ABC Music has picked up 12 nominations across six categories in the Fine Arts and Artisan Awards for 2013, as announced by ARIA today.

Continuing their strong performance in recent years, ABC Music’s nominations include three for Best Classical Album, one for Best Jazz Album, three for Best World Music Album, two for Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album, one for Producer of the Year and two for Engineer of the Year.

ABC Music’s General Manager Natalie Waller said the number and diversity of the nominations across these important genres are testament to the strength of ABC Music:

“We’re again pleased at the breadth of musical genres being represented by our nominees in this initial announcement of nominations for the Fine Arts and Artisan Awards.” Waller says. “ABC Music is such a diverse label and the fact that we can continue to support such talent – from an Oud virtuoso to the legendary triple j brand – is something we are all particularly proud of. We’re also especially proud of our resident Tonmeister, Virginia Read, who has been nominated in both the Producer and Engineer categories. Virginia works tirelessly coordinating scheduling, recording, editing, mastering... this recognition is greatly deserved.” 

Virginia’s nominations for the categories of Engineering and Producing comes after the nomination of 21 of her productions over the last decade, with seven of her recordings having won Classical Album of the Year.

Virginia Read is one of Australia’s foremost classical music producers and engineers. She first started working for ABC Classics in 2000, where she has established herself as the label’s Recordings Manager, overseeing the production of all releases as well as single-handedly creating many of the label’s major albums. Her career began with a composition degree at the Canberra School of Music, after which she moved to Montreal in Canada where she studied music recording at the prestigious McGill University. After graduating with a Tonmeister degree she was offered a position at the legendary Classic Sound Inc. in New York, where she was involved with many of the industry’s award winning engineers, producers and artists including Evgeny Kissin, Sarah Chang, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Billy Joel. Some of her more bizarre jobs included recording a concert of 200 marimbas, and mixing the outdoor PA for an Itzhak Perlman concert in front of an audience of more than 15,000.

ABC Music’s Fine Arts and Artisan Nominees are:

FINE ARTS NOMINEES:

BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM

Amy Dickson, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra - Catch Me If You Can

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Nigel Westlake - Missa Solis: Requiem for Eli

Sally Whitwell - All Imperfect Things: Solo Piano Music of Michael Nyman

BEST JAZZ ALBUM

The Idea Of North – Smile

BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM

Joseph Tawadros - Chameleons of the White Shadow

Rasa Duende – Improvisations

Shellie Morris & The Borroloola Songwomen - Together We Are Strong - Ngambala Wiji Li-Wununga The Song Peoples Sessions

BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK/ CAST/ SHOW ALBUM

Paul Kelly, James Ledger, Genevieve Lacey, ANAM Musicians - Conversations With Ghosts

Various - triple j's One Night Stand

ARTISAN AWARD NOMINEES:

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

Virginia Read – Sally Whitwell, All Imperfect Things: Solo Piano Music of Michael Nyman

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Virginia Read - Sally Whitwell, All Imperfect Things: Solo Piano Music of Michael Nyman

Nicky Bomba, Robin Mai – Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Melbourne Ska Orchestra

The Awards will be announced in Sydney on Wednesday October 15 at the Art Gallery of NSW where the nominees for the remaining genre awards will be also announced.

Congratulations to all those nominated in the Fine Arts & Artisan Awards categories for the 2013 ARIA Awards.