Jimmy Little to receive APRA's Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
APRA is proud to announce musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist, Jimmy Little AO, will receive the 2010 Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music. This prestigious award will be presented to him at the 2010 APRA Music Awards to be held on Monday June 21st at the Sydney Convention Centre.
The recipient of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music is chosen every year by the APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors for their contribution in shaping and developing the Australian music landscape. Previous recipients include some of Australia’s most respected music industry heavyweights including Michael Chugg, Slim Dusty, Triple J, Bill Armstrong, Don Burrows, Angus & Malcolm Young, Roger Davies and last year’s recipient, Denis Handlin.
APRA|AMCOS CEO Brett Cottle said “Jimmy Little and Australian music are synonymous. His career has spanned six decades and his music, pioneering community work and soft diplomacy has touched many. On behalf of APRA we congratulate Jimmy for his tremendous achievements.”
“I am truly honoured and thankful for this recognition by APRA. To be recognised by industry peers who I’ve sat beside, wrote beside, performed beside, and lived beside, is an absolute honour. Ted Albert was one of the inspirational modern Australian music icons and to be honoured by an award created in his memory is humbling,” said Jimmy Little AO.
Jimmy Little began his recording career in 1956, firstly with Regal Zonophone and then with Columbia before signing to Festival Records in 1959. Forty five years later Jimmy is still making music with the Festival Mushroom Group who only recently celebrated their 50th year as a record company.
Jimmy's first Festival recording was a 45rpm extended play record called ‘Ballads with a Beat’ that reached top ten in the popular Australian music charts. This heralded a steady stream of extended plays, singles and albums throughout the 60s', including the chart topping ‘Royal Telephone’ in 1963. Selling more than 75,000 copies it achieved gold record status and has now become one of his signature tunes.
By the time the west coast American country rock sound began to dominate the airwaves in the early seventies, Jimmy was acknowledged as one of Australia's premier country music stars. Although mostly recognised for his country musical style, he kept his fondness for big orchestral sounds alive in his 1972 album 'Winterwood', quickly followed by a top ten hit single 'Baby Blue'.
The 1980’s saw Jimmy assume a mentoring role for the Indigenous adult education course at the Eora college for performing arts in Redfern. Today Jimmy remains committed to Indigenous education and continues to use his recognition and success as an entertainer, spending considerable time as an ambassador for the Department of Training, Youth and Education’s literacy and numeracy Indigenous education program.
In 2004 a public vote named him a ‘National Living Treasure’ and Jimmy received an Australian Order ( AO ) for his life in the entertainment industry and his ongoing work with indigenous education and health. Queensland University of Technology have awarded Jimmy an honorary Doctorate and recently he received the Classic Rock performer MO award of 2004. Jimmy Little is an APRA Ambassador.
APRA congratulates Jimmy on his immense career achievements: as a groundbreaking songwriter and performer, and an inspirational mentor.
The 2010 APRA Music Awards will be hosted by Jonathan Biggins and Julia Zemiro and will feature live performances. The event will also be filmed by subscription television partner MAX for a special that will be broadcast exclusively on MAX, on Sunday 4 July at 8.30pm. MAX is available on FOXTEL and AUSTAR
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