Deborah Conway AM, Helen Marcou AM and Ian 'Quincy’ McLean AM inducted into the Hall of Fame and Xani Kolac awarded Best Musician at the Music Victoria Awards on Tuesday 13 December.
Just one week from one of the biggest nights in Victorian music, Music Victoria has unveiled the list of the incredible local talent that will be inducted in Victoria’s most prestigious music club, The Music Victoria Hall of Fame.
For 2022, the hall of fame inductees are Deborah Conway AM and Helen Marcou AM & Ian ‘Quincy’ McLean AM.
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Deborah Conway AM has been a significant and eloquent contributor to Australian music for more than forty-three years, singing songs that chronicle the essential elements of life, love, loss, memory, the mundane and the spiritual. Restless and confounding, her powerful voice and presence has fascinated audiences for decades; a rare female agitator in a time when the music industry was male-dominated, Conway continues to be a role model for young women and a mentor to emerging artists.
From the moment her band, Do Re Mi released the iconic Man Overboard, off their debut album Domestic Harmony in 1985, Conway has always followed her own path. The song was radically different to radio playlists, a rant on gender politics and without a chorus, yet it sat at the top of the charts and introduced her as a compelling force, and carved out a pathway to nine ARIA award nominations, two ARIA award wins and multiple accolades that stretch beyond trophies.
Australian icon Paul Kelly will be inducting Deborah Conway AM into the Hall of Fame. Nominees for Best Country Work, Georgia State Lane are also set to perform their own rendition of Conway’s iconic ‘It’s Only The Beginning’ at the Music Victoria Awards.
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Over Twenty-five years ago, Helen Marcou AM & Ian ‘Quincy’ McLean AM: founded the now iconic Bakehouse Studios (Bakehouse), which has gone on to become a staple in not just the Victorian music scene, but the Australian music scene as a whole. Fusing art, music and a deep sense of community, Bakehouse is described as “the beating heart of the contemporary music sector and an internationally renowned oasis of creativity and artistic practice in inner Melbourne.”
While Helen Marcou has built a name for herself as an activist and advocate for the Victorian music community, dedicating much of her life and career to strengthening the nation’s music culture, her partner in crime – Ian ‘Quincy’ McLean – has also played an invaluable role in expanding and strengthening Victorian music.
“When we signed the lease on 1 Bakehouse lane In 1991, we couldn’t have imagined that over the next 3 decades, Bakehouse would become a home and a connection to generations of artists. Everywhere we go, we meet someone with a heart warming ‘Bakey’ story. Said Helen Marcou and Quincy McLean.
We are humbled to work alongside the wealth of Victoria’s brilliant musical minds, as they interpret, elevate and define our lives in song. This induction writes our names next to giants from our community and although it’s an overwhelming honour, this recognition helps keep our flame burning.”
To induct Helen Marcou AM & Ian ‘Quincy’ McLean AM into the Hall of Fame will be Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin from acclaimed Victorian bands The Drones & Tropical Fuck Storm.
Celebrated Victorian artist Xani Kolac will also be collecting a trophy at the Music Victoria Awards,for Best Musician.
An acclaimed violinist, artist, and intrepid songwriter, Xani Kolac has boldly navigated the Australian music scene, genre-hopping since her breakout with indie band The Twoks over a decade ago. Xani has carved out and refined her own unique corner of the industry along the way.
Musician, improviser, collaborator, singer, songwriter and principally an electric violin player, Xani approaches music making from so many levels the outcome is something distinct, venturing into the spaces between pop, jazz, electronic and chamber music. A musician of the highest regard, Xani’s live performance is unforgettable. With electronic effect pedals and live looping charging her highly improvised live sets, Xani’s music is coloured by the ferocity of her instrumental output and shaded by a deep creativity, her earnest voice, and pure joy.
Whether in a small steamy jazz venue, packed theatre, nightclub, or her bedroom Twitching out to thousands of followers, Xani’s art is limitless, and she’s visibly enjoying every minute of it. It doesn’t take audiences long to discover why she is one of the most admired musicians of her generation and has seen so much success in her short career.
Deborah Conway AM, Helen Marcou AM, Ian ‘Quincy’ McLean AM and Xani Kolac will receive their awards at the 2022 Music Victoria Awards, alongside winners selected from an impressive list of nominees, including Julia Jacklin, Baker Boy, Camp Cope, Memphis LK, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks and more!
The Music Victoria Awards take place on Tuesday 13 December at The Edge, Fed Square.
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