The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) has announced the nominees for the 2021 AIR Awards. Among 80 nominees across 16 categories are five nominees for Best Independent Classical Album or EP. The not-for-profit, non-government association, which oversees the independent music recording industry in Australia, has been holding the annual awards for 16 years and has been awarding the classical category since 2013.

The nominees for this year’s nominees are: Andrew Blanch and Ariel Nurhadi for their album Alchemy, Richard Tognetti and The Australian Chamber Orchestra for their recordings of Brahms’ third and fourth symphonies; Ensemble Offspring for their album Songbirds; Jayson Gillham, Nicholas Carter and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for their complete recordings of the Beethoven Piano Concerti; and Joseph and James Tawadros, Benjamin Northey and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for Joseph Tawadros Live at the Sydney Opera House. It is a varied nominee pool, encapsulating both full symphonic works and intimate chamber recordings.

Guitar duo Andrew Blanch and Ariel Nurhadi’s debut album Alchemy, which was released late last...