Tassie talent in line for top gong

HOBART band EWAH & The Vision of Paradise — who were named Tasmania’s Best Live Act at last week’s National Live Music Awards — are in the running to win the country’s most prestigious award for albums, the $30,000 Australian Music Prize.

And two other acts with Tasmanian links are also on the 46-strong AMP long list: recent arrival Ben Salter for his album Back

Yourself; and former Hobart resident Courtney Barnett, nominated for her collaboration with Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice.

EWAH & The Vision of Paradise’s debut release, Everything Fades to Blue has received attention both here and abroad, including airplay on Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday

Service on BBC Radio 6 in the UK, Henry Rollins’ show on KCRW radio in the US, and on Double J in Australia.

“We’ve had a pretty exciting year following the release of Everything Fades to

Blue, making something like the AMP long list, and to be in such good company is a huge achievement,” vocalist EWAH said.

Other acts on the long list include the likes of Gang of Youths, Jen Cloher, Alex Lahey, Kasey Chambers, King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard, Paul Kelly, The Smith Street Band and Tim Rogers.

The short list of nine finalists will be announced early next month, before the winner is unveiled in March.

Previous winners have included Barnett, The Drones, Hermitude and A.B. Original.