Carla Geneve dominates West Australian Music Song of the Year awards

Carla Geneve has landed back-to-back grand prizes at the coveted West Australian Music Song of the Year awards.

Last night, the Albany-born country rock artist took out the top gong with her song 2001, which was inspired by the Stanley Kubrick classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Last year, Geneve won the same award with Greg’s Discount Chemist, which was inspired by a North Perth pharmacy.

The grand prize was one of three she collected at last night’s virtual awards party, with winners announced via YouTube and WAM’s Facebook page.

Geneve also took out the rock category with 2001 and the folk award with Things Change.

The three Song of the Year gongs join the four WAMAwards the talented singer-songwriter won last year.

WAM chief Mike Harris said that the depth of talent across the 18 award categories was “astounding”, adding that Geneve’s back-to-back wins are a “unique achievement”.

Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks are grand prize runners-up with their song Half Frozen Beer, with rapper Adrian Dzvuke completing the podium with his urban/hip-hop category-winning effort Bad Like Ri Ri (featuring POW! Negro, aka Superego).

The other multiple award winner for 2020 was 14-year-old singer-songwriter Indigo Ellis, whose potent song Home took out the schools 14 and under and Healthway’s Act-Belong-Commit categories.

Other 2020 WAM Song of the Year winners include RATSALAD, the Hunting Birds, Grievous Bodily Calm, Grace Barbe and Harry Mitchell.

Hosted by local soul diva Odette Mercy, this year’s awards went online and featured appearances from WA music icons such as Hoodoo Gurus legend Dave Faulkner, Little Birdy’s Katy Steele, POND member Joe Ryan, Stella Donnelly, Eskimo Joe’s Stuart MacLeod and acclaimed producer Anna Laverty.

After a welcoming address from Premier Mark McGowan, cyberspace performers included Dzvuke, the Hunting Birds and Siobhan Cotchin plus Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse.

WAM Song of the Year 2020 winners list

Grand prize Carla Geneve: 2001

Runner-up Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks: Half Frozen Beer

Second runner-up Adrian Dzvuke: Bad Like Ri Ri (feat. POW! Negro)

Rock Carla Geneve: 2001

Pop The Hunting Birds: Catch Up

Act-Belong-Commit Indigo Ellis: Home

Blues/Roots Karin Page: Take Me Down

Electronic Grievous Bodily Calm: Alchemise

Experimental Bolt Gun: Existence is Exile — Nothingness, Home

Heavy/metal RATSALAD: Dead Rat

Country Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks: Half Frozen Beer

Global Grace Barbe: Mardilo

Jazz Harry Mitchell: Sketches

Urban/hip-hop Adrian Dzvuke: Bad Like Ri Ri (feat. POW! Negro)

Punk/hardcore Desert Dogs: The Australian Dream

Folk Carla Geneve: Things Change

Outstanding regional The Gusset: Never Let Me Know

Schools 14 and under Indigo Ellis: Home

Schools 15-17 Vmarie: In Memory Of

Outstanding indigenous MissGenius: I Don’t Wanna Be