CW Stoneking, AIR Awards, The Forum 22nd November 2009

The nominees have been announced for the 2009 AIR Awards (Australian Independent Record Labels Association). The awards ceremony will be hosted by The Chaser’s Julian Morrow and will mark the event’s fourth birthday.

Though Bertie Blackman was overlooked in a number of categories in this year’s ARIA Awards, she’s come up trumps in the AIR nominations list, scoring four nods. CW Stoneking and Sia have also done well, each nominated for three awards.

C.W. Stoneking is an artist for whom ‘unexpected’ is probably the default setting. How else to describe such a fine purveyor of American roots music who also happens to be a towering, youthful-faced white Australian man? He surprises first-time listeners, throws curveballs at long-time fans, and everything he does contains at least some background level of bafflement for all involved.