Abstraction

# Abstraction

## Abstract

Abstraction is a process where in general rules and concepts are derived from the use and classifying of specific examples, literal (real or concrete) signifiers, first principles, or other methods.

"An abstraction" is the outcome of this process — a concept that acts as a common noun for all subordinate concepts and connects any related concepts as a group, field, or category.

Conceptual abstractions may be made by filtering the information content of a concept or an observable phenomenon, selecting only those aspects which are relevant for a particular purpose. For example, abstracting a leather soccer ball to the more general idea of a ball selects only the information on general ball attributes and behavior, excluding but not eliminating the other phenomenal and cognitive characteristics of that particular ball. In a type–token distinction, a type (e.g., a 'ball') is more abstract than its tokens (e.g., 'that leather soccer ball').

Abstraction in its secondary use is a material process, discussed in the themes below.

## Origins

Thinking in abstractions is considered by anthropologists, archaeologists, and sociologists to be one of the key traits in modern human behaviour, which is believed to have developed between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago. Its development is likely to have been closely connected with the development of human language, which (whether spoken or written) appears to both involve and facilitate abstract thinking.

### History

Abstraction involves induction of ideas or the synthesis of particular facts into one general theory about something. It is the opposite of specification, which is the analysis or breaking-down of a general idea or abstraction into concrete facts. Abstraction can be illustrated by Francis Bacon 's Novum Organum (1620), a book of modern scientific philosophy written in the late Jacobean era of England to encourage modern thinkers to collect specific facts before making any generalizations.

Bacon used and promoted induction as an abstraction tool; it complemented but was distinct from the ancient deductive -thinking approach that had dominated the intellectual world since the times of Greek philosophers like Thales, Anaximander, and Aristotle. Thales (c. 624 –546 BCE) believed that everything in the universe comes from one main substance, water. He deduced or specified from a general idea, "everything is water," to the specific forms of water such as ice, snow, fog, and rivers.

Modern scientists used the approach of abstraction (going from particular facts collected into one general idea). Newton (1642–1727) derived the motion of the planets from Copernicus ' (1473–1543) simplification, that the Sun is the center of the Solar System; Kepler (1571–1630) compressed thousands of measurements into one expression to finally conclude that Mars moves in an elliptical orbit about the Sun; Galileo (1564–1642) repeated one hundred specific experiments into the law of falling bodies.

## Themes

### Compression

An abstraction can be seen as a compression process, mapping multiple different pieces of constituent data to a single piece of abstract data; based on similarities in the constituent data, for example, many different physical cats map to the abstraction "CAT". This conceptual scheme emphasizes the inherent equality of both constituent and abstract data, thus avoiding problems arising from the distinction between "abstract" and " concrete ". In this sense the process of abstraction entails the identification of similarities between objects, and the process of associating these objects with an abstraction (which is itself an object).

Chains of abstractions can be construed, moving from neural impulses arising from sensory perception to basic abstractions such as color or shape, to experiential abstractions such as a specific cat, to semantic abstractions such as the "idea" of a CAT, to classes of objects such as "mammals" and even categories such as " object " as opposed to "action".

### Instantiation

Non-existent things in any particular place and time are often seen as abstract. By contrast, instances, or members, of such an abstract thing might exist in many different places and times.

Those abstract things are then said to be multiply instantiated, in the sense of picture 1, picture 2, etc., shown below. It is not sufficient, however, to define abstract ideas as those that can be instantiated and to define abstraction as the movement in the opposite direction to instantiation. Doing so would make the concepts "cat" and "telephone" abstract ideas since despite their varying appearances, a particular cat or a particular telephone is an instance of the concept "cat" or the concept "telephone". Although the concepts "cat" and "telephone" are abstractions, they are not abstract in the sense of the objects in graph 1 below. We might look at other graphs, in a progression from cat to mammal to animal, and see that animal is more abstract than mammal; but on the other hand mammal is a harder idea to express, certainly in relation to marsupial or monotreme.

Perhaps confusingly, some philosophies refer to tropes (instances of properties) as abstract particulars —e.g., the particular redness of a particular apple is an abstract particular. This is similar to qualia and sumbebekos.

### Material process

Still retaining the primary meaning of ' abstrere ' or 'to draw away from', the abstraction of money, for example, works by drawing away from the particular value of things allowing completely incommensurate objects to be compared (see the section on 'Physicality' below). Karl Marx 's writing on the commodity abstraction recognizes a parallel process.

The state (polity) as both concept and material practice exemplifies the two sides of this process of abstraction. Conceptually, 'the current concept of the state is an abstraction from the much more concrete early-modern use as the standing or status of the prince, his visible estates'. At the same time, materially, the 'practice of statehood is now constitutively and materially more abstract than at the time when princes ruled as the embodiment of extended power'.

### Ontological status

The way that physical objects, like rocks and trees, have being differs from the way that properties of abstract concepts or relations have being, for example the way the concrete, particular, individuals pictured in picture 1 exist differs from the way the concepts illustrated in graph 1 exist. That difference accounts for the ontological usefulness of the word "abstract". The word applies to properties and relations to mark the fact that, if they exist, they do not exist in space or time, but that instances of them can exist, potentially in many different places and times.

### Physicality

A physical object (a possible referent of a concept or word) is considered concrete (not abstract) if it is a particular individual that occupies a particular place and time. However, in the secondary sense of the term 'abstraction', this physical object can carry materially abstracting processes. For example, record-keeping aids throughout the Fertile Crescent included calculi (clay spheres, cones, etc.) which represented counts of items, probably livestock or grains, sealed in containers. According to Schmandt-Besserat 1981, these clay containers contained tokens, the total of which were the count of objects being transferred. The containers thus served as something of a bill of lading or an accounts book. In order to avoid breaking open the containers for the count, marks were placed on the outside of the containers. These physical marks, in other words, acted as material abstractions of a materially abstract process of accounting, using conceptual abstractions (numbers) to communicate its meaning.

Abstract things are sometimes defined as those things that do not exist in reality or exist only as sensory experiences, like the color red. That definition, however, suffers from the difficulty of deciding which things are real (i.e. which things exist in reality). For example, it is difficult to agree to whether concepts like God, the number three, and goodness are real, abstract, or both.

An approach to resolving such difficulty is to use predicates as a general term for whether things are variously real, abstract, concrete, or of a particular property (e.g., good). Questions about the properties of things are then propositions about predicates, which propositions remain to be evaluated by the investigator. In the graph 1 below, the graphical relationships like the arrows joining boxes and ellipses might denote predicates.

### Referencing and referring

Abstractions sometimes have ambiguous referents. For example, " happiness " can mean experiencing various positive emotions, but can also refer to life satisfaction and subjective well-being. Likewise, " architecture " refers not only to the design of safe, functional buildings, but also to elements of creation and innovation which aim at elegant solutions to construction problems, to the use of space, and to the attempt to evoke an emotional response in the builders, owners, viewers and users of the building.

### Simplification and ordering

Abstraction uses a strategy of simplification, wherein formerly concrete details are left ambiguous, vague, or undefined; thus effective communication about things in the abstract requires an intuitive or common experience between the communicator and the communication recipient. This is true for all verbal/abstract communication.

For example, many different things can be red. Likewise, many things sit on surfaces (as in picture 1, to the right). The property of redness and the relation sitting-on are therefore abstractions of those objects. Specifically, the conceptual diagram graph 1 identifies only three boxes, two ellipses, and four arrows (and their five labels), whereas the picture 1 shows much more pictorial detail, with the scores of implied relationships as implicit in the picture rather than with the nine explicit details in the graph.

Graph 1 details some explicit relationships between the objects of the diagram. For example, the arrow between the agent and CAT:Elsie depicts an example of an is-a relationship, as does the arrow between the location and the MAT. The arrows between the gerund / present participle SITTING and the nouns agent and location express the diagram 's basic relationship; "agent is SITTING on location"; Elsie is an instance of CAT.

Although the description sitting-on (graph 1) is more abstract than the graphic image of a cat sitting on a mat (picture 1), the delineation of abstract things from concrete things is somewhat ambiguous; this ambiguity or vagueness is characteristic of abstraction. Thus something as simple as a newspaper might be specified to six levels, as in Douglas Hofstadter 's illustration of that ambiguity, with a progression from abstract to concrete in Gödel, Escher, Bach (1979):

An abstraction can thus encapsulate each of these levels of detail with no loss of generality. But perhaps a detective or philosopher/scientist/engineer might seek to learn about something, at progressively deeper levels of detail, to solve a crime or a puzzle.

### Thought processes

In philosophical terminology, abstraction is the thought process wherein ideas are distanced from objects. But an idea can be symbolized.

## As used in different disciplines

### In art

Typically, abstraction is used in the arts as a synonym for abstract art in general. Strictly speaking, it refers to art unconcerned with the literal depiction of things from the visible world—it can, however, refer to an object or image which has been distilled from the real world, or indeed, another work of art. Artwork that reshapes the natural world for expressive purposes is called abstract; that which derives from, but does not imitate a recognizable subject is called nonobjective abstraction. In the 20th century the trend toward abstraction coincided with advances in science, technology, and changes in urban life, eventually reflecting an interest in psychoanalytic theory. Later still, abstraction was manifest in more purely formal terms, such as color, freedom from objective context, and a reduction of form to basic geometric designs.

### In computer science

Computer scientists use abstraction to make models that can be used and re-used without having to re-write all the program code for each new application on every different type of computer. They communicate their solutions with the computer by writing source code in some particular computer language which can be translated into machine code for different types of computers to execute. Abstraction allows program designers to separate a framework (categorical concepts related to computing problems) from specific instances which implement details. This means that the program code can be written so that code does not have to depend on the specific details of supporting applications, operating system software, or hardware, but on a categorical concept of the solution. A solution to the problem can then be integrated into the system framework with minimal additional work. This allows programmers to take advantage of another programmer's work, while requiring only an abstract understanding of the implementation of another's work, apart from the problem that it solves.

### In general semantics

Abstractions and levels of abstraction play an important role in the theory of general semantics originated by Alfred Korzybski. Anatol Rapoport wrote "Abstracting is a mechanism by which an infinite variety of experiences can be mapped on short noises (words)."

### In history

Francis Fukuyama defines history as "a deliberate attempt of abstraction in which we separate out important from unimportant events".

### In linguistics

Researchers in linguistics frequently apply abstraction so as to allow an analysis of the phenomena of language at the desired level of detail. A commonly used abstraction, the phoneme, abstracts speech sounds in such a way as to neglect details that cannot serve to differentiate meaning. Other analogous kinds of abstractions (sometimes called " emic units ") considered by linguists include morphemes, graphemes, and lexemes.

Abstraction also arises in the relation between syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Pragmatics involves considerations that make reference to the user of the language; semantics considers expressions and what they denote (the designata) abstracted from the language user; and syntax considers only the expressions themselves, abstracted from the designata.

### In mathematics

Abstraction in mathematics is the process of extracting the underlying structures, patterns or properties of a mathematical concept or object, removing any dependence on real-world objects with which it might originally have been connected, and generalizing it so that it has wider applications or matching among other abstract descriptions of equivalent phenomena.

The advantages of abstraction in mathematics are:

- It reveals deep connections between different areas of mathematics.

- Known results in one area can suggest conjectures in another related area.

- Techniques and methods from one area can be applied to prove results in other related area.

- Patterns from one mathematical object can be generalized to other similar objects in the same class.

The main disadvantage of abstraction is that highly abstract concepts are more difficult to learn, and might require a degree of mathematical maturity and experience before they can be assimilated.

### In music

In music, the term abstraction can be used to describe improvisatory approaches to interpretation, and may sometimes indicate abandonment of tonality. Atonal music has no key signature, and is characterized by the exploration of internal numeric relationships.

### In neurology

A recent meta-analysis suggests that the verbal system has a greater engagement with abstract concepts when the perceptual system is more engaged in processing concrete concepts. This is because abstract concepts elicit greater brain activity in the inferior frontal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus compared to concrete concepts which elicit greater activity in the posterior cingulate, precuneus, fusiform gyrus, and parahippocampal gyrus. Other research into the human brain suggests that the left and right hemispheres differ in their handling of abstraction. For example, one meta-analysis reviewing human brain lesions has shown a left hemisphere bias during tool usage.

### In philosophy

Abstraction in philosophy is the process (or, to some, the alleged process) in concept formation of recognizing some set of common features in individuals, and on that basis forming a concept of that feature. The notion of abstraction is important to understanding some philosophical controversies surrounding empiricism and the problem of universals. It has also recently become popular in formal logic under predicate abstraction. Another philosophical tool for the discussion of abstraction is thought space.

John Locke defined abstraction in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding:

'So words are used to stand as outward marks of our internal ideas, which are taken from particular things; but if every particular idea that we take in had its own special name, there would be no end to names. To prevent this, the mind makes particular ideas received from particular things become general; which it does by considering them as they are in the mind—mental appearances—separate from all other existences, and from the circumstances of real existence, such as time, place, and so on. This procedure is called abstraction. In it, an idea taken from a particular thing becomes a general representative of all of the same kind, and its name becomes a general name that is applicable to any existing thing that fits that abstract idea.' (2.11.9)

### In psychology

Carl Jung 's definition of abstraction broadened its scope beyond the thinking process to include exactly four mutually exclusive, different complementary psychological functions: sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking. Together they form a structural totality of the differentiating abstraction process. Abstraction operates in one of these functions when it excludes the simultaneous influence of the other functions and other irrelevancies, such as emotion. Abstraction requires selective use of this structural split of abilities in the psyche. The opposite of abstraction is concretism. Abstraction is one of Jung's 57 definitions in Chapter XI of Psychological Types.

There is an abstract thinking, just as there is abstract feeling, sensation and intuition. Abstract thinking singles out the rational, logical qualities... Abstract feeling does the same with... its feeling-values.... I put abstract feelings on the same level as abstract thoughts.... Abstract sensation would be aesthetic as opposed to sensuous sensation and abstract intuition would be symbolic as opposed to fantastic intuition. (Jung, (1971): par. 678).

### In social theory

Social theorists deal with abstraction both as an ideational and as a material process. Alfred Sohn-Rethel (1899–1990) asked: "Can there be abstraction other than by thought?" He used the example of commodity abstraction to show that abstraction occurs in practice as people create systems of abstract exchange that extend beyond the immediate physicality of the object and yet have real and immediate consequences. This work was extended through the 'Constitutive Abstraction' approach of writers associated with the Journal Arena. Two books that have taken this theme of the abstraction of social relations as an organizing process in human history are Nation Formation: Towards a Theory of Abstract Community (1996) and an associated volume published in 2006, Globalism, Nationalism, Tribalism: Bringing Theory Back In. These books argue that a nation is an abstract community bringing together strangers who will never meet as such; thus constituting materially real and substantial, but abstracted and mediated relations. The books suggest that contemporary processes of globalization and mediatization have contributed to materially abstracting relations between people, with major consequences for how humans live their lives.

One can readily argue that abstraction is an elementary methodological tool in several disciplines of social science. These disciplines have definite and different concepts of "man" that highlight those aspects of man and his behaviour by idealization that are relevant for the given human science. For example, homo sociologicus is the man as sociology abstracts and idealizes it, depicting man as a social being. Moreover, we could talk about homo cyber sapiens (the man who can extend his biologically determined intelligence thanks to new technologies), or homo creativus (who is simply creative).

Abstraction (combined with Weberian idealization) plays a crucial role in economics - hence abstractions such as "the market" and the generalized concept of " business ". Breaking away from directly experienced reality was a common trend in 19th-century sciences (especially physics), and this was the effort which fundamentally determined the way economics tried (and still tries) to approach the economic aspects of social life. It is abstraction we meet in the case of both Newton's physics and the neoclassical theory, since the goal was to grasp the unchangeable and timeless essence of phenomena. For example, Newton created the concept of the material point by following the abstraction method so that he abstracted from the dimension and shape of any perceptible object, preserving only inertial and translational motion. Material point is the ultimate and common feature of all bodies. Neoclassical economists created the indefinitely abstract notion of homo economicus by following the same procedure. Economists abstract from all individual and personal qualities in order to get to those characteristics that embody the essence of economic activity. Eventually, it is the substance of the economic man that they try to grasp. Any characteristic beyond it only disturbs the functioning of this essential core.


WAM Song of the Year

# WAM Song of the Year

## Abstract

WAM was originally formed as the Western Australian Rock Music Industry Association Inc. (WARMIA) in 1985, with its main aim to develop and run annual awards recognising achievements within the music industry in Western Australia. WAM first received project funding from the state government in 1989, and in the early 90s the word "rock" was dropped from the title to give the organisation scope to take on a broader constituency.

In 1989 the inaugural WA Song Contest commenced, in 2002 it was rebranded as the WAM Song of the Year.

The WAM Song of the Year is open to all residents of Western Australia. The song must be the original work of the songwriter(s). Songwriters with a publishing deal can only enter the Professional category.

## Winners

### 1989–2002

- 1996 Grand Prize – Exteria

- 1997 Grand Prize – Beaverloop

- 1998 Grand Prize – Cartman

- 2000 Grand Prize – Ivan Zar

- 2001 Grand Prize – Halogen

### 2003

In 2003 there were 1,247 entries and 75 shortlisted nominees in the 15 genre categories. Winners each received $1,000 (Children & Youth winners received $500) and a days recording time at a top Perth studio. The Grand Prize winner received the opportunity to have a promotional single recorded, pressed and released among other select opportunities.

The individual category award winners were:

- Children – "Something More" – Wesley Fuller

- Country – "Asbestos Fibro" – ADM Powell

- Easy Listening Pop/R'n'B – "Back 2 those Timez" – Chanelle

- Electronic/Hip Hop – "Boy X Girl Y" – Johnson, Vernie

- Hard Rock/Metal/ Punk – "Reprisal" – Simon Pilkington, Aaron Smith

- Indi Pop/Rock – "Andy Warhol" – Little Birdy

- Indigenous – "Raining on Djilba" – George Walley

- Jazz/ Funk – "That Hurt" – Myles Wright

- Love – "Walking Over Sea" – Sam Dunn, Ben Dunn

- Political – "Georgie Boy" – Andrew Horabin

- Roots – "Sheba Lane" – Lynn Hazelton

- Songs for Kids – "Pirlpirltji" – L. Hazelton, A. Ovi, S. Stanford

- Soundtrack/ Filmscore/Experimental – "Green Lantern" – Johannes Luebbers

- World/Multicultural – "Day Oh" – Eloy Cardenas

### 2004

The WAM Song of the Year for 2004 was announced at the Fly by Night Club in Fremantle on Thursday 16 September 2004. The evening featured performances from past winners including Andrew Horabin and Lynn Hazelton, as well as finalists for the 2005 competition. The WAM Song of the Year was presented by the Minister for the Arts the Hon. Sheila McHale. There was over 1,300 songs entered in the competition with 75 works nominated by the industry panels as finalists in the 15 genre categories.

The individual category award winners were:

- Commercial/Contemporary Pop – "Breathe" – Cassie Swinney, Alistair Watson & Escher

- Country – "Dirty Liar" – Rob Findlay & Haley Mason

- Electronic/Dance Category – "Hit '5'" – Tim Macnamara & Diego Bosco

- Hard Rock/Metal – "Bay of Martyrs" – Mike Sukys

- Indie Rock/Punk Category – "Tread Easy" – The Bank Holidays

- Jazz – "West Bank Moon" – Michael Pigneguy & Sian Brown

- Roots – "Slipping With the Blues" – Gerard Maunick

- Urban – "Wait a Minute" – Tsunami & Nathan Jamieson

- Love – "Blame Me" – Frans Bisschops, Jasmine Yee & Michael Miller

- Gospel – "Take Over" – Chad Blondel

- ASME Upper Secondary (Years 11–12) – "Radio Play" – Melissa Erpen

- ASME Lower Secondary (Years 8–10) – "Home Sweet Home" – Danni Stefanetti

- ASME Primary Category – "Sidewalk Surfer" – The Flairz

- Indigenous – "Hardway" – The Hill (John Bullen, Jarred Wall)

- Outstanding Regional Song – "Time for You to Go" – Lauren Brede

### 2005

The WAM Song of the Year for 2005 was announced at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle on Thursday 27 October 2005. The evening featured performances from past winners including Andrew Horabin and Lynn Hazelton, as well as finalists for the 2005 competition. Performing on the night were The Bank Holidays, Lake of Bass, New Rules For Boats, Peter Brandy, The Flairz and the 2004 Song of the Year winner, Lauren Brede. The WAM Song of the Year was presented by the Minister for the Arts the Hon. Sheila McHale. There were close to 1,500 songs entered in the competition with 86 works nominated by the industry panels as finalists in the 17 genre categories.

The individual category award winners were:

- Blues & Roots – "4 Men Dead" – Kevin Smith

- Country – "Lord I Want an Exit" – Emily Barker

- Electronic/Dance – "We Gave Colour Away" – Harvey Rae and Hiro? (Thread)

- Gospel – "Learning to Say" – Mark Cullen

- Heavy Rock/Metal – "Falling" – Shannon de Bie

- Indigenous Song of the Year – "Long Time Ago" – Peter Brandy

- Jazz – "Storm" – Marnie Kent and Grant Windsor (Ginger Blu Collective)

- Love – "Drunkard's Wife" – Pete Stone

- Mixed Bag – "Then You Appear" – Damian Crosbie (The Panda Band)

- Pop – "Sleepy Little Death Toll Town" – Damian Crosbie (The Panda Band)

- Regional Song of the Year – "Lord I Want an Exit" – Emily Barker

- Rock – "Information" – Sascha Ion, Ronan Charles, Stuart Leach (One Horse Town)

- School Primary School Aged – "Holey Cheeses" – Oliver Bradley, Albert Loss

- School Lower Secondary School Aged – "Memory Lane" – Wesley Fuller

- School Upper Secondary School Aged – "The Best is Yet to Come" – Ben Blondel

- Urban – "Take 5" – Tsunami

- World and Folk – "Long Time Ago" – Peter Brandy

### 2006

The WAM Song of the Year for 2006 was announced on Thursday 19 October 2006 at the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle with awards in 17 different categories. Performing on the night were Kavyen Temperley from Eskimo Joe, The Panda Band, Abbe May and The Rockin' Pneumonia, One Horse Town, the Catherine Noblet Quartet and The Watts. Presenters from Xpress Magazine, The West Australian, RTRFM, ABC Radio, Nova 93.7, Drum Media, Network 10, APRA, Perth International Arts Festival and Minister for the Arts, the Honorable Sheila McHale announced the winners. The winners of most categories were awarded $1,000 cash and 1 day of recording time in a leading Perth studio. The winner of the Grand Prize received an additional 3 days recording time with producer Rob Grant at Poons Head Studios and the pressing of 500 promotional singles/ EPs through Westlink Multimedia/ MGM.

The individual category award winners were:

- Blues/Roots – "Sidewindin'" – Abbe May

- Country – "Live on Love" by Polly (Kylie) Medlen

- Electronic/Dance by "These Times" – David McKinney, Rachel Claudio

- Gospel by "Flowers in the Desert" – Jeremy Dixon

- Heavy Rock/Metal by "Drag in Drag Out" – Kevin Curran, Todd Fishwick

- Indigenous – "Our Song" by Jason Bartlett and Phillip Bartlett

- Jazz – "Wanderer" by Catherine Noblet

- Love – "Old Folks, Drunks and Babies" by Sascha Ion

- Mixed Bag – "It's a PC 21st Century New Millennium Romantic Arrangement..." by Andrew Horabin

- Pop by "City Walls and Empires" – Erik Hecht (Institut Polaire)

- Regional – "Call of the Wild" by Xavier Brown

- Rock – "Red Means Go" by B. Mulvena-Trinder, I. Berney, J. Sher, C. Palmer

- School Primary – Free by "Matt Larsen"

- School Lower Secondary by "Shadows of a City" – E. Hamilton, G. Hutchings, M. Mackintosh, L. Osborn

- School Upper Secondary – "Happy Birthday Dave" by Matt Gresham

- Urban – "Lose Control" by S.Roy, C.Wancer (Roy-Al feat. Cristian Alexanda)

- World/Folk – "Mon Ankor Anmourer" by Grace Barbé, James Searle

### 2007

The 2007 WAM Song of the Year was announced at the Fly By Night in Fremantle, on Wednesday 31 October 2007. There were eighteen category winners and included for the first year a professional category where published Western Australian based songwriters are given the chance to enter their works in WA's premier song writing Awards.

The individual category award winners were:

- Blues 'n' Roots – "Lara Clare" by Craig Sinclair

- Country – "Take Me With You" by Polly Medlen

- Electronic / Dance – "Hot Property" by Hayley McLennan and Simon Sieradzki

- Gospel – "My Hallelujah" by Paul Morrison

- Heavy Rock/Metal – "Broken Eyes" by Brett Jones, Johnny Kyi & Nigel Watts

- Indigenous – "Kick the Monkey" by Jason Bartlett & Phillip Bartlett

- Jazz – "Curious Yellow" by Adrian Kelly

- Mixed Bag – "Bring Out Your Dead" by Schvendes

- Love – "There is a Room on Hold" by James Crombie & Wibekke Reczek

- Pop – "Holidayz" by Josh Fontaine

- Professional – " Sun Dirt Water " by The Waifs

- Regional – "Two Months" by Polly Medlen

- Rock – "The World or Nothing" by Scott Tomlinson, Greg Sanders, Brenton Bell & Dayvid Clark

- Primary – "Valley of Flowers" by Madi MacDougall & Erika McKay

- Secondary (Lower) – "Wishing on a Star" by Jordi Davieson

- Secondary (Upper) – "Overcast Day" by Timothy Nelson

- Urban – "Get By" by Glen Foreman, Scott Griffiths & Alex Plant

- World and Folk – "Moodjebing" by Jessie Lloyd & Della Rae Morrison

### 2008

The 2008 WAM Song of the Year was announced at the Fly By Night in Fremantle, on Thursday 9 October 2008. The 85 nominees in 17 categories were announced on Monday 22 September. The Grand Prize for the WAM Song of the Year 2008 included a cash prize of $5,000, together with a 3-day recording session at Poons Head Recording Studio and 500 CDs by DiskBank.

For the first time, the public were invited to listen to and vote for a nominee in the Most Popular Song category. Public voting was later cancelled after claims of technical issues allowing multiple votes, it was replaced by judging by Sunday Times and PerthNOW entertainment staff. The professional category was also cancelled due to lack of numbers. Over 400 songwriters from throughout Western Australia submitted 1640 songs, the second highest number of entries received in the competition's 19-year history.

The 18 award winners were:

- Blues & Roots – "Howl And Moan" by Abbe May

- Café – "Revien" by Cloud Kollektiv

- Country – "Place Where I Belong" by Phyllis Bennell (Warangka Band)

- Electronic/Dance – "Realizing" by Cloud Kollektiv

- Gospel – "Light" by Lindsay Hamminga

- Heavy Rock/Metal – "Refuse the Sickness" by Chaos Divine

- Indigenous – "Gundulla – We Dance" by Yabu Band

- Jazz – "Til Death Does Me Part" by Johannes Luebbers

- Mixed Bag – "The Land" by Abraham Dunovits (Funkalleros)

- Pop – "Feel" by Roly Skender and The Tonics

- Regional – "Kaya" by Charmaine Bennell (Warangka Band), from Bunbury WA

- Rock – "Howl And Moan" by Abbe May

- School, Primary – "Shadows" by Josephine Langford

- School, Secondary Lower – "Smile" by Mike Nutt

- School, Secondary Upper – "The Pony and the Ark" by Lyndon Blue

- Urban – "Behind The Curtain" by Emcee Able

- World & Folk – "Kaya" by Charmaine Bennell (Warangka Band)

2008 Grand Prize As judged by an independent industry panel from all category winners.

- "Feel" by Roly Skender and The Tonics

2008 Most Popular Song As judged by The Sunday Times and PerthNOW entertainment staff from all nominated songs.

- "Give Up Money For Music" by Robert Sazdov (BSYDE)

### 2009

The 2009 WAM Song of the Year was announced at the Fly By Night Musicians' Club in Fremantle.

The sixteen award winners were:

- Blues and Roots – "Lover Don't You Wanna" by DivCraft

- Cafe – "Era Quondam" by Minute 36

- Country – "Sleeping Alone" by Timothy Nelson

- Electronic/Dance – "They Wanna Dance" by Scott Tomlinson

- Experimental – "A Vexing Predicament" by Tangled Thoughts of Leaving

- Heavy – "Total Existence Failure" by Voyager

- Indigenous – "Here I Go" by Black Poet

- Jazz – "Thinking Without Thinking" by Tilman Robinson

- Mentally Healthy – "I'm Not Scared" by Black Board Minds

- Pop – "Streamers" by Umpire

- Regional – "Spirit Calling" by Simon and Tammy London

- Rock – "Acute" by Sugar Army

- Schools 14 Yrs and below – "Everything" – Convict X

- Schools 15–17 Yrs – "Rocket Ship" by King George

- Urban – "Skyhawks" by Mathas

- World/Folk – "Son of a Son of a King" by Michael Strong and The Ghost Anyway

2009 Grand Prize

- "Streamers" by Umpire

2009 Popular Vote

- "Run for the Hills" by The Words

### 2010

The 2010 WAM Song of the Year was announced at the Fly By Night Musicians' Club in Fremantle.

The sixteen award winners were:

- Blues and Roots – "Hoborockabilly" by The Wilderness

- Country – "Juliette" by The Ghost Hotel

- Electronic/Dance – "Into Another" by Matt Mclean

- Experimental – "Scene from a Window" by Rachel Dease

- Heavy – "Behold" by Dsycord

- Indigenous – "I Was Singing for the Good Times" by Azzy Bartlett & Kyle Bartlett

- Jazz – "The Deep Fryer" by Chris Sealey

- Love – "Take it Slow" by Slackjaw & Episode

- Mentally Healthy – "Rag Doll" by Simone Keane

- Pop – "Lay the Noose" by Schvendes

- Regional – "Burning" – Simone Keane

- Rock – "Mis Adventure" by Sons of Rico

- Schools 14 Yrs and below – "This Ground" – Jake Wylde

- Schools 15–17 Yrs – "Breakfast in Bedlam" by Georgi Kay

- Urban – "Nothin 2 Say" by Jarrid Allen, Andrew Wright & Brooke Wilkie

- World/Folk – "The Silver Yacht" by Rachel & Henry Climb a Hill

2010 Grand Prize

- "Breakfast in Bedlam" by Georgi Kay

2010 Popular Song

- "Take Me Home" by Them Little Secrets and Fred Rea

### 2011

2011 WAM Song of the Year was announced by Russell Woolf (Presenter Weather & 720 ABC Perth Drive program), at the Fly By Night Musicians' Club.

The sixteen award winners were:

- Blues and Roots – "Overdrive" by Matt Cal

- Country – "Wheatbelt" by Gary Dobbin

- Electronic/Dance – "My Love's (Not Good Enough)" by Bastian's Happy Flight

- Experimental – "They Found My Skull in the Nest of a Bird" by Tangled Thoughts of Leaving

- Heavy – "Throw Us to the Wind" by Tangled Thoughts of Leaving

- Indigenous – "Wangkaja" by John Bennett

- Jazz – "Another New Beginnings Again" by Elliot Hughes

- Love – "Speak the Truth in Love" by Timothy Nelson

- Mentally Healthy – "Reason to Live" by Complete

- Pop – "51 Swimsuits" by The Panda Band

- Regional – " Until the Siren Sounds" by Junior Bowles

- Rock – "Sally" by Sam Carmody

- Schools 14 Yrs and below – "I Miss Her" by Katharine Penkin

- Schools 15–17 Yrs – "Unkind" by Morgan Bain

- Urban / Hip Hop – "Free" by The Stoops featuring Georgie Kay

- World/Folk – "Another Sunday Morning" by Rhys Wood

2011 Grand Prize

- "Speak the Truth in Love" by Timothy Nelson

### 2012

2012 WAM Song of the Year was hosted by Darren de Mello from 96FM at the Fly By Night Musicians Club. Rainy Day Women took out the Grand Prize.Performances included Kucka, Yabu Band, Timothy Nelson & amp; The Infidels, and Boom! Bap! Pow!

The sixteen award winners were:

- Blues and Roots – "Driller" by Dilip n the Davs

- Country – "Take Me Home" by The Ghost Hotel

- Electronic/Dance – "Slew" by Ylem

- Experimental – "Polly (serialkillersundays)" by Kučka

- Heavy – " Walk Away" by The Sixth Extinction

- Indigenous – "Born on the River" by Jarred Wall

- Jazz – "Maelstrom" by Abbey/Foster/Falle

- Love – " Falling Outta Love" by Brian Mitra & Jake Webb

- Mentally Healthy – " Petrol Paint & Glue" by Yabu Band

- Pop – " Sleigh Bed" by Rainy Day Women

- Regional – "Heart of a Lion" by Codie Sundstrom

- Rock – " Ordinary" by Husband

- Schools 14 Yrs and below – " Inside and Out" by Lucinda Nicholls

- Schools 15–17 Yrs – "I Think I've Got You" by Morgan Bain

- Urban / Hip Hop – " The Ego-dystonic Blues" by FG

- World/Folk – "Mother's Petunias" by Brayden Sibbald

2012 Grand Prize

- "Sleigh Bed" by Rainy Day Women

### 2013

2013 WAM Song of the Year was held at Fly By Night Musicians Club in February 2013. Taking out the Grand Prize, producer Mathas, was awarded the Grand Prize for his song "Nourishment" (also featuring Abbe May). Performances on the night included Rainy Day Women, The Ghost Hotel, Ylem & Deas and Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics.

The sixteen award winners were:

- Blues and Roots – "High Tide" by Jordan McRobbie

- Country – "First And Last" by Graphic Fiction Heroes

- Electronic/Dance – "Nourishment" by Mathas (featuring Abbe May)

- Experimental – "So We Beat On, Boats Against The Current" by Cycle~ 440

- Folk – "No Such Thing as Waste" by Formidable Vegetable Sound System

- Heavy – "Frankenstein" by Sleepfreak

- Indigenous – "Friends" by Jarred Wall of Jake and the Cowboys

- Jazz – "Avina" by Nick Abbey

- Mentally Healthy – " Hurting Bird" by Rachel Gorman

- Love – "Falling Outta Love" by Brian Mitra & Jake Webb

- Pop – "Suit" by Boom! Bap! Pow!

- Regional – "Three States" by Minute 36 (Albany)

- Rock – "Body Unbind" by Eleventh He Reaches London

- Schools 14 & Under – "Listen" by Emmanuel Navarro aka ENAV

- Schools 15–17 Yrs – "Could Love" by Julia Nicholls

- Urban / Hip Hop – "Nourishment" by Mathas feat Abbe May

- World – "ANANTH: The Endless Dance" by 7 Beats

2013 Grand Prize

- "Nourishment" by Mathas (featuring Abbe May)

### 2014

2014 WAM Song of the Year was held at the B Shed warehouse in Fremantle, with Kučka taking out the Grand Prize.Performances on the night included: Methyl Ethel and Grace Barbé, plus Lilt and DJ John Safari.

The category winners were:

- Blues and Roots: "Hold On" by Morgan Bain

- Country: "Wrap Me in a Fever" by Ruby Boots

- Electronica: "Unconditional" by Kučka

- Experimental: "Earthquake" by Intenso Band

- Folk: "Tell My Lover" by Winter's Mile

- Heavy Metal: "Soldiers" by Chaos Divine

- Jazz: "Charon" by Trisk

- Outstanding Indigenous: "Ready to Love" by The Merindas

- Outstanding Regional: "Ain't Got Time for That" by Codee-Lee

- Pop: "Rogues" by Methyl Ethel

- Punk/Hardcore: "Wood & Wire" by Rag n' Bone

- Rock: "I Don't Think You Like Me" by Tired Lion

- Schools 14 & Under: "Hurricane" by Charlotte Viney

- Schools 15 – 17: "Seasons" by Mike Waller

- Urban / Hip Hip: "Someone" by Coin Banks

- World: "Fatige" by Grace Barbé

2014 Grand Prize

- "Unconditional" by Kučka

### 2015 / 2016

The 2015 / 2016 WAM Song of the Year was held on 9 April 2016. Beni Bjah became the first ever Indigenous artist to take the top honours.

The category winners were:

- Blues / Roots: "River" by Katie J White

- Country: "Melita Station" by Lynn Hazelton & Bill Chambers

- Electronic: "Trenchtown 2020" by Tobacco Rat

- Experimental: "Shaking Off Futility" by Tangled Thoughts of Leaving

- Folk: "My Love Affair With Archer" by Galloping Foxleys

- Heavy Metal: "Badge of Honour" by Chaos Divine

- Jazz: "Pius Bartosik" by Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian Jazz Group

- Outstanding Indigenous: "Survivors" by Beni Bjah

- Pop: "War and Porn" by Joni in the Moon

- Punk / Hardcore: "Monarch" by Nerve Quakes

- Outstanding Regional: "Didge It" by Fingers Mitchell Cullen

- Rock: "Death Rattle Waltz" by Rag n' Bone

- Schools 14 & Under: "Stronger" by Madi Henry

- Schools 15 – 17: "With You" by Charlotte Viney

- Urban / Hip Hop: "Pause" by Marksman Lloyd (featuring Coin Banks & Nic Di Lena, Prod. Sable)

- World: "Blame Lulu Peanuts – Metsahällilaul" by Eastwinds

2015/16 Grand Prize

- "Survivors" by Beni Bjah

### 2016 / 2017

The 2016 / 2017 WAM Song of the Year was held on 17 May 2017.

The category winners were:

- Blues / Roots: "The Prince" by Dan Howls

- Country: "Caught in the Crossfire" by Ralway Bell

- Electronic: "Infra" by Tobacco Rat

- Experimental: "As Steadfast As the Ether Itself" by The Intenso Band

- Folk: "Seasick" by Riley Pearce

- Heavy Metal: "Nucleust" by Of King & Tree

- Jazz: "Ignacio" by Harry Mitchell

- Outstanding Indigenous: "The Man of Calvary" by The Brownley Gospel Singers

- Pop: "When We Were Young" by Sydnee Carter

- Punk / Hardcore: "Pissy Flow" by Rag n' Bone

- Outstanding Regional: "Heart Is a Compass" by Codee Lee

- Rock: "Carbon Copy" by High Horse

- Schools 14 & Under: "Meaning of Life" by Farraday's Cage

- Schools 15 – 17: "Djarliny" by Burdiya Mob

- Urban / Hip Hop: "Meant to Do" by Macshane

- World: "Taste of Honey" by Jere Sosa

2016/17 Grand Prize

- "When We Were Young" by Sydnee Carter

### 2017 / 2018

The 2017 / 2018 WAM Song of the Year was held on 16 May 2018 at Fly By Night Musicians Club in Fremantle.

The category winners were:

- Blues / Roots: "Lies" by Carus Thompson

- Country: "Maybe I'm Just in Love" by The Little Lord Street Band

- Electronic: "Prior Engagement" by Feels

- Experimental: "The One" by Intenso

- Folk: "I Only Hide" by Helen Shanahan

- Heavy Metal: "Man is Wolf to Man Part 2" by Bolt Gun

- Jazz: "Don't Stop Here" by Harry Mitchell

- Outstanding Indigenous: "Country Is Calling" by John Bennett

- Pop: "Boys Will Be Boys" by Stella Donnelly

- Punk / Hardcore: "Magic Glove" by The Bob Gordons

- Outstanding Regional: "Country Is Calling" by John Bennett

- Rock: "A Boy and a Boy" by J.F.K

- Schools 14 & Under: "The Fire Inside" by Farraday's Cage

- Schools 15 – 17: "Ear to Lend" by Figurehead

- Urban / Hip Hop: "Be Real" by Coin Banks (featuring Danny Martin)

- World: "Same Drum" by Akolkol Dastan Gesa

2017/18 Grand Prize

- " Boys Will Be Boys " by Stella Donnelly

### 2018 / 2019

The 2018 / 2019 WAM Song of the Year was held on 26 June 2019.

The category winners were:

- Act-Belong-Commit: "Are You Okay?"by Pat Chow

- Blues / Roots: "Old Man of the Blues" by Tom Fisher and The Layabouts

- Country: "Letter to a Baby Girl" by The Eastern Line

- Electronic: "They Need Us" by Feels (featuring Stella Donnelly)

- Experimental: "a moment like this..?" by Stephen de Filippo

- Folk: "Elephants" by Riley Pearce

- Heavy Metal: "Perished Walls Speak" by Elderflower

- Jazz: "Song for Days When" by Nick Abbey

- Outstanding Indigenous: "Flewnt" by Kya Kyana

- Pop: "The Hunting Birds" by Currents

- Punk / Hardcore: "Derby Jetty" by Trolley Boy

- Outstanding Regional: "Spider's Web" by Brayden Sibbald

- Rock: "Greg's Discount Chemist" by Carla Geneve

- Schools 14 & Under: "Shattered Heart" by Ava Sharp

- Schools 15 – 17: "Can't Help This Feeling" by Electrocity Ensemble

- Urban / Hip Hop: "Flewnt" by Kya Kyana

- World: "Bahar" by Tara Tiba

2018/19 Grand Prize

- "Greg's Discount Chemist" by Carla Geneve

### 2020

The 2020 WAM Song of the Year was held on 29 July 2020. Taking out the overall Grand Prize win for the second year in a row was Albany born singer-songwriter Carla Geneve with her song, "2001".

The category winners were:

- Act-Belong-Commit: "Home" by Indigo Ellis

- Blues / Roots: "Take Me Down" by Karin Page

- Country: "Half Frozen Beer" by Jack Davies and The Bush Chooks

- Electronic: "Alchemise" by Grievous Bodily Calm

- Experimental: "Existence is Exile & Nothingness, Home" by Bolt Gun

- Folk: "Things Change" by Carla Geneve

- Global: "Mardilo" by Grace Barbé

- Heavy Metal: "Dead Rat" by RATSALAD

- Outstanding Indigenous: "I Don't Wanna Be" by MissGenius

- Jazz: "Sketches" by Harry Mitchell

- Pop: "Catch Up" by The Hunting Birds

- Punk / Hardcore: "Gatorade" by HUSSY

- Outstanding Regional: "Never Let Me Know" by The Gusset

- Rock: "2001" by Carla Geneve

- Schools 14 & Under: "Home" by Indigo Ellis

- Schools 15 – 17: "In Memory of" by Vmarie

- Urban / Hip Hop: "Bad Like Ri Ri" Adrian Dzvuke (featuring POW! Negro)

2020 Grand Prize

- "2001" by Carla Geneve

### 2021

The 2021 WAM Song of the Year was held on 22 September 2021.

The category winners were:

- Act-Belong-Commit: "Always Was Always Will Be" by Natasha Eldridge

- Blues / Roots: "Just the Way It Is" by Siobhan Cotchin

- Country: "Ngaalang Moort/Ngany Koorlangka (My Kid)" by Cindy Moody and Phil Bartlett

- Electronic: "Coppola" by Maver featuring Marksman Lloyd

- Experimental: "Coodamurup" by Jean-Michel Maujean

- Folk: "Biding Time" by Timothy Nelson

- Global: "Warri Yungu, Warri Baba" by Warralgurniya

- Heavy Metal: "Hunter" by The Harvest Trail

- Hip Hop: "Darling" by Adrian Dzvuke

- Outstanding Indigenous: "Malu Mabu Liyan" by Matalja

- Jazz: "Cantuta" by Daniel Susnjar

- Pop: "Grid" by Wasteland and Sydnee Carter

- Punk / Hardcore: "Bloke" by RATSALAD

- Outstanding Regional: "Afterglow" by Brayden Sibbald

- Rock: "It Gets Worse" by Pat Chow

- Schools 14 & Under: "Old Land's Tale" by Angelina Curtis

- Schools 15 – 17: "Left Shoe" by Detour

2021 Grand Prize

- "Just the Way It Is" by Siobhan Cotchin

### 2022

The 2022 ceremony was staged at Freo.Social on 21 September 2022

- Act Belong Commit: Iconyx - "Dawn of the Future"

- Blues & Roots: Angie Colman - "Maths"

- Country: Codee-Lee - "Smoke & Mirrors"

- Electronic: PROJECT BEXX - "Don't Touch Me"

- Experimental: Dan Sutherland - "Bridges"

- Folk: Finn Pearson Band -"No Apologies"

- Global: Kate Pass Kohesia Ensemble - "Black Mountain"

- Heavy/ Metal: Darkmatter - "Parasite Culture"

- Hip Hop/ New R&B:Supathick & Adrian Dzvuke (featuring Keely Brittain) - "July"

- Jazz: Artemis Orchestra - "The Elephant in the Room"

- Outstanding Indigenous: Patrick Woodley & Lauralee Faith (featuring Danilo Da Paz & Dan Ablett) - "Something 'bout You Baby"

- Outstanding Regional: Dr Tasty - "Hopscotch"

- Pop: South Summit - "River Days"

- Punk/ Hardcore: RATSALAD - "Chicken Lips"

- Rock: Carla Geneve - "Dog Eared"

- Schools 14 Under: Elianie - "Moonlight"

- Schools 15-18: Mia June - "Fish in a Bowl"

2022 Grand Prize

- Dr Tasty - "Hopscotch"

### 2023

The 2023 ceremony was staged at Freo.Social on 20 June 2023

- Act Belong Commit: Dal Jones - "Kaya"

- Blues & Roots: Sash Seabourne - "Receiver"

- Country: Bill Lawrie (Sea Swallow) - "Down to the Wild Stuff Now"

- Electronic: Anna O - "We've Got Time"

- Experimental: Matt Tondut - "Novae"

- Folk: Cameron Alexander - "This Storm"

- Global: Daniel Susnjar - "Here's to Life"

- Heavy/ Metal: RinRin - "Guns and Grenade"

- Hip Hop/ New R&B: Madoc Plane - "Our Worst Enemy"

- Jazz: Maximillian Wickham - "One Planet"

- Outstanding Indigenous: Joan & The Giants - "The Weekend"

- Outstanding Regional: Sunny Day - "Don't Wanna Go Home"

- Pop: Dulcie - "Test Drive"

- Punk/ Hardcore: RATSALAD - "Punch in the Face"

- Rock: Joan & The Giants - "Cool Kid"

- Schools 14 Under: Sofia Gale - "In Your Eyes"

- Schools 15-18: Centre - "Illusion"

2023 Grand Prize

- Dulcie - "Test Drive"

### 2024

The 2024 ceremony was staged at Freo.Social on 19 June 2024

- Act Belong Commit: Sofia Gale - "Laugh"

- Blues & Roots: Sash Seabourne - "Raised By Rivers"

- Country: Rhys Wood - "FIFO Song: Where I'm Not"

- Electronic: Grievous Bodily Calm - "Spirals"

- Experimental: SNAW - "A Light Scalping"

- Folk: Good News Now We Can Eat All the Vampires - "The Miner"

- Global: Rochelle O'Reilly - "The Water"

- Heavy/ Metal: RinRin - "Miss Miserable"

- Hip Hop/ New R&B: Rein Mali featuring Chiseko - "Game of Love"

- Jazz: Grievous Bodily Calm - "Yawp!"

- Outstanding Indigenous: Boox Kid - "Don't Waste Time"

- Outstanding Regional: Sunny Day - "Dad Says I Need to Buy a TV"

- Pop: Sophian - "Beautiful Day"

- Punk/ Hardcore: Wesley Black - "Ready2Go"

- Rock: Joan & The Giants - "Born in the Wrong Time"

- Schools 14 Under: Twelve Parsecs - "The Only Thing (That Matters"

- Schools 15-18: Nocturnal - "Hey So Hungry"

2024 Grand Prize

- Rein Mali featuring Chiseko - "Game of Love"


# List of Michelin-starred restaurants in Washington, D.C.

## Abstract

This article contains a complete list of Michelin-starred restaurants in Washington, D.C.. The Washington, D.C. guide started in 2017, and is the first US Michelin Guide released in a new region since the Chicago guide in 2011. It is the fourth US guide after New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago. Although originally stating that all restaurants would be within the city limits, Michelin awarded stars to The Inn at Little Washington, which is in Virginia.

As of the 2023 guide, there are 25 restaurants in the DC-area with a Michelin-star rating, a rating system used by the Michelin Guide to grade restaurants based on their quality.


WAM Song of the Year