Tamborine Mountain continues to punch above its weight in the music world, with five local artists nominated across multiple categories in the 2025 Gold Coast Music Awards (GCMAs).
Now in their 11th year, the GCMAs celebrate the best of South East Queensland’s thriving music scene.
Winners will be crowned at a red-carpet gala and live concert at HOTA (Home of the Arts) on Thursday November 27, which coincides with Ausmusic T-Shirt Day.
The awards received hundreds of entries this year, judged by a panel of music industry leaders from across the country.
Several Tamborine Mountain–connected artists are among the finalists, with nominations across key categories:
Blind Corners
– Release of the Year (Mud)
– Song of the Year (My Mountain)
– Gold Coast Music Prize
Beckah Amani
– Artist of the Year
– Release of the Year (This Is How I Remember It)
– Song of the Year (Superstar)
Lyric
– Breakout Artist of the Year
– Live Act of the Year
– Song of the Year (Make A Move)
Sunny Luwe
– Musician of the Year – Vocals
Haystack Mountain Hermits
– Live Act of the Year
This year’s local nominees are also achieving recognition on national stages.
Beckah Amani recently supported Coldplay on their national stadium tour, even joining lead singer Chris Martin on stage for a duet. She is also set to perform at next month’s Big Pineapple Festival on the Sunshine Coast.
Lyric has twice featured on Triple J’s Like A Version, helping her garner national attention and grow her fanbase.
Sunny Luwe released her second album Feeling Good on 10 October and has previously shared the stage with acclaimed artists such as ARIA winner Emily Wurramara, Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote), and Death by Denim
Haystack Mountain Hermits have toured extensively, playing at some of Australia’s most iconic festivals including Woodford Folk Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Groundwater Country Music Festival, and the Gympie Muster.
And Blind Corners, who formed at the end of 2023, have hit the scene with force with their debut EP Mud already earning a Release of the Year nomination.
Blind Corners frontman Toby Angus said being nominated in three categories was unexpected but deeply appreciated.
“It’s lovely. It’s nice to be acknowledged for a bit of hard work,” he said.
“We’d applied but I wasn’t really expecting it, as my head was in writing mode for our new music.”
The band’s nominated track My Mountain is an ode to Tamborine itself, and Angus credits the tight-knit community and creative environment for helping local musicians grow.
“There’s something in the water here,” he laughed.
“We’ve grown up alongside these other bands. It’s a small town, but we’re all creating something together. Everyone’s supporting each other.”
GCMA Co-Founder and Judging Panel Co-Chair Samantha Morris said the quality of entries continues to rise each year.
“The talent coming out of the Gold Coast just keeps growing, and this year’s finalists are a powerful reflection of the city’s vibrant and world-class music scene,” Samantha said.
“The quality of entries this year has been incredible. Every year it seems to get tougher to narrow hundreds of nominations down to just a handful of finalists.”
She said the awards are designed to spotlight not just established artists, but also emerging ones with big futures.
“The Gold Coast isn’t just beaches and surf anymore, we’re home to some seriously talented musicians,” she said.
With multiple nominations across five acts, Tamborine Mountain’s music community is set to be well-represented on the GCMA stage.
“It’s a really lovely feeling to be recognised by your peers,” Angus said.
“We’re proud of our mountain, and it’s exciting to see people beyond the mountain noticing too.”
