FBi Radio announced the winners of its annual Sydney Music, Arts and Culture Awards last night (January 27), with Ziggy Ramo and Barkaa among this year’s recipients.
Ramo claimed the awards for Album Of The Year and Song Of The Year, courtesy of ‘Black Thoughts’ and ‘April 25th’, respectively. He was the first artist in the awards’ history to take out both prizes in the same year.
‘Black Thoughts’ previously came in at number three in NME‘s list of the 25 best Australian albums of 2020.
- READ MORE: The 25 best Australian albums of 2020
Elsewhere, Barkaa was touted as the Next Big Thing, while Dobby took out Best Video for ‘I Can’t Breathe (feat. Brake)’. Find the full list of winners below.
“This year’s SMAC Awards were a special one, as we celebrated the mammoth efforts of local creative communities in responding to the BS of 2020,” a representative for FBi said in a statement.
Both Barkaa and Ziggy Ramo performed as part of last night’s festivities, serving up renditions of ‘For My Tittas’ and ‘April 25th’ from FBi’s Sydney studios. Watch the performances below.
Bundjalung Widjabul woman Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts was named SMAC Of The Year for her work as an activist, writer and leader.
In a statement, FBi said that Turnbull-Roberts “demonstrated fearless leadership as the systemic disadvantage faced by First Nations people was brought into sharp relief in 2020”.
Elsewhere, Nigerian pop-up eatery A Little Lagos was awarded Best Eats, while online bookclub Blackfulla Bookclub, created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, took home Best Pandemic Pivot.
The winners of FBi Radio’s 2020 SMAC Awards are:
Best Artist
Moreblessing Maturure
Best Arts Program
NIRIN
Best Eats
A Little Lagos
Best Pandemic Pivot
Blackfulla Bookclub
Best Video
Dobby — ‘I Can’t Breathe (feat. Barkaa)’
Next Big Thing
Barkaa
Song Of The Year
Ziggy Ramo – ‘April 25th’
Record Of The Year
Ziggy Ramo – ‘Black Thoughts’