Tones and I, Guy Sebastian, Teskey Brothers, 5SOS and Thelma Plum up for APRA Song of the Year
From the unstoppable Dance Monkey to Guy Sebastian’s uplifting grief anthem Choir, check out the songs which will contest the first virtual APRA Music Awards for songwriters.
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Not a day goes by when Guy Sebastian doesn’t receive a heartwrenching message from a fan about his song Choir.
Written as an uplifting tribute to his bandmate Luke Liang who lost his battle with depression in 2018, the song has struck a resounding chord with millions of people struggling to come to terms with loss.
So it is not surprising to discover it also hit the hearts of his songwriting peers who have nominated it for Song of the Year in the 2020 APRA Awards.
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Sebastian is up for the coveted songwriting prize alongside the unstoppable Dance Monkey by Tones and I, the proud indigenous anthem Better In Blak by Thelma Plum, industrial pop hit Teeth by 5 Seconds of Summer and the cruisy soul blues I Get Up by The Teskey Brothers.
“I have had thousands and thousands of messages about Choir since it came out last May, way more than Battle Scars and that’s been my biggest song,” Sebastian said.
“People writing to me about how the song has helped them through their grief after they lost their friend or their grandparent or their parent.
“Those things are what make you tick as an artist; that a song can become part of their lives, that has purpose, is the ultimate success for an artist.”
Tones and I’s blockbuster year continues with her four nominations for Dance Monkey.
“When I write, I started with the keys but I play with different synths, different effects and if a sound really hits me, I will continue with that but usually I will just play with the straight piano,” she said, explaining how she wrote her global smash which is closing in on two billion streams.
“And that’s when I speed it up, put a drum in here, the bass in here and I just keep going and make it the song I want it to be.”
The 2020 APRA Music Awards may be the first big music awards to be held as a virtual ceremony on May 26, instead of its planned event in Sydney later this month due to the ban on mass gatherings.
Sebastian and soulful blues rockers The Teskey Brothers are each nominated in three categories.
Other multi-nominees include Plum, who is also recognised as Breakthrough Songwriter and recently recovered from COVID-19, and Hilltop Hoods, Birds of Tokyo, Dean Lewis, Troy Cassar-Daley, Illy and 2019’s APRA Songwriter of the Year Sarah Aarons.
The list of dual nominees also includes 17-year-old Kian who scored his first ever APRA nominations with his breakout hit Waiting.
“As a young Australian song writer it is a privilege to be recognised with these
industry award nominations. APRA does such a great job in supporting artists and creatives,” he said.
“I wish we could have all come together to celebrate in Sydney but we are in really scary
times with coronavirus and it’s so important that everyone stays safe. Lets all stay healthy and
dive into the virtual world for the ceremony.”
Sebastian, who loves a red carpet, said he planned to still dress to impress for the virtual ceremony.
“I am pretty pumped about the awards this year because I am super intrigued as to how it’s going to roll out. Do I still suit up?” he said, laughing.
“I think we all should! I will wear something flash on top and still be in my boxers and thongs down below for my own amusement.”
APRA will announce how they plan to stream the two-hour awards soon.
2020 Virtual APRA Music Awards
Song of the Year
Better In Blak, Thelma Plum
Choir, Guy Sebastian
Dance Monkey, Tones and I
I Get Up, The Teskey Brothers
Teeth, 5 Seconds of Summer
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Ruel
Sampa The Great
Thelma Plum
The Teskey Brothers
Tones and I
Most Performed Australian Work
7 Minutes, Dean Lewis
Choir, Guy Sebastian
Dance Monkey, Tones and I
Good Lord, Birds of Tokyo
Waiting, Kian
Most Performed Alternative Work
God Forgot, The Rubens
Good Lord, Birds Of Tokyo
Miracle Love, Matt Corby
Radio Silence, Gretta Ray,
Waiting, Kian
Most Performed Blues and Roots Work
Blackbird, Tash Sultana
I Get Up, The Teskey Brothers
Just Call, John Butler Trio
Laps Around The Sun, Ziggy Alberts
Sound of Summer, Busby Marou
Most Performed Country Work
Backroad Nation, Lee Kernaghan
Girl, Maren Morris (Australian co-writer Sarah Aarons)
Happy, Travis Collins
Love That, Seaforth
Wouldn’t Change A Thing, Troy Cassar-Daley
Young Again, Morgan Evans
Most Performed Dance Work
Better Together, Hayden James feat. Running Touch
Solid Gold, PNAU ft. Kira Divine & Marques Toliver
Sugar, Peking Duk ft. Jack River
Take It, Dom Dolla
Treat You Better, Rufus Du Sol
Most Performed Pop Work
7 Minutes, Dean Lewis
All Loved Up, Amy Shark
Choir, Guy Sebastian
Dance Monkey, Tones and I
Never Really Over, Katy Perry (Australian co-writers Daniel James / Leah Haywood / Hayley Warner)
Most Performed Rock Work
Clarity, Polish Club
Dinosaurs, Ruby Fields
Jellyfish, Slowly, Slowly
Shutting Down Our Town, Jimmy Barnes ft Troy Cassar-Daley
Otherside, The Living End
Most Performed Urban Work
Butter, Triple One
Cool As Hell, Baker Boy
Exit Sign, Hilltop Hoods ft. Illy & Ecca Vandal
Leave Me Lonely, Hilltop Hoods
Then What, Illy
Most Performed International Work
Happier, Marshmello ft. Bastille
Nothing Breaks Like A Heart, Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus
Promises, Calvin Harris & Sam Smith
Shallow, Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Sunflower, Post Malone & Swae Lee