Chet Faker’s Built on Glass has won Triple J’s Australian album of the year, it was announced on Tuesday at a ceremony in Melbourne.
Chet Faker is the moniker of Melbourne musician Nicholas Murphy, whose debut album debuted at No 1 in the Aria charts. Murphy wrote, produced and sang on Built On Glass.
Murphy was not present to accept his award, but the ceremony aired a video message from the artist, who said: “I still remember a few years ago first hearing my song on Triple J and freaking out then, so it’s a great honour.”
The judging panel for the J awards consists of music team members at Triple J and Unearthed. The station’s music director Richard Kingsmill said of Murphy’s album: “Faker steers a course through each track that manages to keep to the left, avoiding any bland clichés. It’s an album rich in emotion and textures, with the sounds and arrangements keeping the songs pure and uncluttered.”
Murphy’s win bodes well for his nine Aria award nominations. He will find out how many he has won on 26 November at a televised ceremony in Sydney.
The Unearthed artist of the year was also announced at the J awards, with Meg Mac beating nominees Airling, Ceres, Coin Banks, Japanese Wallpaper and UV boi to win. The competition aims to uncover previously unknown talent, and former winners include Missy Higgins, Boy & Bear and Grinspoon.
The 23-year-old Mac has recently released her debut EP titled MEGMAC. She was excited and visibly nervous while accepting her award, and later told Guardian Australia, “it feels like like all my hard work has paid off and I’m not insane for thinking I can be a singer”.
When asked how she felt accepting her award, which was broadcast live on Triple J, Mac said, “I’ve sung on that stage before, in that exact same spot and that was way less scary. That’s my first time [accepting an award] so hopefully I’ll do better next time!”
This year’s J awards also established a new award in the Double J Australian artist of the year, which went to singer-songwriter Mia Dyson. Dyson’s fifth studio album Idyllwild was a blend of roots and rock, released earlier this year.
Double J is a digital radio station, formerly known as Dig, that has been under Triple J management since October 2013. Its core audience comprises of former-Triple J listeners who have outgrown the station.
The final award of the evening, Australian music video of the year was given to Sia’s Chandelier. The video features a dance performance by then 11-year-old Maddie Ziegler, with choreography by Ryan Heffington. It has had over 300mn views and was co-directed by Sia and Daniel Askill.
Now in their 10th year, the J awards will be followed by the station’s Hottest 100, an annual song poll voted by the public. Voting for the Hottest 100 begins in mid-December, and the countdown airs on Australia day in January.
• This article was amended on 18 November, previously it stated Chet Faker was a Sydney artist
