Photo credit: www.billboard.com
MELBOURNE, Australia — In light of a recent controversy surrounding voter fraud, organizers have announced the suspension of the 2025 Music Victoria Awards. This decision follows the identification of significant irregularities during the 2024 awards, which were intended to celebrate the musical achievements of artists in Victoria.
The 2024 ceremony took place on October 24, but reports emerged on November 27 indicating that an unidentified party had compromised the integrity of the voting process. This led to deliberate alterations in several categories driven by public votes.
Music Victoria, the organization responsible for the event, stated that they detected “unusual activity” in the third-party voting platform. They detailed that a comprehensive investigation, which involved consulting cybersecurity experts, legal advisors, and the voting system provider Award Force, revealed that numerous fraudulent votes had been incorrectly assigned to various nominees, impacting the outcome in five of the six publicly voted categories.
Following these findings, the legitimate winners were reinstated, and Music Victoria committed to honoring these individuals at the forthcoming awards ceremony. However, a recent public announcement confirmed the cancellation of the 2025 event.
In their statement, Music Victoria emphasized that this decision was made after extensive reflection and input from various stakeholders over the past year and a half. They believe this is an opportune moment to reassess the framework of the awards to better represent the diversity of Victoria’s music scene while ensuring financial sustainability.
Music Victoria reiterated its commitment to supporting the artistic community, expressing eagerness to engage with stakeholders to explore innovative approaches to celebrating and uplifting Victorian music.
CEO Fiona Duncan remarked that this temporary hiatus would allow the organization to establish a more resilient framework for future awards. She acknowledged the importance of taking a step back to foster greater progress and expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with the community to refine the awards moving forward. “We appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate these changes,” she stated.
The Music Victoria Awards, initially launched in 2006 under the name EG Music Awards, were created to commemorate the 21st anniversary of an entertainment guide by the Melbourne newspaper The Age. Over time, the focus of the awards evolved from a retrospective celebration to one that highlights the annual contributions of Victoria’s music talents.
The most recent ceremony recognized notable artists, including Angie McMahon for best album, Gut Health for best group, and Maple Glider for best solo artist.
Source
www.billboard.com