This year’s QMusic Awards will feature an inaugural accessibility award, thanks to a partnership between leading disability provider CPL – Choice, Passion, Life and the QMusic team. The Accessible Venue Award (the Award) aims to recognise venues in Queensland which have made significant efforts to provide venue accessibility to people with disability.  

The Award recognises the importance of making live music events accessible to everyone and celebrating the incredible work of many venues throughout Queensland that are taking fundamental steps to ensure accessibility. 

CPL’s Chief Experience Officer, Julie Byth, said people with disability had less access to live music due to the accessibility challenges of many venues and hoped the award would be a catalyst for more venues to make improvements in access and inclusion.  

“Both QMusic and CPL believe live music should be for everyone, so we are thrilled to be able to join together to create an Award that recognises the efforts of venues at the forefront of access and inclusion," she said. 

"As well as looking at venues that provide the obligatory physical access, we’re really looking for venues that make deliberate efforts to be inclusive.  That might be through social accessibility such as Auslan interpreters and sensory considerations, or programming performers with disability. 

“By showing and recognising what’s possible, we hope to spur more venues to begin thinking about and planning for inclusion.” 

QMusic Director of Partnerships and Philanthropy, Kathie Elliott-Scott said the partnership was an exciting development for QMusic 2023.  

“This is the first time there’s been an accessibility award in QMusic’s history and we are so excited 2023 is the year we’ll name Queensland’s first Accessible Venue,” Kathie said.  

 “We’ve engaged a judging panel of industry experts, including representatives from the disability sector and people with lived experience to ensure the best venue receives the award.”  

Madeleine Little, Undercover Artist Festival director, will be joining the panel of judges in 2023. Madeleine is a disabled performer, theatremaker and access consultant. She is the 2022 recipient of the Australia Council’s Arts and Disability Early Career Artist Awards.  

“Art should be for everyone, and this Award is an opportunity to recognise venues who truly embrace that idea and welcome everyone to enjoy amazing live music” said Madeleine.  

Nominations from both the public and self-nominating venues are now open, and will remain open for two weeks. We encourage both the public and venue managers to nominate their favourite accessible venue here: https://www.qmusic.com.au/queensland-music-awards/accessible-venue-of-the-year.