Michele Madden at The Rolling Stone Awards: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia... Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 The Rolling Stone Awards, celebrating the best in Australian entertainment in 2012, will be hosted by legendary Cruel Sea/Beasts of Bourbon/the Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins. The evening will feature performances by Melbourne's Owl Eyes and DJs MINX and Leah Mencel (winners of the She Can DJ comp 2011 and 2012). Having enjoyed one of the most successful years of their career in 2012, Hilltop Hoods look set to continue their good form into 2013 and lead the nominations for the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards. The Hilltop Hoods are up for three gongs: Album of the Year (Drinking From The Sun), Video of the Year (I Love It) and Best Live Act. Sharing two nominations each are Melbourne up-and-comer Chet Faker, Sydney quartet The Jezabels, Perth rockers Tame Impala, Sydney MC Urthboy, Byron Bay metalcore kings Parkway Drive, Menangle outfit The Rubens and instrumental heroes the Dirty Three. Some of the nominees include: Album of the Year: Sarah Blasko (I Awake), Hilltop Hoods (Drinking From The Sun); Dirty Three (Toward the Low Sun); Paul Kelly (Spring and Fall); Tame Impala (Lonerism); and Urthboy (Smokey's Haunt). International Act of the Year: Frank Ocean, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Keys, Jack White and Neil Young. Live Act of the Year: 360, Dirty Three, Hilltop Hoods, Parkway Drive, Tame Impala, The Jezabels and The Living End. Best New Talent: Alpine, Chet Faker, Flume, San Cisco, The Medics and The Rubens News... Tame Impala win at Rolling Stone Awards... Tame Impala have taken out the Rolling Stone Award for Album of the Year thanks to their second album Lonerism. The Perth psych-rockers collected the award for a second time in their short career, having won in 2011 with debut album Innerspeaker. The latest accolade, presented at a star-packed music industry bash in Sydney, adds to the international clamour around the band and its frontman Kevin Parker. Lonerism made history as the first Australian album to be hailed an album of the year by music bible NME and topped several end of year lists, while at home it was worthy of Triple J's coveted J Award. Australian music promoter and The Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski received the other major honour in the annual Rolling Stone Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to popular culture. Past recipients have included Cold Chisel and Paul Kelly. Other winners on Wednesday night included Melbourne singer/producer Chet Faker who claimed best independent release for his acclaimed Thinking In Textures EP. In a good year for rock music, Byron Bay metalcore band Parkway Drive were named best live act, while Cairns four-piece The Medics got the nod for best new talent. The Presets scooped best single for their inventive electro-shanty Ghosts, while Gotye's single Easy Way Out was awarded the music video of the year thanks to the direction of Darcy Prendergast. Held at Bondi's Beach Road Hotel, the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards were hosted by Beasts of Bourbon and Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins and featured a performance by rising starlet Owl Eyes. The guest list included bands visiting for the Big Day Out festival tour, such as Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses, Alabama Shakes and Crystal Castles. Websites Rolling Stone www.rollingstone.com Rolling Stone Australia Facebook www.facebook.com/rollingstoneaustralia Beach Road Hotel www.beachroadbondi.com.au Eva Rinaldi Photography www.evarinaldi.com Music News Australia www.musicnewsaustralia.com