2015 Scene Awards - Video of the Year

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... welcome to the 6th annual Scene Awards! Well, it's more like welcome back, since Montaigne has already taken home the Scene Award for Song of the Year with 'Clip My Wings'. Remember, we had like this countdown going for a couple of weeks and it was awesome and... you remember? Good. Great! Anywho, from now until the end of the year (with a small break over Christmas), we'll be handing out awards for Video of the Year, Best New Artist, Australian Artist of the Year, EP of the Year, Group of the Year, Man of the Year, Woman of the Year and Album of the Year. First up, it's the Video of the Year. Let's get to it...

VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

#4. Clip My Wings

by Montaigne

Directed by Guy Franklin

It’s fitting that the song we named our number one song of 2015, Montaigne’s ‘Clip My Wings’ also has a clip so stunning we had to include it in our list of favourite clips of the year, even though I’ll probably be using so many of the same words we’ve already used to express our adoration of a talent so impressive. Everything that the song is, the clip is even more so; beautiful, strong, spectacular, bold and brave. It’s a visual journey that is simple but so complex, her movements as natural as they are involuntary and the neutral feel of it all leaves so much room for a kaleidoscope of emotions, sounds and sentiments. Every beat is met perfectly with a seemingly uncontrolled movement, each note meticulously matched with gorgeous visuals and Jess Cerro’s beautifully expressive looks and stares. It’s a deceptively simple clip for a deceptively complex song that is unflinching in its exquisite confidence and I feel like they are the kinds of words we’ll be using to describe so much of Montaigne’s future. (Jo Michelmore) 

#3. Pedestrian At Best

by Courtney Barnett

Directed by Charlie Ford

Now, I hate clowns as much as the next relatively sane person, but I'm all for Courtney Barnett's super sad 2014 clown of the year. Sad clowns, man. Sad clowns. Something about a sad clown just feels... right? If any moment in a 2015 music video spoke to me, it's Courtney's time spent on the fairground ride... Going round and around with the most exasperated and defeated look on her face. It would have spoken to anyone trying to wrap their head around this whole adult-ing thing. Haha just kidding... Everything is fine. This is fine. Adulting is easy! Oh how we laughed and laughed. A lot of moments in the clip play into that view of 'Pedestrian At Best', with adults acting as children and adults acting as adults in the clip. Am I looking into this too much? I suppose the real point of the video is about how the world builds artists up only to break them down and move on to the next hot ticket in town. Which is perfect for the song. It's not about being apathetic, it's more world weariness shining through from the Barnett clown. That beaten down and defeated feeling that comes with life, you know? Yay.  Clowns are never funny and I definitely don't find this very fuu-uh-uuuu-uh-uuuu-uh-uuuu-ny. But I do think this is a special little video. The 2014 clown of the year meeting her 2013 equivalent for the least joyful joyride of all time caps off Courtney's best clip and one of our favourites of the year. (Matt Bond)

Runner-Up: Magnolia

by Gang of Youths

Directed by Josh Harris

Proving that less really can be more, here we have 'Magnolia' from Gang of Youths. Shot in black and white, the video is carried by the spectacular performance of the band which is full of the same attitude and energy you'll find at one of their live shows. Dave Le'aupepe finds himself lying in the middle of the road when we first meet him, but soon enough he's up on his feet and busting out the moooves. There's even some 'Single Ladies' walking going on there. Move yourself over Beyoncé. Things escalate when the rest of the band show up; stuff gets broken, tables get set on fire... a pretty standard Tuesday night wouldn't you say? Josh Harris' partnership with the band as their video director has produced a whole lot of goodness. Check out 'Radioface' for another excellent watch. It was 'Magnolia' though that really stood out this year.  And it's kind of like watching Khal Drogo dancing up a storm for a lot of it. (Matt Bond)

WINNER: Drive

by Oh Wonder

Directed by Thomas James

I love the way that one song can mean so many different things to so many different people. A heartbreak song for one is a dance anthem for another, a sweet ballad for someone is a devastating mess for someone else. And so the same goes for the music clip. We watch the same visuals, we hear the same notes, but the message is however you take it, however you want it and however you feel it. When ‘Drive’ appeared at number 19 in our Top 115 Songs of 2015, Matt described his love of the clip and its stunning twist, which he described in a way only he can; “like watching The Sixth Sense all over again, but not like that at all really”. I haven’t seen The Sixth Sense, so you know, I can’t really say, but if watching that is all emotional and pretty scenes and American diners and trashing motel rooms and is she, isn’t she, who is he, who isn’t he; then it’s pretty much the same thing, but without Bruce Willis’ face and a much better soundtrack, so maybe Matt was spot on with his thoughts. My description is a little different, because the twist Matt saw is a little different to the twist I saw, but I’m not going to spoiler alert, I’m just going to let you make up your own mind, which is exactly what I love about songs and scenes meaning different things to different people. The most important thing is that whichever way you see it, Oh Wonder have produced a visual masterpiece; a beautiful journey of desperation and loneliness and tell a little story that so many of us can relate to, bat-shit crazy or just a little lonely, it’s certainly a wonderfully striking way to tell a story of loss. Who and what is lost is up to you. All of that and also, I want Josephine’s dress. (Jo Michelmore)

2014 Winner:

'It's Alright' by Fractures

Runner-Up: 'I'm A Fantastic Wreck' by Montaigne

2013 Winner:

'The Bed Song' by Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra

Runner-Up: 'You Are New' by The Trouble With Templeton

2012 Winner:

'Bad Girls' by M.I.A

Runner-Up: 'Hey Jane' by Spiritualized 

2011 Winner:

'Lonely Boy' by The Black Keys

Runner-Up: 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye ft. Kimbra

2010 Winner:

'Islands' by The xx