In a classy affair, the 2016 ARIA Awards was held last night at The Star Event Centre in Sydney. Thankfully, for the second year in a row the channel 10 broadcast refrained from epileptic camera work and delivered a dignified broadcast too, worthy of the exceptional talent we have in this country.
It was a mix of old and new with performances from Jimmy Barnes (with Jessica Mauboy) and Johnnie Farnes, as well as fresher talent such as Illy featuring Vera Blue in a dynamic interpretation of Papercuts. Troye Sivan who rose to fame via streams, views and likes also performed a track. In a year which was dominated by Triple J’s predeliction for electronic music, it was Flume who took out the coveted Album Of The Year ARIA Award for his ARIA #1 Album, ‘Skin’. Flume collected a total of 5 ARIAs for the night.
It was great to see the recognition of a traditional guitar band with Violent Soho winning ARIA’s for Best Rock Album and Best Group. The band also played a blistering version of ‘Like Soda’ at the ceremony.
For most, the highlight of the evening was the induction of Crowded House into the Hall of Fame by Flight of the Conchords Bret and Jermaine. Neil Finn thanked everyone involved in the band’s success from family to road crew to their fallen solider, original drummer Paul Hester. The band’s speech was followed by performances of Crowdies’ songs by Missy Higgins and Bernard Fanning, before the band themselves delivered a stunning version of Distant Sun.
As is the case with many award shows, the ARIA’s was used as a political platform. In this case Marriage Equality was front and centre with Kylie Minogue and her boyfriend using the moment to encourage the government to get their act together and follow the rest of the world in making the marriage option available to everyone. Sia, who won the award for Best Female Act, sent Angie Greene, a Marriage Equality campaigner along to further enforce the message. Best Breakthrough Artist winner Montaigne made her all-encompassing political message clear with the words ‘People Over Politics’ painted on her chest. Flume jumped onboard too, including a dig at Sydney’s lock out laws in one of his acceptance speeches.
It was heartening to see Russell Morris win Best Blues & Roots Album for Red Dirt Red Heart and great that he thanked all of those involved in the making of the album, including Melbourne Guitar Show regular Shannon Bourne who co-wrote 4 tracks on the album and contributed guitar parts.
It was also wonderful that the 2016 ARIA Industry Icon Award went to Sebastian Chase this year for his contribution to Australian music. The show closed with Farnham performing the anthemic, You’re The Voice.
All the winners
Telstra Album Of The Year
WINNER: Flume – Skin (Future Classic)
RÜFÜS – Bloom (Sweat It Out/Sony Music)
Sia – This Is Acting (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
The Avalanches – Wildflower (Modular/EMI)
Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood (EMI)
Best Male Artist
WINNER: Flume – Skin (Future Classic)
Bernard Fanning – Civil Dusk (Dew Process/Universal Music)
Guy Sebastian – Black & Blue (Sony Music)
Illy – Papercuts (feat. Vera Blue) (Warner Music Australia)
Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood (EMI)
Best Female Artist
WINNER: Sia – This Is Acting (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
Delta Goodrem – Wings of the Wild (Sony Music)
Jessica Mauboy – This Ain’t Love (Sony Music)
Montaigne – Glorious Heights (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Sarah Blasko – Eternal Return (EMI)
Best Dance Release
WINNER: Flume – Skin (Future Classic)
Hayden James – Just A Lover (Future Classic)
L D R U – Keeping Score (feat. Paige IV) (Audio Paxx Agency/Sony Music)
RÜFÜS – Bloom (Sweat It Out/Sony Music)
The Avalanches – Wildflower (Modular/EMI)
Best Group
WINNER: Violent Soho – WACO (I Oh You)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity (Flightless Records/Remote Control Records)
RÜFÜS – Bloom (Sweat It Out/Sony Music)
The Avalanches – Wildflower (Modular/EMI)
The Veronicas – In My Blood (Sony Music)
Breakthrough Artist
WINNER: Montaigne – Glorious Heights (Wonderlick Recording Company)
DMA’S – Hills End (I Oh You)
L D R U – Keeping Score (feat. Paige IV) (Audio Paxx Agency/Sony Music)
Olympia – Self Talk (EMI)
Safia – Make Them Wheels Roll (Warner Music Australia/Parlophone)
Best Pop Release
WINNER: Flume – Never Be Like You (feat. Kai) (Future Classic)
Illy – Papercuts (feat. Vera Blue) (Warner Music Australia)
Sia – This Is Acting (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
The Veronicas – In My Blood (Sony Music)
Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood (EMI)
Best Urban Album
WINNER: Drapht – Seven Mirrors (The Ayems/Sony Music)
Citizen Kay – With The People (ASP/MGM)
Koi Child – Koi Child (Pilerats Records)
L-FRESH The LION – Become (Elefant Traks/Inertia)
Urthboy – The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat (Elefant Traks/Inertia)
Best Independent Release
WINNER: Flume – Skin (Future Classic)
Jarryd James – Thirty One (Dryden Street Limited/Universal Music)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity (Flightless Records/Remote Control Records)
Sia – This Is Acting (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
Violent Soho – WACO (I Oh You)
Best Rock Album
WINNER: Violent Soho – WACO (I Oh You)
Ball Park Music – Every Night The Same Dream (Stop Start Music)
Boy & Bear – Limit Of Love (Boy & Bear/Universal Music)
Gang Of Youths – Let Me Be Clear (Mosy Recordings/Sony Music)
The Living End – Shift (Dew Process/Universal Music)
Best Adult Contemporary Album
WINNER: Bernard Fanning – Civil Dusk (Dew Process/Universal Music)
Bob Evans – Car Boot Sale (EMI)
Paul Kelly – Seven Sonnets & A Song (Gawd Aggie Recordings/Universal Music)
Robert Forster – Songs To Play (EMI)
Tina Arena – Eleven (EMI)
Best Adult Alternative Album
WINNER: Sarah Blasko – Eternal Return (EMI)
Jarryd James – Thirty One (Dryden Street Limited/Universal Music)
Matt Corby – Telluric (Mercury Records Australia/Universal Music)
Peter Garrett – A Version of Now (Sony Music)
The Temper Trap – Thick As Thieves (Liberation Music)
Best Country Album
WINNER: Sara Storer – Silos (ABC Music/Universal Music)
Adam Brand and the Outlaws – Adam Brand and the Outlaws (ABC Music/Universal Music)
Bill Chambers – Cold Trail (Checked Label Services)
Fanny Lumsden – Small Town Big Shot (Social Family Records/Universal Music)
The Wolfe Brothers – This Crazy Life (ABC Music/Universal Music)
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
WINNER: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity (Flightless Records/Remote Control Records)
Hellions – Opera Oblivia (UNFD)
Parkway Drive – Ire (Resist/Cooking Vinyl Australia)
The Amity Affliction – This Could Be Heartbreak (Roadrunner Records)
Twelve Foot Ninja – Outlier (Volkanik/MGM)
Best Blues & Roots Album
WINNER: Russell Morris – Red Dirt Red Heart (Chugg Music/MGM)
Jimmy Barnes – Soul Searchin’ (Liberation Music)
Kev Carmody – Recollections… Reflections… (A Journey) (One Louder Recordings/Universal Music)
The Cat Empire – Rising With The Sun (Two Shoes Records)
The Wilson Pickers – You Can’t Catch Fish From A Train (ABC Music/UMA)
Best Children’s Album
WINNER: The Wiggles – Wiggle Town! (ABC Music/Universal Music)
Justine Clarke – Pyjama Jam! (ABC Music/Universal Music)
Pat Davern – Alexander The Elephant In Zanzibar (ABC Music/Universal Music)
Play School – Famous Friends: Celebrating 50 Years of Play School (ABC Music/Universal Music)
Sam Moran – Play Along With Sam: BEST. DAY. EVER! (6 Degrees Records/MGM)
Best Video
WINNER: Troye Sivan – YOUTH Acoustic (Sydney Session) (EMI)
Courtney Barnett – Elevator Operator (Milk!/Remote Control)
Delta Goodrem – Dear Life (Sony Music)
Flume – Never Be Like You (feat. Kai) (Future Classic)
Guy Sebastian – Black & Blue (Sony Music)
Hilltop Hoods – 1955 (feat. Montaigne & Tom Thum) (Golden Era Records/Universal Music Australia)
Illy – Papercuts (feat. Vera Blue) (Warner Music Australia)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – People-Vultures (Flightless Records/Remote Control Records)
Sia – Cheap Thrills (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
Violent Soho – Like Soda (I Oh You)
Best Australian Live Act
WINNER: Hilltop Hoods – The Restrung Tour (Golden Era Records/Universal Music Australia)
Courtney Barnett – National Theatre Tour (Milk!/Remote Control)
Flume – St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival 2016 (Future Classic)
Gang Of Youths – Gang Of Youths National Tour (Mosy Recordings/Sony Music)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity Tour (Flightless Records/Remote Control Records)
RÜFÜS – Bloom Tour (Sweat It Out/Sony Music)
Tame Impala – Australian Tour (Modular/Universal Music)
The Living End – Shift Tour (Dew Process/Universal Music)
Violent Soho – The WACO Tour (I Oh You)
You Am I – Bargain Bin Bon Vivants Tour (The You Am I Set/Inertia)
Apple Music Song of the Year
WINNER: Troye Sivan – Youth (EMI)
Flume – Never Be Like You (feat. Kai) (Future Classic)
Hilltop Hoods – 1955 (feat. Montaigne & Thom Thum) (Golden Era Records/Universal Music Australia)
Illy – Papercuts (feat. Vera Blue) (Warner Music Australia)
Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This Girl (UNI/UMA)
Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood – The Fighter (Capital/EMI)
L D R U – Keeping Score (feat. Paige IV) (Audio Paxx Agency/Sony Music)
Marcus Marr & Chet Faker The Trouble With Us (Detail Records)
Sia – Cheap Thrills (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
The Veronicas – In My Blood (Sony Music)
Best International Artist
WINNER: One Direction – Made in the A.M & Four (SYCO/Sony Music Entertainment)
Adele – 25 (XL/Inertia)
Beyonce – Lemonade (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment)
Coldplay – A Head Full Of Dreams (PLG/Warner)
Drake – Views & If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (Universal/Universal Music Australia)
Meghan Trainor – Title & Thank You (Sony Music Entertainment)
Justin Bieber – Purpose (DEF/Universal Music Australia)
Taylor Swift – 1989 (BIG/Universal Music Australia)
twenty one pilots – Blurryface (Atlantic/Warner)
The Weekend – Beauty Behind The Madness (Universal/Universal Music Australia)
2016 Outstanding National Retailer
JB Hi-Fi
2016 Outstanding Independent Retailer
Red Eye Records
2016 Outstanding Digital Service
Spotify
2016 ARIA Industry Icon Award
Sebastian Chase