The ARIA Music Awards are the jeweled event of the Australian Music Calendar that consists of a series of awards. Briefly speaking, it is a celebration of all the things that are popular, renowned, and great in music.
The ARIA Awards came into existence in 1987 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney that was based to recognize the excellence and unique skills across all the genres existing in Australian music. The initial ARIAs were hosted by Sir Elton John and the names of the winners included Crowded House, INXS, and a young John Farnham. It was since that time that the ARIA Awards have marked its way to become Australia’s pinnacle Awards ceremony, shaping numerous careers, and also playing host to numerous memorable performances and moments.
Nomination Procedure for an ARIA Award:
The ARIA Awards accept products released by the ARIA members (ARIA is the Australian Record Industry Association) where the ARIA members can either be record companies, artists, manufacturers, or CD distributors. Every year all the ARIA members are being contacted by the ARIA Awards Event producer, providing details on how to submit their recordings for consideration by the ARIA Awards judging panel. Those who wish to join the ARIA can enter their recordings in the ARIA Awards. The membership applications shut off in the middle of July each year and only the current memberships and those that are approved on that date may enter the recordings in the Awards.
How the Winners of the ARIA Award determined?
Once all the entries are lodged by the ARIA members, they are first assessed to ensure that the recordings are eligible enough for the particular Awards for which they have been registered. For an artist’s release to be eligible for an ARIA Award in 2020, all the recordings must have been released in the current eligibility period that is between 6 September 2019 to 3 September 2020, or the previous eligibility period that is from 7 September 2018 to 5 September 2019, given that the release has not been previously nominated. Now, once the eligibility for the release gets confirmed, all the eligible entries received by the ARIA are then presented to the Voting Academy or/ and the Judging Schools for their consideration.
- Six categories are judged by the Voting Academy that consists of up to eight hundred representatives from every part of the music industry.
- Nineteen categories are judged by specialist Judging Schools that consists of representatives who are experienced with that specific genre of music.
- Five awards are determined by the Popular Vote. These are the Song of the Year, the Best International Artist, The Best Australian Live Act, The Best Video, and The Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award.
- The awards for The ARIA Hall of Fame, the Icon Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Awards are being awarded at the discretion of the ARIA Board.
A brief introduction to the ARIA Awards 2019:
The ARIA Music Awards of 2019 was the 33rd Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards that was held on 27th November, at The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont, Australia. The host of the show was Guy Sebastian and it was an amazing year for Australian music.
The ARIA Music Awards of 2020 is the 34th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Awards and was held on 25th November 2020. However, due to the restrictions implied by COVID-19, the event was held without an audience and was broadcasted from the Star Event Centre, Sydney on the Nine Network all around Australia.
Here is a list of all the Nominees of the year:
- Nominees for the Album of the Year
- DMA’s- THE GLOW
- Jessica Mauboy- Hilda
- Lime Cordiale- 14 Steps To A Better You
- Sampa The Great- The Return
- Tame Impala- The Slow Rush
- Nominees for Song of the year presented by YouTube Music
- 5 Seconds of Summer- Teeth
- Flume- Rushing Back feat. Vera Blue
- Hilltop Hoods Feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal –Exit Sign
- Lime Cordiale- Robbery
- Mallrat- Charlie
- Ruel- Painkiller
- Sam Fischer- This City
- The Jungle Giants- Heavy Hearted
- The Rubens- Live In Life
- Tones and I- Never Seen the Rain
- Nominees for Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA
- Alex the Astronaut- The Theory of Absolutely Nothing
- Lime Cordiale- 14 Steps To A Better You
- Mallrat- Driving Music
- Miiesha- Nyaaringu
- The Kid LAROI- F*ck Love
- Nominees for Best Female Artist
- Amy Shark- Everybody Rise
- Miiesha- Nyaaringu
- Sampa The Great- The Return
- Sia- Together
- Tones and I- Bad Child/ Can’t Be Happy All the Time
- Nominees for Best Male Artist
- Archie Roach- Tell Me Why
- Guy Sebastian- Standing With You
- Ruel- Free Time
- The Kid LAROI- F*ck Love
- Troye Sivan- In A Dream
- Nominees for Best Group
- 5 Seconds Of Summer- CALM
- DMA’s- THE GLOW
- Lime Cordiale- 14 Steps To A Better You
- Tame Impala- The Slow Rush
- The Teskey Brothers- Live At The Forum
- Nominees for Best Independent Release
- Archie Roach- Tell Me Why
- DMA’s- THE GLOW
- Lime Cordiale- 14 Steps To a Better You
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds- Ghosteen
- Sampa The Great- The Return
- Nominees for Best Adult Contemporary Album
- Archie Roach- Tell Me Why
- Donny Benet- Mr Experience
- Gordi- Our Two Skins
- Josh Pyke- Rome
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds- Ghosteen
- Nominees for Best Blues & Roots Album
- Busby Marou- The Great Divide
- Frank Yamma- Tjukurpa: The Story
- Lucky Oceans- Purple Sky (Songs Originally By Hank Williams)
- The Teskey Brothers- Live At The Forum
- Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife- You Be The Lightning
- Nominees for Best Children’s Album
- Diver City- Welcome to Diver City
- Teeny Tiny Stevies- Thoughtful Songs for Little People
- The Vegetable Plot- Season Two
- The Wiggies- Choo Choo Trains, Propeller Planes & Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car!
- Tiptoe Giants- Colour the World
- Nominees for Best Comedy Release
- Anne Edminds- What’s Wrong With You?
- Bev Killick- Crummy Mummy
- Celia Pacquola- All Talk
- Crossbread feat. Chris Ryan and Megan Washington- Just Jesus
- Tom Gleeson- Joy
- Nominees for Best Country Album
- Casey Barnes- Town of A Million Dreams
- Fanny Lumsden- Fallow
- Jasmine Rae- Lion Side
- The McClymonts- Mayhem To Madness
- Travis Collins- Wreck Me
- Nominees for Best Dance Release
- Alice Ivy- Don’t Sleep
- Dom Dolla- San Frandisco
- Flume- Rushing Back feat. Vera Blue
- Northeast Party House- Shelf Life
- Stace Cadet & KLP- Energy
- Nominees for Best Pop Release
- Amy Shark- Everybody Rise
- Lime Cordiale- 14 Steps To A Better You
- Sia- Together
- Tame Impala- Lost In Yesterday
- Troye Sivan- In A Dream
- Nominees for Best Rock Album
- Cold Chisel- Blood Moon
- DMA’s- THE GLOW
- Ocean Alley- Lonely Diamond
- Tame Impala- The Slow Rush
- Violent Soho- Everything Is A-OK
- Nominees for Best Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal Album
- King Gizaard & The Lizard Wizard- Chunky Shrapnel
- Parkway Drive- Viva The Underdogs
- Polaris- The Death Of Me
- The Amity Affliction- Everyone Loves You…Once You Leave Them
- The Chats- High-Risk Behaviour
- Nominees for Best Hip Hop Release presented by Hennessy
- Baker Boy- Meditjin feat. Jessb
- Briggs- Always Was EP
- Illy- Last Laugh
- Sampa The Great- The Return
- The Kid LAROI- F*ck Love
- Nominees for Best Soul/ R&B Release
- Genesis Owusu- Don’t Need You
- KIAN- every Hour
- Miiesha- Nyaaringu
- Tash Sultana- Pretty Lady
- Tkay Maidza- Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2
- Nominees for Best Video presented by YouTube Music
- Baker Boy- Meditjin
- Guy Sebastian- Standing With You
- Lime Cordiale- Robbery
- PNAU feat. Vlossom- Lucky
- Sampa The Great- Time’s Up (feat. Krown)
- Tame Impala- Is It True
- The Chats- The Clap
- Tones and I- Ur So F*ckInG cOoL
- Troye Sivan- Easy
- Violent Soho- Pick It Up Again
- Nominees for Best Australian Live Act
- Amy Shark- Amy Shark Regional Tour
- Baker Boy- Falls Festival
- Cold Chisel- Blood Moon Tour
- DMA’s- unplugged & Intimate, Laneway Festival
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard- St Jerome’s Laneway Festival
- Paul Kelly- Paul Kelly- Making Gravy 2019
- PNAU- All Of Us Australian Tour
- RUFUS DU SOL- 2019 Summer Festival Tour
- Sampa The Great- The Return Australian Tour 2019
- The Teskey Brothers- Run Home Show
- Nominees for Best Classical Album
- Alicia Crossley- Muse
- David Greco & Erin Helyard- Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin
- Jayson Gillham, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Carter- Beethoven Piano Concertos
- Richard Tognetti & Erin Helyard- Beethoven & Mozart B=Violin Sonatas
- Slava & Sharon Grigoryan- Our Place: Duets For Cello And Guitar
- Nominees for Best Jazz Album
- Katie Noonan- The Sweetest Taboo
- Luke Howard- All That Is Not Solid (Live At Tempo Rubato, Australia/ 2020)
- Mike Nock, Hamish Stuart, Julien Wilson, Jonathan Zwartz- This World
- Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky- Please Leave Your Light On
- Nominees for Best World Music Album
- Grace Barbe- FANM: WOMAN
- Joseph Tawadros- Live at the Sydney Opera House
- Melbourne Ska Orchestra- Live At The Triffid
- The Crooked Fiddle Band- Another Subtle Atom Bomb
- Xylouris White- The Sisypheans
- Nominees for Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
- Chelsea Cullen- I Am Woman 9Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Dan Golding- Untitled Goose Game (Original Soundtrack)
- Grigoryan Brothers- A Boy Called Sailboat
- Matteo Zingales & Antony Partos- Mystery Road (Original Score: Seasons 1-2)
- Sally Seltmann & Darren Seltmann- The Letdown (Music from Seasons 1+2)
- Nominee for Best Cover Art
- 14 Steps To A Better You- Lime Cordiale- Louis Leimbach
- Batflowers- WASHINGTON- Adam Dal Pozzo, Megan Washington, and Michelle Pitiris
- Everything Is A-OK- Violent Soho- Luke Henery
- Hilda- Jessica Mauboy- Made In Katana
- Mr. Experience- Donny Benet- Tim Rogers
- Nominees for Engineer Of The Year
- Don’t Sleep- Alive Ivy- Alice Ivy
- Everything Is A-OK- Violent Soho- Greg Wales
- Free Time- Ruel- Eric J Dubowsky
- Nyaaringu- Miiesha- IAMMXO (aka Mohamed Komba)
- The Slow Rush- Tame Impala- Kevin Parker
- Nominees for Producer of the Year
- Blood Moon- Cold Chisel- Kevin Shirley
- Free Time- Ruel- M- PHazes
- Hilda- Jessica Mauboy- DNA & Louis Schoorl
- Nyaaringu- Miiesha- IAMMXO ( aka Mohamed Komba)
- The Slow Rush- Tame Impala- Kevin Parker
- Nominees for Best International Artist
- Dua Lipa- Future Nostalgia & Dua Lipa
- Eminem- Music To Be Murdered By
- Halsey- Manic
- Harry Styles- Fine Line
- Juice WRLD- Legends Never Die
- Justin Bieber- Changes
- Lewis Capaldi- Divinely inspired To A Hellish Extent
- Lizzo- Cuz I Love You
- Taylor Swift- Folklore
- The Weeknd- After Hours
- Nominees for Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award
- CJ Shaw- Palmerston District Primary School Canberra ACT
- Kathryn McLennan- Virginia State School, Virginia QLD
- Sarah Donnelley- Wilcannia Central School, Wilcannia NSW
- Thomas Fienberg- Evans High School, Blacktown NSW
One of the Biggest Highlights from ARIA AWARDS 2020 is:
Australian star Sia is all set to perform at the 2020 ARIA Awards. The superstar’s exclusive performance to take place in Los Angeles and shall go to air on 25th November across YouTube and Channel 9 as a part of the Awards ceremony. It’s been years since Sia has graced the stage of the ARIA Awards and to welcome her, CEO Dan Rosen has stated that it is indeed a great pleasure to have her perform this year. He also added that over the years, Sia has evolved to become of the world’s greatest stars who have taken her unique voice and creativity to fans all over. Being one of Australia’s greatest musical exports, people are thrilled to see her incredible performance that she would deliver this year in the ARIA’s, he added.
Apart from her much-awaited performance, the global sensation whose extraordinary writing skills has graced the creations of some of the biggest artists like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Beyonce, Britney Spears, and others, has been nominated for two ARIA Awards in 2020 for the Best Female Artist and the Best Pop Release.