While it was one of the toughest years on record for our pop industry, the great music kept coming and this year’s nominations roll call is an eclectic field of legends and rookies.Shark’s indie pop record Cry Forever and Owusu’s globally acclaimed Smiling With No Teeth, each with six nominations, are the perfect bookends to illustrate the dizzying diversity of Australia’s sound of now.Shark, who is in the US working on songs for her third record, said the nominations gave our artists a much-needed boost after two years of chaos because of the pandemic shutdown of live music.“It has been the ugliest couple of years for our industry, it just felt like you were putting music out into a vacuum and there was no way to gauge how it was connecting with fans at festivals or tours,” she said.“So you best be damn happy with what you’re putting out there and I think this year, more than any other year, is an important time to celebrate our artists because we are on fire with talent and the songs coming out are so fierce and unapologetic.”Owusu, who is likely to feature on best-of lists worldwide at the end of the year, said watching the global reaction to his dizzying, independently-produced blend of hip hop, soul, funk and punk from “my little bedroom in Canberra” made him fiercely proud.“It’s been crazy, surreal to watch the reception the album got and to be honest, I didn’t really care whether Australia was ready or whether anyone was ready for it,” he said.“It was just the time in my life where I needed to put that out, I needed to say what was being said on that album.” And then there’s the five nominations crew.Midnight Oil’s collaboration with First Nations artists on The Makarrata Project, Tones and I’s long-awaited debut record Welcome To The Madhouse, global hip hop star Masked Wolf, stream king Vance Joy’s single Missing Pieces, electronic superstars The Avalanches and exciting soul newcomer Budjerah reflect the wild-ranging Australian soundtrack on fans’ playlists.For the soulful 19-year-old First Nations artist Budjerah, who only released his debut single Missing You a year ago and self-titled EP in March, the ARIA nominations are the realisation of a schoolyard prophecy.“My main dream was to do tours and I just finished my first headlining tour. And my next goal was to win an award and I used to tell the kids at school ‘I’m going to go to the ARIAs one day’,” he said.“And they’d be like ‘Yeah, sure.’ And now I will have ARIA Awards nominated artist next to my name and that’s prestigious.” Vance Joy hopes to return home from Barcelona, where he has been living with his partner, to celebrate the success of Missing Pieces, which was written about being separated from loved ones during the pandemic.“I think the song could exist at any time because it’s about being separated from the ones you love and that is so relevant now,” he said.“I remember playing it to my parents and my mum Gabrielle said ‘You better release it now!’”Global pop star The Kid Laroi and indie soul artist Ngaiire both have four nominations while Brisbane Festival stage slayers Ball Park Music are up for three awards.But ARIA’s move to dispense with the gender categories of Best Male and Female for the new Best Artist category has had a rocky launch with six male nominees and only four female artists.“The removal of gendered categories puts all artists on an equal platform. Just as importantly it allows non-binary artists to be recognised and celebrated in the ‘Best’ category they were previously excluded from. ARIA is not the first to make this change, the GRAMMYs and the MTV Video Music Awards removed gendered categories many years ago,” ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said. “ARIA nominees are determined by a democratic process where more than 1,000 ARIA judges cast their votes. This happens without any interference from ARIA. “ARIA will continue to work toward, support, and speak out for equitable representation for all in the music industry through the ARIA Awards and everything else that we do.”This year’s awards will also be in the spotlight as the industry wrestles with the its MeToo reckoning and addresses cultural issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality.After controversy erupted earlier this year about Shark’s experience at a previous ARIAs after forgetting to thank former Sony label head Denis Handlin, the Cry Forever singer joked that should she win any awards, her speech would mirror Matt Corby’s approach which is a simple “Thanks!”.The awards will be livestreamed to Australia and the world on November 24 from Sydney where organisers are still hoping to have a small scale live gathering of artists and industry.2021 ARIA NOMINATIONSAlbum Of The YearAmy Shark – Cry Forever Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth Midnight Oil – The Makarrata Project The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You Tones And I – Welcome to the Madhouse Best ArtistAmy Shark – Cry ForeverBudjerah – Budjerah (EP) Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth Keith Urban – The Speed Of Now Part 1 Kylie Minogue – Disco Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean Ngaiire – 3 The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – Stay Tones And I – Welcome to the Madhouse Vance Joy – Missing Piece Best Dance ReleaseCosmo’s Midnight – Yesteryear Dom Dolla – Pump The Brakes Jolyon Petch – Dreams KLP & Stace Cadet – People Happy RÜFÜS DU SOL – Alive Best Group AC/DC – Power Up Gang Of Youths – The Angel of 8th Ave. Midnight Oil – The Makarrata Project RÜFÜS DU SOL – Alive The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You Michael Gudinski Breakthrough ArtistBudjerah – Budjerah (EP) Gretta Ray – Begin To Look Around Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean MAY-A -Don’t Kiss Ur Friends Ngaiire – 3 Best Pop ReleaseAmy Shark – Cry Forever The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – Stay Tones And I – Fly Away Vance Joy – Missing PieceBest Hip Hop Release B Wise – Jamie Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean The Kid LAROI – Without You Youngn Lipz – Area BabyBest Soul/R & B ReleaseBudjerah – Budjerah (EP) Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant Ngaiire – 3 Tash Sultana – Terra Firma Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3 Best Independent ReleaseArchie Roach – The Songs Of Charcoal Lane Ball Park Music – Ball Park Music Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth Vance Joy – Missing Piece Best Rock AlbumAC/DC – Power Up Ball Park Music – Ball Park Music Holy Holy – Hello My Beautiful World Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest Midnight Oil – The Makarrata Project Best Adult Contemporary AlbumBig Scary – Daisy Crowded House – Dreamers Are Waiting Kylie Minogue- Disco Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage Odette – Herald Best Country AlbumBrad Cox – My Mind’s Projection Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham – The Song Club Shane Nicholson – Living In Colour The Wolfe Brothers – Kids On Cassette Troy Cassar-Daley – The World Today Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album Alpha Wolf – A Quiet Place To Die Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound What Reality? Tropical F**k Storm – Deep States Yours Truly – Self Care A. Swayze & the Ghosts – Paid SalvationBest Blues & Roots AlbumArchie Roach – The Songs Of Charcoal Lane Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover Josh Teskey & Ash Grunwald – Push The Blues AwayMartha Marlow – Medicine Man Ziggy Alberts – Searching For Freedom Best Children’s Album Amber Lawrence – The Kid’s Gone Country 2 Bluey The Album – Bluey Diver City – Dance Silly The Wiggles – Lullabies With Love Various Artists – The Moon, The Mouse & The Frog: Lullabies from Northern Australia PUBLIC VOTED AWARDSBest Video 24k – Tkay Maidza, Nicholas Muecke Astronaut In The Ocean – Masked Wolf, Daniele Cernera could cry just thinkin about you (Full Version) – Troye Sivan & Jesse Gohier-Fleet Dance – Julia Stone, Jessie Hill First Nation – Midnight Oil, Robert HamblingHigher – Budjerah, Mick Soiza Love Songs Ain’t for Us – Amy Shark, James Chappell Missing Piece – Vance Joy, Annelise Hickey The Divine Chord – The Avalanches, Jonathan ZawadaWon’t Sleep – Tones and I, Nick Kozakis, Liam KellyBest Australian Live Act Amy Shark – Cry Forever Tour 2021 Ball Park Music – The Residency Budjerah – Budjerah 2021 Aus TourGenesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth Album TourKing Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Micro Tour Lime Cordiale – Relapse Tour Midnight Oil – Makarrata LiveThe Avalanches – The Avalanches Live The Teskey Brothers – The Teskey Brothers (Headline Shows + Festivals) Thelma Plum – Homecoming Queen TourSong of the Year Amy Shark Feat. Keith Urban – Love Songs Ain’t For Us Dean Lewis – Falling Up Hooligan Hefs – Send It! Keith Urban & Pink – One Too Many Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean Sam Fischer & Demi Lovato – What Other People Say Spacey Jane – Booster Seat The Kid LAROI with Miley Cyrus – Without You Tones and I – Fly Away Vance Joy – Missing Piece Most Popular InternationalAriana Grande – PositionsDoja Cat – Planet Her Justin Bieber – Justice Kanye West – Donda Luke Combs – What You See Ain’t Always What You Get Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets To My Downfall Miley Cyrus – Plastic Hearts Olivia Rodrigo – Sour Pop Smoke – Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon Taylor Swift – EvermoreTelstra ARIA Music Teacher AwardAaron Silver – Wodonga Primary School, Regional VICAshley Baxter – Pimlico State High School, Townsville QLDDaniel Wilson – Star Struck, Newcastle NSWZoë Barry – Sacred Heart School, Melbourne VICARTISAN AWARDSBest Cover ArtNgaiire Joseph & Dan Segal for Ngaiire – 3 Eben Ejdne for Odette – Herald Kofi Anash & Bailey Howard for Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No TeethJonathan Zawada for The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You Giulia Giannini McGauran & Mitchell Eaton for Tones and I – Welcome to the MadhouseEngineer Of The YearChris CollinsEric J DubowskyKonstantin KerstingMatt CorbyTony EspieProducer Of The YearAndrew Klippel, Dave HammerKonstantin KerstingM-PhazesMatt CorbyRobert ChaterFINE ARTS AWARDSBest Classical AlbumChristian Li – Vivaldi: The Four Seasons Emily Sun & Andrea Lam – Nocturnes Genevieve Lacey and Marshall McGuire – Bower Grigoryan Brothers – This is Us: A Musical Reflection of Australia Nat Bartsch – Hope Best Jazz AlbumAustralian Art Orchestra, Reuben Lewis, Tariro Mavondo & Peter Knight – Closed Beginnings Kristen Beradi, Sean Foran & Rafael Karlen – HavenMildlife – Automatic Petra Haden & The Nick Haywood Quintet – Songs from my Father Vazesh – The Sacred Key Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast AlbumAngus & Julia Stone – Life Is Strange Antony Partos – Rams (Original Motion Picture Score) Caitlin Yeo, Maria Alfonsine, Damian de Boos-Smith – Wakefield Season One Official Soundtrack Sia – Music Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Yve Blake – Fangirls Best World Music AlbumBob Weatherall & Halfway, with William Barton – Restless Dream Bukhu – Bukhchuluun Ganburged – The Journey Eishan Ensemble – Project Masnavi Joseph Tawadros – Hope In An Empty City Kuya James – ISA
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