The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as The Deadlys, was an annual celebration of
Australian Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. The event was held from 1995 to 2013.
Description
The Deadlys were an annual celebration of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.
The word "
deadly" is a modern colloquialism used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to indicate "great or wonderful".
History
The first Deadlys were held in 1995, at the
Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-op in the
Redfern suburb of Sydney.
They stemmed from Boomalli's 1993 ''Deadly Sounds'' music and culture radio show, and were driven by
Gavin Jones. Over the next few years, their venue shifted through
The Metro Theatre
The Metro Theatre (commonly the Metro) is a music venue located on George Street, in the city centre of Sydney, Australia. The venue was redeveloped, from two former cinemas, by property developer Leon Fink.
The foyer of the Metro, designed by ...
, the
Hard Rock Café,
Home
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
in
Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour is a harbour adjacent to the city centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia that is made up of a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central business district.
Origin ...
,
Fox Studios and others. Then 2001 began The Deadlys residency at the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
, from where the annual gala was broadcast by
National Indigenous Television.
The Deadly Awards earlier growth continued, along with widening regard as a community and Australian institution. Anchored by their annual event held at the Opera House (hosted by Jones'
Vibe Australia
Vibe Australia is an Aboriginal media, communications and events management agency founded by Gavin Jones in 1993. Located in Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, they work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people throughout Austra ...
), later years added venues in other states. Expansion also happened beyond their original music focus
[ to include sport, entertainment, the arts, health, education and training in the Indigenous Australian community, and candidates began to be nominated and voted on by the public.
The last Deadlys were held in 2013.]
Cancellation
In June 2014, the Deadly Awards' funding was cut by the Abbott Government in measures designed to reallocate funding to Indigenous education programs with 2014 Deadly funding phased back to $1 million and no funding provided for future years.
On 12 July, Gavin Jones was found dead.Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
on 30 September 2014, would not occur, along with all other Vibe projects, with funds instead "directed to the Australian Government's programs that deliver front line services from 1 July 2014".[
All Vibe projects concluded on 30 June 2014.]["Reinstate the Deadly Awards in memory of Founder Gavin Jones." at Change.org] and a Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
campaign reached .
See also
* List of television awards
* Indigenous Australian music
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deadly Awards
Indigenous Australian mass media
Australian television awards
Organisations serving Indigenous Australians
Australian music awards
1995 establishments in Australia
Awards established in 1995
2013 disestablishments in Australia
Awards disestablished in 2013