Jezebals win the AMP

This years 7th Australian Music Prize of $30,000 has been awarded to Sydney band 'The Jezebals'.

The Jezebals said in their prepared speech:

"What is clear throughout all the difference of opinion, regarding both the politics of the prize and musical tastes, is that the AMP is made up of people who care a great deal about Australian music and the importance of maintaining the ideals that the prize has come to represent – the encouragement of excellence and quality in Australian albums, regardless of their popularity or success, but to also recognise that those things are not mutually exclusive'

The awards were somwehat controversial this year being accused of being overly conservative in some quarters with one judge who wished to remain anonymous saying "middle of the road shite". Mess and Noise editor, Darren Levin, said that musicians should be removed from the judging panel as they do not listen to enough new music to have the knowledge to judge The AMP.

AMP Judge Dave Faulkner, from the Hoodoo Gurus, responded "That’s absolute nonsense. The fact is, a good record is a good record and it shouldn’t be only available to an expert who’s heard a thousand bad ones to know he’s heard a good one. 

The fact that they’re (musicians) doing other music doesn’t mean they can’t appreciate (alternative) music. Otherwise what would you do? You’d only have music writers writing about it. I mean, it’s not a critic’s award – it’s a different beat entirely.”

The Amp ceremony was held at The Basement in Sydney.