Recognising excellence and innovation in composition, performance, and education, the Art Music Awards have announced their 2017 finalists. Those shortlisted include a number of previous winners including Paul Stanhope, Iain Grandage, Paul Grabowsky, Cat Hope, Andrew Ford and Kate Neal, with prominent artists including Katie Noonan, Elena Kats-Chernin, and Richard Tognetti also nominated. The 2017 Art Music Awards will be presented at a gala event in Sydney on August 22 in a ceremony staged jointly by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre.

In the category instrumental work of the year, Liza Lim’s How Forests Think is up against Austin Buckett’s Aisles, Peter Knight’s Diomira, and Jessica Wells’ Moon Fire.

Lim is nominated again in the category vocal or choral work for Tree of Codes, competing against With Love and Fury, a set of songs written by some of Australia’s leading composers including Katie Noonan, Paul Dean, Iain Grandage, Elena Kats-Chernin, Richard Tognetti and Carl Vine. Other works nominated in the same category include Paul Stanhope’s Agnus Dei and Kate Neal’s Permission to Speak.

Elena Kats-Chernin is also shortlisted for orchestral work of the year with The Witching Hour, up against Andrew Ford’s Raga, Ross Edwards’ Frog and Star Cycle and Lyle...