Troye Sivan, Sia, Dean Lewis lead APRA Music Awards winners

Pop superstar Troye Sivan capped a phenomenal year with smash hit Rush voted Song of the Year by thousands of Australian songwriters at the APRA Music Awards. Full list of winners here.

Troye Sivan’s smash hit Rush was voted Song of the Year by thousands of Australian songwriters at the annual APRA Music Awards. Picture: James Gourley/Getty Images

Pop superstar Troye Sivan has capped a phenomenal year with his smash hit Rush voted Song of the Year by thousands of Australian songwriters at the annual APRA Music Awards.

Rush was a global success, with more than 300 million streams, two Grammy nominations and it also took out Song of the Year at the ARIA awards last year.

Another major winner was singer-songwriter Dean Lewis, whose How Do I Saw Goodbye, the heartbreaking ballad inspired by his father Grant’s cancer battle, won the Most Performed Australian Work and Most Performed Pop Work at the awards in Sydney on Wednesday.

APRA winner Dean Lewis with his father, Grant Loaney. Picture: Supplied

Lewis, who is on tour in America, accepted via video.

“Thank you to my dad. This song is about my dad and he’s doing great, doing fine. He’s just had the best time coming on tour with me and coming on stage at some shows which has been really fun,” Lewis said.

Sam and Josh Teskey make up Melbourne blues-rock act The Teskey Brothers. Picture: Ian Laidlaw

Most of the major winners of the 2024 APRA Awards are currently touring overseas, showing Australian music is enjoying success overseas even as it struggles to find homegrown support.

Also crisscrossing the US are the Teskey Brothers. Josh and Sam Teskey were named the Songwriters of the Year with their good mate Jimmy Barnes presenting the award.

Sia’s global pop power won her yet another Most Performed Work at the APRAs. Picture: AFP

The Most Performed Work categories are determined by broadcast performances on radio and TV as well as digital downloads, streaming and live performance.

APRA CEO Dean Ormston responded to the fact Sia was the only female Australian winner at this year’s awards, taking out the Most Performed Australian Work Overseas gong with Unstoppable, her fifth win in this category.

Jane and Jimmy Barnes on the APRA Awards red carpet. Picture: Getty Images

Okenyo performs during the 2024 APRA Music Awards at ICC Sydne. Picture: Getty Images

Lee Rogers and Kate Ceberanoon the red carpet. Picture: Getty Images

Ashli performs. Picture: Getty Images

“In recognising the incredible talent in Australia’s music landscape, it’s important to acknowledge that as an organisation that champions gender diversity through advocacy, funding and creative opportunities, there’s more to do to address the disparity in the industry of male to women, non-binary and gender diverse award winners,” Ormston said.

“We must continually question the absence of diversity in every facet of the industry – whether in executive offices, on stages, or across airwaves and streaming platforms – and commit to amplifying the entirety of Australia’s musical brilliance.”

Originally published as Troye Sivan, Sia, Dean Lewis lead APRA Music Awards winners