It’s Australian Music’s night of nights and, as always, the winners are grinners.
The 2015 ARIA Awards celebrate all that’s great about the Australian recorded music industry, with a slew of awards being given out across the night, in addition to those confirmed at the nominations event back in early October.
Said fine arts and artisan awards were won by Gurrumul (‘Best World Music Album’), Kevin Parker (‘Engineer Of The Year’ and ‘Producer Of The Year’ for Tame Impala’s album ‘Currents’) and Courtney Barnett (‘Best Cover Art’ for ‘Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit’.)
Tonight’s awards belonged to Tame Impala, who picked up five awards in all, including Best Group and the coveted Album Of The Year, but Courtney Barnett wasn’t far behind on three awards; Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist and Best Independent Release.
Tina Arena’s induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame by Kylie Minogue was accompanied by a spectacular performance of her single ‘Chains’, featuring guest appearances from The Veronicas and Jessica Mauboy. It’s being released imminently (read HERE).
ARIA CEO Dan Rosen was understandably full of praise for tonight’s awards.
“2015 has been a remarkable year for Australian music and that was certainly evident with the wealth of talent present in the room tonight,” he said in a statement. “The collection of tonight’s winners, nominees and performers highlight the world-class homegrown talent that we have here in Australia. ARIA congratulates all of tonight’s winners, in particular Courtney Barnett & Tame Impala, who both won multiple ARIA Awards.”
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records/Remote Control)
Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Future Classic)
Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)
Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia)
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Meg Mac – MEGMAC EP (littleBIGMAN / Inertia)
Jessica Mauboy – Can I Get A Moment? (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)
Megan Washington – There There (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
BEST MALE ARTIST
#1 Dads – Nominal (Pieater / Inertia)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Daniel Johns – Talk (Eleven / EMI)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)
Guy Sebastian – Tonight Again (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
BEST GROUP
5 Seconds of Summer – LiveSOS (EMI)
AC/DC – Rock Or Bust (Alberts / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia)
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST (PRESENTED BY PPCA)
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Gang of Youths – The Positions (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Meg Mac – Never Be (littleBIGMAN / Inertia)
Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment/ Warner Music Australia)
BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)
Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions (Gawd Aggie Recordings)
BEST POP RELEASE
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)
Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment / Warner Music Australia)
Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)
Tame Impala – Let It Happen (Modular / Universal Music Australia)
BEST DANCE RELEASE
Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Future Classic)
Hayden James – Something About You (Future Classic)
Peking Duk – Take Me Over feat. SAFIA (Vicious Bitch / Universal Music Australia)
Rüfüs – You Were Right (Sweat It Out / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Alison Wonderland – Run (EMI)
BEST URBAN ALBUM
Citizen Kay – Demokracy (Asphalt Records / MGM)
Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Weapon (Flying Buddha / Sony Music Masterworks)
The Meeting Tree – R U A Cop (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Seth Sentry – Strange New Past (High Score Records / Inertia)
Tuka – Life Death Time Eternal (EMI)
BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
John Farnham & Olivia Newton-John – Two Strong Hearts (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions (Gawd Aggie Recordings / Universal Music Australia)
Oh Mercy – When We Talk About Love (EMI)
Szymon – Tigersapp (EMI / Eloper Music)
Megan Washington – There There (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Catherine Britt – Boneshaker (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Troy Cassar-Daley – Freedom Ride (Liberation Music)
Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The Anzacs (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Mustered Courage – White Lies and Melodies (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Shane Nicholson – Hell Breaks Loose (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia)
BEST BLUES & ROOTS ALBUM
The Black Sorrows – Endless Sleep (Head Records)
Tim Rogers & The Bamboos – The Rules of Attraction (Warner Music Australia)
C.W. Stoneking – Gon’ Boogaloo (King Hokum Records / Caroline Australia)
The Waifs – Beautiful You (Jarrah Records / MGM)
Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams (Caroline Australia)
BEST ROCK ALBUM
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Dead Letter Circus – Aesthesis (UNFD)
Gang of Youths – The Positions (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia)
BEST HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL ALBUM
Born Lion – Final Words (FOUR|FOUR / Universal Music Australia)
In Hearts Wake – Skydancer (UNFD)
King Parrot – Dead Set (EVP Recordings / Rocket Distribution)
Northlane – Node (UNFD)
Thy Art Is Murder – Holy War (UNFD)
BEST CHILDRENS ALBUM
Giggle and Hoot – Hootastic Tunes (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Sam Moran – Play Along With Sam: BOO! (6 Degrees Records / MGM)
Rhys Muldoon – Perfect Is The Enemy Of Good (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Play School – Favourite Things – Songs and Nursery Rhymes from Play School (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
The Wiggles – Rock & Roll Preschool (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
BEST COMEDY RELEASE
Bondi Hipsters – Fuhck The Bahnks (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Ronny Chieng – Chieng Reaction (Century Entertainment)
Buddy Goode – Songs To Ruin Every Occasion (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Sammy J & Randy – Live (Head Records)
Matt Okine – Live at the Enmore Theatre (Century Entertainment)
PUBLICLY VOTED AWARDS
BEST AUSTRALIAN LIVE ACT
5 Seconds Of Summer – Rock Out With Your Socks Out Tour (EMI)
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit Album Tour (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Nick Cave – Nick Cave Australian Tour (Bad Seed / Kobalt Label Services)
Gang of Youths – Gang of Youths National Tour (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light Tour (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Hilltop Hoods – Cosby Sweater Australian Tour (Golden Era Records / Universal Music Australia)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away Tour (Liberation Music)
Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions Tour (Gawd Aggie Recordings / Universal Music Australia)
The Preatures – The Cruel Tour (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Sheppard – The Bombs Away Tour (Chugg Music & Empire Of Song / MGM Distribution)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
James Bay – Chaos And The Calm (Universal / Universal Music Australia)
Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways (RCA / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Calvin Harris – Motion (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Hozier – Hozier (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
One Direction – Four (Syco / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Mark Ronson – Uptown Special (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Ed Sheeran – X (Atlantic UK / Warner Music)
Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour (Capitol / EMI)
Taylor Swift – 1989 (Big Machine Records / Universal Music Australia)
Meghan Trainor – Title (Epic Records / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
BEST VIDEO
Prad Senanayake for Alison Wonderland – U Don’t Know feat. Wayne Coyne (EMI)
Charlie Ford for Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Lorin Askill for Daniel Johns – Aerial Love (Eleven / EMI)
Anthony Rose for Delta Goodrem – Wings (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Clemens Habicht for Flume – Some Minds feat. Andrew Wyatt (Future Classic)
Kess Broekman-Dattner for Hermitude – Through The Roof feat. Young Tapz (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Duncan Toombs for Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The Anzacs (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Filmery for Shane Nicholson – Secondhand Man (Lost Highway Australia)
Luci Schroder for Vance Joy – Georgia (Liberation Music)
Matt Sharp & Daniel James for The Veronicas – You Ruin Me (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
SONG OF THE YEAR
Iggy Azalea – Trouble feat. Jennifer Hudson (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Grace – You Don’t Own Me feat. G-Eazy (RCA / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Vance Joy – Georgia (Liberation Music)Marlisa – Stand By You (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Nathaniel – Live Louder (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Peking Duk – Take Me Over feat. SAFIA (Vicious Bitch/Universal Music Australia)
Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment / Warner Music Australia)
Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)
The Veronicas – You Ruin Me (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)