ARIA Music Awards

Updated on Jan 19, 2024

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First awarded 1987 Official website ariaawards.com.au Country Australia		Last awarded Current Ceremony date 23 November 2016

Awarded for Excellence and innovation in all genres of Australian music. Network Network Ten (1992–2000, 2002–08, 2010, 2014–present)Nine Network (2001, 2009)GO! (2011–13) Presented by Australian Recording Industry Association Winners Crowded House, Crowded House, Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame, SkinFlume, Skin, Album of the Year, Album of the Year, YOUTHTroye Sivan, YOUTH, Song of the Year, Song of the Year, SiaThis Is Acting, Sia, Best Female Artist, Best Female Artist, Glorious HeightsMontaigne, Glorious Heights, Breakthrough Artist Award, Breakthrough Artist Award, Never Be Like YouFlume - Kai, Never Be Like You, Best Pop Release, Best Pop Release, FlumeSkin, Flume, Best Male Artist, Best Male Artist, Violent SohoWACO, Violent Soho, Best Group, Best Group, SkinFlume, Skin, Best Independent Release, Best Independent Release, SkinFlume, Skin, Best Dance Release, Best Dance Release, One DirectionMade in the AM - Four, One Direction, Best International Artist, Best International Artist, WACOViolent Soho, WACO, Best Rock Album, Best Rock Album, Seven MirrorsDrapht, Seven Mirrors, Best Urban Album, Best Urban Album, Wiggle Town!The Wiggles, Wiggle Town!, Best Children's Album, Best Children's Album, Red Dirt – Red HeartRussell Morris, Red Dirt – Red Heart, Best Blues and Roots Album, Best Blues and Roots Album, SilosSara Storer, Silos, Best Country Album, Best Country Album, Civil DuskBernard Fanning, Civil Dusk, Best Adult Contemporary Album, Best Adult Contemporary Album, Nonagon InfinityKing Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Nonagon Infinity, Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album, Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album, SkinJohnathan Zawada, Skin, Best Cover Art, Best Cover Art, Melbourne Ska OrchestraSierra Kilo Alpha, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Best World Music Album, Best World Music Album, CurrentsTame Impala, Currents, Album of the Year, Album of the Year, Start AgainConrad Sewell, Start Again, Song of the Year, Song of the Year, Courtney BarnettSometimes I Sit and Think - and Sometimes I Just Sit, Courtney Barnett, Best Female Artist, Best Female Artist, Sometimes I Sit and Think - and Sometimes I Just SitCourtney Barnett, Sometimes I Sit and Think - and Sometimes I Just Sit, Breakthrough Artist Award, Breakthrough Artist Award, Do You RememberJarryd James, Do You Remember, Best Pop Release, Best Pop Release, Vance JoyDream your life away, Vance Joy, Best Male Artist, Best Male Artist, You Were RightRüfüs, You Were Right, Best Dance Release, Best Dance Release, One DirectionFour, One Direction, Best International Artist, Best International Artist, CurrentsTame Impala, Currents, Best Rock Album, Best Rock Album, Strange New PastSeth Sentry, Strange New Past, Best Urban Album, Best Urban Album, Play Along With Sam: BOO!Sam Moran, Play Along With Sam: BOO!, Best Children's Album, Best Children's Album, Gon' BoogalooC W Stoneking, Gon' Boogaloo, Best Blues and Roots Album, Best Blues and Roots Album, Hell Breaks LooseShane Nicholson, Hell Breaks Loose, Best Country Album, Best Country Album, When We Talk About LoveOh Mercy, When We Talk About Love, Best Adult Contemporary Album, Best Adult Contemporary Album, NodeNorthlane, Node, Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album, Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album, Sometimes I Sit and Think - and Sometimes I Just SitCourtney Barnett, Sometimes I Sit and Think - and Sometimes I Just Sit, Best Cover Art, Best Cover Art, Geoffrey Gurrumul YunupinguThe Gospel Album, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Best World Music Album, Best World Music Album, Peter Sculthorpe: Complete Works for Solo PianoTamara Anna Cislowska, Peter Sculthorpe: Complete Works for Solo Piano, Best Classical Album, Best Classical Album, CurrentsTame Impala - Kevin Parker, Currents, Engineer of the Year, Engineer of the Year, Beat the Drum (Live Concert Celebrating 40 Years of triple j)Universal Music Australia - ABC Music, Beat the Drum (Live Concert Celebrating 40 Years of triple j), Best Original Soundtrack - Cast or Show Album, Best Original Soundtrack - Cast or Show Album, 1000 Forms of FearSia, 1000 Forms of Fear, Album of the Year, Album of the Year, She Looks So Perfect5 Seconds of Summer, She Looks So Perfect, Song of the Year, Song of the Year, Sia1000 Forms of Fear, Sia, Best Female Artist, Best Female Artist, The New ClassicIggy Azalea, The New Classic, Breakthrough Artist Award, Breakthrough Artist Award, 1000 Forms of FearSia, 1000 Forms of Fear, Best Pop Release, Best Pop Release, Nick MurphyBuilt on Glass, Nick Murphy, Best Male Artist, Best Male Artist, SheppardBombs Away, Sheppard, Best Group, Best Group, Built on GlassNick Murphy, Built on Glass, Best Independent Release, Best Independent Release, HighPeking Duk, High, Best Dance Release, Best Dance Release, One DirectionMidnight Memories, One Direction, Best International Artist, Best International Artist, BlackbirdDan Sultan, Blackbird, Best Rock Album, Best Rock Album, Walking Under StarsHilltop Hoods, Walking Under Stars, Best Urban Album, Best Urban Album, Apples & BananasThe Wiggles, Apples & Bananas, Best Children's Album, Best Children's Album, Flesh & BloodJohn Butler Trio, Flesh & Blood, Best Blues and Roots Album, Best Blues and Roots Album, BittersweetKasey Chambers, Bittersweet, Best Country Album, Best Country Album, Goin' Your WayNeil Finn - Paul Kelly, Goin' Your Way, Best Adult Contemporary Album, Best Adult Contemporary Album, Black RatDZ Deathrays, Black Rat, Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album, Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album, Built on GlassTin & Ed, Built on Glass, Best Cover Art, Best Cover Art, Joseph TawadrosPermission To Evaporate, Joseph Tawadros, Best World Music Album, Best World Music Album, CompassionSydney Symphony Orchestra - Lior - Nigel Westlake, Compassion, Best Classical Album, Best Classical Album

The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards or ARIA Awards) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The event has been held annually since 1987 and encompasses the general genre-specific and popular awards (these are what is usually being referred to as "the ARIA awards") as well as Fine Arts Awards and Artisan Awards (held separately from 2004), Lifetime Achievement Awards and ARIA Hall of Fame – held separately from 2005 to 2010 but returned to the general ceremony in 2011. For 2010, ARIA introduced public voted awards for the first time.

ARIA Music Awards 2014 ARIA Awards Return To Sydney39s Star Music Feeds

Winning, or even being nominated for, an ARIA award results in a lot of media attention and publicity on an artist, and usually increases recording sales several-fold, as well as chart significance – in 2005, for example, after Ben Lee won three awards, his album Awake Is the New Sleep jumped from No. 31 to No. 5 in the ARIA Charts, its highest position.

History

ARIA Music Awards Katty Perry Charli XCX step out for Australia39s Aria music awards

In 1983, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) was established by the six major record companies then operating in Australia, EMI, Festival Records, CBS (now known as Sony Music), RCA (now known as BMG), WEA (now known as Warner Music) and Polygram (now known as Universal) replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers (AARM) which was formed in 1956. It later included smaller record companies representing independent acts/labels and has over 100 members.

ARIA Music Awards Gotye wins big at 2012 ARIA awards ABC News Australian

Australian TV pop music show Countdown presented its own annual awards ceremony, Countdown Music and Video Awards, which were co-produced by Carolyn James (a.k.a. Carolyn Bailey) from 1981 to 1984 and, in the latter two years, in collaboration with ARIA. ARIA provided peer voting for some awards, while Countdown provided coupons in the related Countdown Magazine for viewers to vote for populist awards. At the 1985 Countdown awards ceremony, held on 14 April 1986, fans of INXS and Uncanny X-Men scuffled during the broadcast and as a result ARIA decided to hold their own awards.

Starting with the first ceremony, on 2 March 1987, ARIA administered its own entirely peer-voted ARIA Music Awards, to "recognise excellence and innovation in all genres of Australian music" with an annual ceremony. Initially included in the same awards ceremonies, it established the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988, it held separate annual ceremonies from 2005 to 2010, the Hall of Fame returned to the general ceremony in 2011. The ARIA Hall of Fame "honours Australian musicians' achievements [that] have had a significant impact in Australia or around the world".

The first ceremony, in 1987, featured Elton John as the compere and was held at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel, Sydney. There were no live performances at the early ARIAs, music for both walk on/walk off was supplied by a nightclub dj, Rick Powell. All subsequent ceremonies were held in Sydney except the 1992 event at World Congress Centre, Melbourne. For 2010, ARIA introduced public voted awards for the first time. Winning, or even being nominated for, an ARIA award results in a lot of media attention and publicity on an artist, and may increase recording sales several-fold, as well as chart significance – in 2005, for example, after Ben Lee won three awards, his album Awake Is the New Sleep jumped from No. 31 to No. 5 in the ARIA Charts, its highest position.

Broadcast history

The first five ARIA Awards were not televised, at the very first award ceremony on 2 March 1987, the host, Elton John, advised the industry to keep them off television "if you want these Awards to stay fun". The first televised ARIA Awards ceremony occurred in 1992, all subsequent ceremonies were televised. They were broadcast on Network Ten from 2002 to 2008 and returned in 2010. Nine Network aired the ceremony on 26 November 2009, its digital channel, GO!, aired the 2011 ARIA Music Awards on 27 November 2011.

Controversy

At the 1988 ceremony a fracas developed between band manager, Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and former Countdown compere, Ian "Molly" Meldrum, who was presenting. They conflicted over visiting United Kingdom artist, Bryan Ferry, who had also presented an award. Morris objected to Ferry's presence and insulted him, Meldrum defended Ferry and then scuffled with Morris. In 1995 electronic music group, Itch-E and Scratch-E, won the inaugural award for "Best Dance Release" for their single, "Sweetness and Light". Band member, Paul Mac thanked Sydney's ecstasy dealers for their help. One of the sponsors of the awards, that year, was the National Drug Offensive. In 2005 Mac explained that he did not expect to win and so had not prepared a speech. His speech was bleeped for the TV broadcast.

During the 2004 voting process, former 3RRR radio DJ, Cousin Creep (a.k.a. Craig Barnes), published his user name and password on a music site, Rocknerd, allowing public votes, before being removed from voting two days later. The 2007 ARIA Awards telecast was marred by controversy, after it was revealed by the ABC's Media Watch programme that Network Ten had used subliminal advertising during the course of the broadcast, which under the Australian Media and Broadcasting rules, such an activity is illegal. Network Ten disputed the finding, however their basis for defence was criticised by Media Watch, as demonstrating an ignorance of the rules. The 2010 telecast was criticised in media reports: Crikey's Neil Walker decried the "infamously shambolic Sydney Opera House fiasco", The Punch's Rebekah Devlin speculated on it being the worst ever telecast, "it felt like we’d stumbled into some raging A-list party and we definitely weren’t invited [...] Guests who were there said it was a great night, but it reignites the debate of what the Arias are actually all about… is it an event staged for the musicians and the people there, or is it for a TV audience?", while Daily Telegraph's Kathy McCabe felt the "underlying problem with the past two years’ telecasts is they have tried to be all things to all people and do way too much" and advised that ARIA should get "professionals to do the job professionally, give them ample time to rehearse and allow them to protest when the words just don’t work". In 2011 Dallas Crane's vocalist and guitarist, Dave Larkin hoped for improvement from ARIA and the telecast, "[s]o gross was last year’s 'stubby-on-the-opera-house-steps' screaming match, that it still burns a brutal reflux just thinking what horrible depths our embattled industry and its unfortunate viewership plummeted to on that grievous evening of small screen hell" and felt their main flaw was that the "ARIAs never seem to take enough time or pride educating the masses on our local industry legends ... There never seems to be enough reference or homage paid to great Aussie pop and rock trailblazers who made and continue to make Australian music what it is today".

Nomination process

To be eligible, a release must be commercially available within the specified period for a given year. Material must be previously unrecorded, thus ruling out most live albums. A recording can be nominated within multiple categories, but only one genre category (for example, an album could not be simultaneously nominated for Best Pop Release and Best Dance Release). Re-released recordings are not eligible and compilations are not eligible.

Artists must either be Australian citizens, or have applied for or attained permanent resident status and have resided in Australia for at least six months within the specified period. For bands, at least half the members of the group must meet this requirement. If a recording refers to both an individual and a band (for example, Dan Kelly & the Alpha Males), it must be nominated only the basis of the individual or the band, not mixed or both.

Some categories have further requirements as specified below:

Album/Single of the Year: Recording must appear in the ARIA Top 100 Albums or Singles chart respectively during the specified period.

Breakthrough Artist (Album/Single): Artist must not have previously reached the final five nominations in any ARIA awards category for any release, or have been in a group that has done so, or have a previous release in the Top 50 release charts.

Best Rock Album: "Recording must be directed toward Contemporary Rock, Modern Rock and Active Rock formats."

Best Adult Contemporary Album: "Recording must be directed toward Adult Contemporary formats."

Best Pop Release: "Recording must be directed toward CHR/Top 40 formats."

Best Independent Release: Recording must be released and funded by an ARIA member that is not a member of a multinational corporation.

Best Music DVD: Compilations may enter this category. Content must be at least 60% original. The release must be eligible to appear on the ARIA Music DVD chart (this means most "bonus disc" releases are unlikely to be eligible).

Best Comedy Release: Compilations are acceptable. Album, single and DVD releases are all eligible. Content must be 100% original.

Best Children's Album: Compilations are acceptable (but content must be 100% original, having been recorded specifically for that album). Form and content must be aimed at a pre-teen audience.

Best Dance Release: Compilations are acceptable. "Artists working primarily within the dance genre, e.g.: House, Techno, Trance, Hardcore, Garage, Breakbeat, Drum & Bass, Disco and Electronica are eligible. In the case of a remixed album or single, the production team(s) and the original recording artist(s) must both meet the artist eligibility criteria, and the release must qualify for inclusion in either the ARIA Album or Single chart."

Best Urban Release: "Artists working primarily within the urban genre, e.g.: r’n’b, hip-hop, soul, funk, reggae and dancehall, are eligible. In the case of a remixed album or single, the production team(s) and the original recording artist(s) must both meet the artist eligibility criteria, and the release must qualify for inclusion in either the ARIA Album or Single chart. The ARIA member must also nominate whether the production team or the original recording artist would be the recipient of the award."

Sales awards: A company may enter up to five recordings in a category. For these categories, the recording does not have to be first released during the specified period, so these categories are two of the few where recordings can be nominated more than once. These categories were discontinued in 2010.

Judging process

Sales awards are judged by an independent audit. The Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement awards are awarded at the discretion of the ARIA Board. Genre categories are judged by "voting schools" that consist of 40–100 representatives from that genre. The remaining generalist categories are the "voting academy", which, in 2009, consisted of 1106 representatives from across the music industry.

Members of the academy are kept secret. Membership is by invitation only. An individual record company may have up to eight members on the academy. The only artists eligible to vote are winners and nominees from the previous year's awards.

Retired

Note: Originally awarded at the same ceremony as the ARIA Awards, the ARIA Fine Arts and Artisan Awards have been awarded at a separate ceremony from 2004.

Hall of Fame and achievement awards

ARIA Hall of Fame inductees have been installed annually from the categories inception, as from 1988 except 2000 (no inductees), "Outstanding Achievement Award" (periodically, first in 1988), "Special Achievement Award" (periodically, first awarded in 1989) and "Lifetime Achievement Award" (periodically, first awarded in 1991).

Originally artists were inducted into the Hall of Fame at the same ceremony as the ARIA Awards, in 2005 the inaugural ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame ceremony was held with another inductee at the later ARIA Awards ceremony— from 2008 to 2010 the ARIA Hall of Fame ceremony was a stand-alone event. In 2011 the ceremony was held at the same time as the ARIA Awards.

The trophy

The ARIA award trophy, used since 1990, is a tall triangular pyramid made of solid stainless steel. The 1987–1989 trophies were designed by Philip Mortlock, while the 1990 design was by Mark Denning. The Channel V award which is "V" shaped, and silver, or in the case of the award of 2008, red. As from 2005, The Hall of Fame trophy, from the Denning design, was golden coloured metal with ARIA printed in black near the base on two sides, on the third side is the award title (ARIA ICONS: HALL OF FAME), awardee name and date printed on a plaque.