The 2007 WAMi Awards were handed out at the Beck’s Verandah in Perth last night, with Eskimo Joe, Karnivool and Snowman all among the winners. Triple J presenters Robbie Buck and Rosie Beaton compered the night, while entertainment came from Little Birdy, The Stems, slide guitar master Dave Hole, Double Entendre and acoustic mode Eskimo Joe.
With seven nominations, it could easily have been Eskimo Joe’s night, but the band failed to repeat their 2005 feat, taking just two awards – Most Popular Single and Best Commercial Pop Act.
Awards were shared out across the board, proving the range of talent coming from WA. Karnivool took home the awards for Most Popular Act and Most Popular Live Act and Best Hard Rock/Metal Act, while Ian Kenny was named best vocalist and Drew Goddard took the Best Guitarist award in the industry-nominated categories. It was a big night for Kenny, whose other band, Birds of Tokyo, were voted Favourite Newcomer.
Snowman took out three awards (Favourite Album, Favourite Music Video and Favourite Rock Act), while the band’s manager, Heath Bradby, pipped Phil Stevens to the Management Award.
The rise and rise of Pendulum kept going, as WA’s biggest export for 2006 took the WAMingtons for Best Live Electronic Act and Best Electronic Producer. Still riding on the success of 2005 debut album Hold Your Colour, the drum & bass icons will no doubt dominate these awards once they have another record under their collective belt.
The full list of WAMi Award winners for 2007:
Most Popular Act: Karnivool
Most Popular Album: Snowman – Snowman
Most Popular Single or EP: Eskimo Joe – Black Fingernails, Red Wine
Most Popular Live Act: Karnivool
Favourite Newcomer: Birds of Tokyo
Most Popular Music Video: Snowman – You Are a Casino
Most Popular Music Website: Perthbands.com
Most Popular Music Venue: Amplifier Bar
Most Popular Music Event: Big Day Out
Most Promising New Act: Mink Mussel Creek
Best Record Producer/Engineer: Dave Parkin
Media Award (Individual): Bob Gordon
Media Award (Organisation): RTR FM
Best Male Vocalist: Ian Kenny (Karnivool, Birds of Tokyo)
Best Bassist: Ben Franz (The Waifs, The Devil Rides Out)
Best Electronic Producer: Pendulum
Best Blues/Roots Act: The Kill Devil Hills
Best Country Music Act: The Jayco Brothers
Best Rock Act: Snowman
Best Indie Pop Act: The Bank Holidays
Best Indigenous Act: Pigram Brothers
Management Award: Heath Bradby
Golden WAMi: Peter Barr
Best Female Vocalist: Abbe May
Best Drummer: Rob Nassif (Gyroscope)
Best DJ: Dan the Man
Best Hardcore/Punk Act: Eleventh He Reaches London
Best Hard Rock/Metal Act: Karnivool
Best Commercial Pop Act: Eskimo Joe
Best Jazz Act: VOID
Best WA Record Label: Jarrah Records
Best Sound Engineer: Dave Parkin
Best Guitarist: Drew Goddard (Karnivool)
Best Instrumentalist: Tristan Parr (Schvendes, Fall Electric)
Best Urban/Hip Hop Act: Downsyde
Best Live Electronic Act: Pendulum
Best Funk Act: Bobby Blackbird and the Bluejays
Best World Act: Double Entendre
