The Ninth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1995 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. There had been a 19-month gap since the previous award ceremony which was moved to be "closer to the business end of the music industry's year". Presenters distributed 28 awards from 1060 preliminary nominations. Big winners for the year were Silverchair with five awards and Tina Arena with four, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
In addition to previous categories, new categories for "Best Dance Release" and "Best World Music Album" were presented for the first time. The ARIA Hall of Fame inducted: The Seekers.
Itch-E and Scratch-E won the inaugural award for "Best Dance Release", Paul Mac's acceptance speech included:
We'd like to thank all of Sydney's ecstasy dealers, without whom this award would not be possible.
One of the sponsors of the awards ceremony was the National Drug Offensive, in 2005 Mac explained that he did not expect to win and so had not prepared a speech.
Final nominees are shown, in plain, with winners in bold.
Album of the Year
Tina Arena – Don't Ask
Christine Anu – Stylin' Up
The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog
Silverchair – Frogstomp
You Am I – Hi Fi Way
Single of the Year
Silverchair – "Tomorrow"
Tina Arena – "Chains"
Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth"
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – "Do You Love Me?"
Max Sharam – "Coma"
Highest Selling Album
The 12th Man – Wired World of Sports II
Tina Arena – Don't Ask
The Badloves – Get On Board
The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog
Wendy Matthews – The Witness Tree
Highest Selling Single
Silverchair – "Tomorrow"
Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth"
Chocolate Starfish – "Mountain"
Kulcha – "Shaka Jam"
Kylie Minogue – "Confide in Me"
Best Group
The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Let Love In
Crowded House – Private Universe
Silverchair – Frogstomp
You Am I – Hi Fi Way
Best Female Artist
Tina Arena – Don't Ask
Christine Anu – Stylin' Up
Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth"
Kylie Minogue – Kylie Minogue
Max Sharam – A Million Year Girl
Best Male Artist
Diesel – Solid State Rhyme
Paul Kelly – Wanted Man
Ed Kuepper – Character Assassination
Rick Price – River of Love
Chris Wilson – "Live at the Continental"
Best New Talent
Silverchair – Frogstomp
Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth"
Magic Dirt – Life Was Better
Max Sharam – A Million Year Girl
The Truth – "My Heavy Friend"
Breakthrough Artist – Album
Silverchair – Frogstomp
Christine Anu – Stylin' Up
D.I.G. – Deeper
Max Sharam – A Million Year Girl
Vika and Linda – Vika and Linda
Breakthrough Artist – Single
Silverchair – "Tomorrow"Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth"
D.I.G. – "The Favourite"
Max Sharam – "Coma"
Vika and Linda – "When Will You Fall for Me?"
Best Dance Release
Itch-E and Scratch-E – "Sweetness and Light"Boxcar – "What Are You So Happy About"
Quench – "Dreams"
Renegade Funktrain – "I Wonder"
The Rockmelons – "Stronger Together"
Single Gun Theory – Flow, River Of My Soul
Best Pop Release
Tina Arena – "Chains"
Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth"
Kulcha – Kulcha
Mental As Anything – Mr Natural
Tlot Tlot – "The Girlfriend Song"
Best Country Album
Troy Cassar-Daley – Beyond the Dancing
Slim Dusty – Natural High
Gina Jeffreys – The Flame
Lee Kernaghan – Country Crowd
Jane Saunders – Strangers to Your Heart
Best Independent Release
TISM – Machiavelli and the Four Seasons
Def FX – Ritual Eternal
Ed Kuepper – Character Assassination
Magic Dirt – Life Was Better
Single Gun Theory – Flow, River of My Soul
Best Alternative Release
You Am I – Hi Fi Way
Custard – Wahooti Fandango
Magic Dirt – Life Was Better
Regurgitator – Regurgitator
Silverchair – Frogstomp
Best Indigenous Release
Christine Anu – Stylin' Up
Kev Carmody – "On the Wire"
Ruby Hunter – Thoughts Within
Tiddas – Changing Times
Yothu Yindi & Neil Finn – "Dots on the Shells"
Best Adult Contemporary Album
My Friend the Chocolate Cake – BroodThe Black Sorrows – Lucky Charm
Phil Emmanuel & Tommy Emmanuel – Terra Firma
Dave Hole – Steel on Steel
Wendy Matthews – The Witness Tree
Best Comedy Release
The 12th Man – Wired World of Sports II
Austen Tayshus – Alive and Schticking
Jimeoin – Crack
Kevin Bloody Wilson – Let Loose Live in London
Scared Weird Little Guys – Scared
Best Jazz Album
Bernie McGann – Bernie McGann
Mark Simmonds Freeboppers – Fire
The Allan Browne Quartet – Birdcalls
Australian Art Orchestra – Ringing the Ball Backwards
Bobby Gebert Trio – Sculpture
Best Classical Album
Yvonne Kenny, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Kamirski – Simple Gifts
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, David Porcelijn, János Fürst – Powerhouse Three Poems of Byron – Capriccio Nocturnes Unchained Melody
Duncan Gifford – Debussy Preludes Books I & II
Slava Grigoryan – Spirit of Spain
Graham Pushee, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer – Handel: Opera Arias
Best Children's Album
The Wiggles – Big Red Car
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra – Dream Child
Cinderella Acapella – Cinderella Acapella
Franciscus Henri – I'm Hans Christian Andersen
Play School – Oomba Baroomba
Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording
Cast Recording – The Pirates of Penzance
Martin Armiger – Fornicon
Guy Gross – The Priscilla Companion Original Score
Various – Heartland
Various – Metal Skin
Various – Once in a Blue Moon
Best World Music Album
Yungchen Lhamo – Tibetan Prayer
Bu Baca – Stand
The Celts – The Rocky Road
Sirocco – The Wetland Suite
Various – Tribal Heart
Song of the Year
Tina Arena – "Chains" (Tina Arena)
Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth" (Merril Bainbridge)
Daniel Johns/Ben Gillies – "Tomorrow" (Silverchair)
Neil Murray – "Island Home" (Christine Anu)
Max Sharam – "Coma" (Max Sharam)
Producer of the YearTony Cohen
Daniel Denholm
David Bridie
Paul McKercher
Phil McKellar
Engineer of the Year
Tony Cohen
Paul McKercher
Doug Brady
Cameron Craig
Mark Forrester
Craig Porteils
Doug Roberts
Best Video
Keir McFarlane – Kylie Minogue – "Put Yourself in My Place"
Robbie Douglas-Turner – You Am I – "Jewels & Bullets"
Bob Ellis – Electric Hippies – "Greedy People"
Paul Elliott – Max Sharam – "Coma"
Tony Mahoney – Dave Graney & the Coral Snakes – "I'm Gonna Release Your Soul"
Best Cover Art
Dominic O'Brien – Max Sharam – A Million Year Girl
Simon Anderson – Electric Hippies – Electric Hippies
Simon Anderson – You Am I – Hi Fi Way
The Cruel Sea, Kristyna Higgins, Jim Paton – The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog
Reg Mombassa – Mental As Anything – Mr Natural
The Hall Of Fame inductee was:
The Seekers
Tim Rogers & Silverchair – "New Race"
