Winners announced at Australian Art Music’s annual night of celebration.

It was the night of nights for Australian Art Music, when Melbourne played host for the first time yesterday evening to the 2014 Art Music Awards, presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre held in the opulent interiors of the Plaza Ballroom on Collins Street.

A highlight on the Australian music calendar, last night’s awards presented an opportunity for the who’s who of Australian contemporary classical, jazz and experimental music to come together to celebrate each other’s achievements, as well as acknowledge some of this country’s finest composers, performers and educators for their standout efforts.

Fittingly, the evening began with music, curated by Australian recorder virtuoso and tireless advocate for new music, Genevieve Lacey. The first works for the evening were performed by some of the country’s brightest young stars from the Australian National Academy of Music. Two movements from Stuart Greenbaum’s beautiful Mondrian Interiors opened the proceedings, followed by a moving performance of an excerpt from Nigel Westlake and Lior’s Compassion, with Westlake conducting.

Nigel Westlake and Lior. Photo credit: Martin Philbey

Australian Music Centre CEO John Davis then took the stage for the official welcome,...