2022 ARIA Awards nominations: Best Solo Artist category backfires, with fewer women nominated
The Australian music industry’s bid to overhaul the ARIAs has fallen flat, with one group missing out — and not everyone’s happy. See who made the nominations.
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The Australian music industry’s attempt to make the ARIA Awards inclusive with a Best Solo Artist category has backfired, with fewer women nominated this year.
While organisers have managed an equal representation of hosts, with Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia and Scottish singer songwriter Lewis Capaldi to front the ceremony on November 24, the 2022 ARIA nominations are male dominated across every single category except Best Adult Contemporary Album.
Only three female musicians – Courtney Barnett, Julia Jacklin and Thelma Plum – have been nominated alongside seven male contenders in the combined Best Solo category of 10 nominees, which replaced the Best Male and Best Female awards.
Mallrat has taken to her Instagram stories to call out the male dominated list of ARIA nominees.
“F**k the ARIAs, when I looked at the list of nominees this morning my initial reaction was to feel personally underestimated and misunderstood by my album being snubbed.
“Then I took a deep breath, then I realised it’s not about me. Approximately ⅕ of the nominees are non-male. In categories like heavy rock there are no non male artists at all.
“So I’m again reminded that the Australian music industry like many industries is dominated by men and in this case men who don’t think an artist is credible unless it’s a nonchalant dude playing guitar/rock music. F**k you guys you don’t get it.”
In its first year at the 2021 ARIA awards, the Best Solo Artist trophy was won by The Kid Laroi from a field which included four female artists – Kylie Minogue, Amy Shark, Tones and I and Ngaiire.
All of the world’s big music awards have moved to a non-gendered Best Artist category and encountered the same systemic problem with the representation of female artists.
But the gender gap gets even wider when it comes to the leading nominees. Multi-nominated male artists (those with two or more) have 50 nominations in the 2022 field.
Female solo artists, or bands featuring at least one female member, who scored more than one nomination received a total of 22 nominations.
The disappointing inequality in the nominations list comes just weeks after the release of the Music Industry Review report which revealed horrific experiences of sexual harm, harassment, discrimination and bullying in Australia.
On top of the 2022 ARIA Awards leaderboard is LA-based Sydney-born electronic trio Rufus Du Sol, who won a Grammy earlier this year for their hit Alive, are up for seven trophies with their fourth record Surrender.
The group, who have been playing to hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the US in recent months, will contest the big night’s big awards including Album, Group, Song and Video of the Year.
Jon George, James Hunt and Tyrone Lindqvist said it would be a “pretty wild” homecoming for their massive outdoor concerts and as the ARIA Awards leading nominee.
They said they have been well supported by proud Aussies flying the flag at their sold-out stadium and outdoor gigs overseas.
“We are so proud seeing other Australian acts doing well overseas, to see Tame Impala killing it, Flume and other Australian acts killing it, there is that sense of pride,” Hunt said.
One of the biggest breakthrough groups of the past year, Melbourne punk rockers Amyl and the Sniffers, have received six nominations for their acclaimed second record Comfort To Me.
The band, fronted by the electrifying singer and performer Amy Taylor, are currently on their second tour of America this year.
Also up for six awards is global electronic superstar Flume, another Aussie artist whose every release is rewarded with multiple ARIA nominations.
Singer songwriter Vance Joy, pop star The Kid Laroi and First Nations triple threat Baker Boy all scored five nominations.
Indie pop artist Julia Jacklin is the leading female nominee with her album Pre Pleasure up for four awards including Best Solo Artist, Independent Release, Adult Contemporary Album and Video.
Other artists with four shots at walking away with one of the dangerously pointy trophies are ARIA Awards regulars Gang Of Youths, Down Under remix legend Luude and King Stingray, the five-piece Yolŋu surf rock group which features sons of Yothu Yindi members.
Imbruglia is expected to star in a special ARIA tribute to Olivia Newton-John who died in August.
The 2022 ARIA Awards have shifted to Sydney’s hallowed live venue the Hordern Pavilion this year after several years at The Star casino before shifting online during the pandemic lockdowns.
2022 ARIA AWARDS
Album of the Year
Amyl and The Sniffers – Comfort To Me
Baker Boy – Gela
Gang Of Youths – Angel In Realtime.
King Stingray – King Stingray
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Surrender
Best Solo Artist
Baker Boy – Gela
Budjerah – Conversations
Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time
Daniel Johns – FutureNever
Flume – Palaces
Julia Jacklin – Pre Pleasure
Ruel – Growing Up Is____
The Kid LAROI – Thousand Miles
Thelma Plum – Meanjin
Vance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time
Best Group
Amyl and The Sniffers – Comfort To Me
Gang Of Youths – Angel in Realtime.
King Stingray – King Stingray
Midnight Oil – Resist
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Surrender
Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist
Beddy Rays – Beddy Rays
Bella Taylor Smith – Look Me In The Eyes
Harvey Sutherland – Boy
King Stingray – King Stingray
Luude – Down Under (ft. Colin Hay)
PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS
Best Video
Apple Crumble – Lime Cordiale, Joe Neathway
Blak Matriarchy – Barkaa, Selina Miles
Down Under (ft. Colin Hay) – Luude, Peter Hume
Every Side Of You – Vance Joy, William Bleakley
GTFO – Genesis Owusu, Uncle Friendly
Hertz – Amyl and The Sniffers, John Angus Stewart
I Don’t Wanna Leave – RÜFÜS DU SOL, Katzki
Lydia Wears A Cross – Julia Jacklin
Say Nothing (feat. MAY-A) – Flume
Wish You Well (feat. Bernard Fanning) – Baker Boy, Macario De Souza
Best Australian Live Act
Amy Shark – See U Somewhere Australia Tour 2022
Amyl and The Sniffers – Comfort To Me Tour 2022
Baker Boy – Gela Tour
Budjerah – The Conversations Australian Tour
Gang Of Youths – Angel in Realtime.
Genesis Owusu – Genesis Owusu & The Black Dog Band
Midnight Oil – RESIST. THE FINAL TOUR. 2022
The Kid LAROI – End Of The World Tour
The Wiggles – The OG Wiggles Reunion / Fruit Salad TV Big Show Tour
Thelma Plum – The Meanjin Tour
Song of the Year
Clinton Kane – I Guess I’m In Love
Dean Lewis – Hurtless
Flume – Say Nothing (feat. MAY-A)
Joji – Glimpse Of Us
Jolyon Petch feat. Reigan – Dreams
Luude – Down Under (ft. Colin Hay)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – On My Knees
The Kid LAROI – Thousand Miles
Tones And I – Cloudy Day
Vance Joy – Clarity
Most Popular International Artist
ABBA – Voyage
Adele – 30
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Drake – Certified Lover Boy
Ed Sheeran – =
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
Jack Harlow – Come Home The Kids Miss You
Lil Nas X – Montero
Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache
Taylor Swift – Red (Taylor’s Version)
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Originally published as 2022 ARIA Awards nominations: Best Solo Artist category backfires, with fewer women nominated
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