Hip Hop, Blues and Roots, Hard Rock/Punk, Country are published once a month. The AIR Charts differ from the ARIA Charts because they focus on Australian artists represented only by Australian independent labels.

Titles are eligible to be included in the AIR Charts if they are Australian, the title is released on an independent label / or, self released and where it is either distributed through an independent distributor or where an independent label uses the services of a major or its subsidiary to distribute the title.

AIR Awards

The annual AIR Awards are run in conjunction with the AIR Charts and celebrate the year's highest charting independently released Australian singles and albums.

The selection of the 10 finalists for each category is based upon a total score calculated across all 20 AIR independent chart positions over that year. The winner is voted for by a judging panel consisting of approximately 350 members of the retail and media sectors of the Australian independent music industry.

The AIR Awards recognise Australian 100% Independent artists (100% Independent in this context refers to releases whose masters are owned independently of major labels and are also distributed independently by an Australian owned distributor).

2006 Winners

Best Performing Independent Album
Hilltop Hoods - The Hard RoadBest Performing Independent Single/EP
Blue King Brown - Blue King BrownBest Independent Artist
Hilltop HoodsBest New Independent Artist
Gotye

2007 Winners

Best Independent Album
John Butler Trio - Grand NationalBest Independent Single/EP
Sneaky Sound System - "UFO"Best Independent Artist
Sneaky Sound SystemBest New Independent Artist
British IndiaBest Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Midnight Juggernauts - DystopiaBest Independent Blues and Roots Album
C.W. Stoneking - King HokumBest Independent Jazz Album
The Ben Winkleman Trio - The Spanish TingeBest Independent Country Album
Gina Jeffries - Walks of Life

2008 Winners

Best Independent Album
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - GurrumulBest Independent Single/EP
The Getaway Plan - Where the City Meets the SeaBest Independent Artist
The HerdBest New Independent Artist
Geoffrey Gurrumul YunupinguBest Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album
The Herd - SummerlandBest Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary ColoursBest Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Peret Mako - The Devil is in the DetailBest Independent Blues and Roots Album
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - GurrumulBest Independent Jazz Album
Tina Harrod - Work SongsBest Independent Country Album
Bec Willis - Bec Willis

2009 Winners

Best Independent Album
The Drones - HavilahBest Independent Single/EP
Philadelphia Grand Jury - Going To The CasinoBest Independent Artist
The DronesBreakthrough Independent Artist
Bertie BlackmanBest Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album
Pez - A Mind Of My OwnBest Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
The Nation Blue - Rising WatersBest Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Art vs. Science - Art vs. ScienceBest Independent Blues and Roots Album
C.W. Stoneking - Jungle BluesBest Independent Jazz Album
The World According To James - Lingua FrancaBest Independent Country Album
Adam Brand - Hell of a Ride

2010 Winners

Most Popular Independent Artist
John Butler TrioBest Independent Artist
Dan SultanBreakthrough Independent Artist
Cloud ControlBest Independent Album
Cloud Control - Bliss ReleaseBest Independent Single/EP
Little Red - Rock ItBest Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album
Urthboy - SpitshineBest Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
Parkway Drive - Deep BlueBest Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Midnight Juggernauts - The Crystal AxisBest Independent Blues and Roots Album
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You CanBest Independent Jazz Album
Stu Hunter - The GatheringBest Independent Country Album
Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill and the Hillbillies - Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill and the Little Hillbillies

2011 Winners

Best Independent Artist
The JezabelsBreakthrough Independent Artist
Emma-LouiseBest Independent Album
Adalita - AdalitaBest Independent Single/EP
The Jezabels - Dark StormMost Popular Independent Artist
360Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
My Disco - Little JoyBest Independent Blues and Roots Album
Gurrumul - RrakalaBest Independent Country Album
Wagons - Rumble Shake and TumbleBest Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album
Drapht - The Life of RileyBest Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Pnau - Soft UniverseBest Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single
JOINT WINNERS
Tommy Trash & Tom Piper - All My Friends AND
Seekae - Blood BankBest Independent Jazz Album
Sandy Evans - When The Sky Cries Rainbows

2012 Winners

Best Independent Artist
The JezabelsBreakthrough Independent Artist
Chet FakerBest Independent Album
Royal Headache - Royal HeadacheBest Independent Single/EP
Chet Faker - Thinking In TexturesBest Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
DZ Deathrays - BloodstreamsBest Independent Blues and Roots Album
Lanie Lane - To The HorsesBest Independent Country Album
Jess Riberio & The Bone Collectors - My Little RiverBest Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album
360 - Falling & FlyingBest Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Hermitude - HyperparadiseBest Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single
Tom Piper & Daniel Farley - LGFUBest Independent Jazz Album
Mike Nock Trio Plus - Hear and KnowBest Independent Label
Elefant Traks

2013 Winners

Carlton Dry Global Music Grant
King Gizzard & the Lizard WizardBest Independent Artist
FlumeBreakthrough Independent Artist
Vance JoyBest Independent Album
Flume - FlumeBest Independent Single/EP
Vance Joy - God Love You When You're Dancing EPBest Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - 12 Bar Bruise'Best Independent Blues and Roots Album
Paul Kelly - Spring and FallBest Independent Country Album
Catherine Britt - Always Never EnoughBest Independent Hip Hop Album
Seth Sentry - This Was TomorrowBest Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Flume - FlumeBest Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single
Flume - Holdin' OnBest Independent Jazz Album
Jonathan Zwartz - The Remembering and the Forgetting of the AirBest Independent Label
Future Classic

2014 Winners

Carlton Dry Global Music Grant
RemiBest Independent Artist
Courtney BarnettBreakthrough Independent Artist
SheppardBest Independent Album
Violent Soho - Hungry GhostBest Independent Single/EP
Courtney Barnett - Avant GardenerBest Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album
Violent Soho - Hungry GhostBest Independent Blues and Roots Album
Dan Sultan - BlackbirdBest Independent Country Album
Halfway - Any Old LoveBest Independent Hip Hop Album
Remi - Raw x InfinityBest Independent Dance/Electronica Album
RUFUS - AtlasBest Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single
Peking Duk feat. Nicole Millar- HighBest Independent Jazz Album
Paul Grabowsky Sextet - The Bitter SuiteBest Independent Label
I OH YOU

Worldwide Independent Networks

AIR is a member of WIN (Worldwide Independent Networks) which is a coalition of independent music bodies from countries throughout the world. Other member organisations of WIN include A2IM (USA), ABMI (Brazil), ADISQ (Canada), AIM (UK), AIRCO (South Africa), Audiocoop (Italy), BIMA (Belgium), CIRPA (Canada), DUP (Denmark), ILCJ (Japan), IMI (India), IMNZ (New Zealand), Impala (Europe), INZIMA (Israel), Pronafon (Mexico), SOM (Sweden), UFI (Spain), UPFI (France), VTMOE (Austria) and VUT (Germany).

On 4 July 2008 AIR took part in WIN's Independents Day initiative, the first annual coordinated celebration of independent music across the world. As a major part of these celebrations AIR conducted an online poll for Australia's greatest independent records of all time.