ARIA Awards 2020: Predictions for who will win
With socially distanced hosting and performances, the ARIA Awards will be peak 2020. Here are our top predictions for the stars who will shine on Aussie music’s biggest night.
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Wednesday’s ARIA Awards will be peak 2020. It won’t just highlight the year’s finest music, but will represent the current blueprint for award shows.
That means no audience and socially-distanced hosting and performing.
Indeed, Billie Eilish and Sam Smith will be so distant they’re performing from overseas exclusively for the event.
Even the red carpet has now moved to the pre-show, which is only screening on YouTube. Sydney band Lime Cordiale have the most nominations with eight, and Tame Impala just behind on seven. Sampa the Great has six, newcomer Miiesha has four.
Will 2020’s unpredictability continue with the ARIA winners?
Here’s our form guide to the key awards.
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
Good to see some different artists in the big category this year, after it skewed mainstream last year with Dean Lewis. It’s a major validation for Jess Mauboy and DMA’s who tried new things on their most recent albums. Lime Cordiale have been doing this for over a decade, so this belated respect should be inspiring to other artists still waiting for their break. It’s down to Sampa the Great, who shamefully won Best Hip Hop Release last year (the first woman of colour to do so in ARIA history) and her powerful speech was cut from TV, and Tame Impala. Everyone knows Tame Impala are great, let’s hope voters have opted to make some more history and recognise the triumph of Sampa’s album.
Best Male Artist
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You
Ruel – Free Time
The Kid LAROI – F--- Love
Troye Sivan – In A Dream
What a mixed bag of gents. Do you go for the Hall of Famer Archie Roach or the relative newbies in Ruel, The Kid Laroi or Troye Sivan? Safest bet is to reward Guy Sebastian, who did work his clacker off in the last year with a string of singles and a big tour when they were still a thing. Fun fact: Guy has never won a Best Male ARIA, could this be the year?
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
This is the only industry award Tones And I is nominated for. It just feels like she was everywhere during the voting period, and after cleaning up last year, don’t be surprised if she nabs this but any other nominee would be a worthy winner.
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
These tend to go to the most well-known nominee, so Flume with Vera Blue would seem likely, but Alice Ivy winning would be a lovely surprise.
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
Feels like Lime Cordiale’s time to shine here. Tame Impala is more a one-man band, it doesn’t feel like 5SOS’s year and the Teskeys are promoting a live record plus they won this award last year. DMA’s could grab it, but after leading the nominations this should go to the Lime Cordiale boys.
Breakthrough Artist
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--- Love
Tough one. 17 year old rapper The Kid LAROI has made the most impact on a global level this past year (his F--- Love mixtape hit No. 3 in the US chart) so on stats you’d say he had it in the bag. But again, all worthy winners here.
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
This category needs an overhaul, especially now Song of the Year has become a public-voted category, which means the biggest fanbase wins. You’d think this would be where voters throw artists like Delta Goodrem (who’s hosting this year) a bone. Rather it seems anything without blaring guitars is pop and albums mix with singles so the waters are even more murky. You’d have to say Sia’s Together is the most ‘pop’ song here, plus she’s ‘virtually’ attending so a win would be a win-win.
Best Hip Hop Release
Baker Boy – Meditjin feat. JessB
Briggs – Always Was EP
Illy – Last Laugh
Sampa The Great – The Return
The Kid LAROI – F--- Love
This could be the hardest choice of the night. Again singles and EPs mix with albums and mixtapes, but gosh that incredible album could see Sampa getting this award two years in a row (she won last year for the album’s second single Final Form).
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
Please let this be Miiesha’s moment. Her album is incredible and has caused a buzz in the industry and that’s who votes so fingers crossed.
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
Interesting that Tame Impala can surface in both pop and rock categories, and this is DMAs least rock album to date. Toss a coin between the old guard of Chisel and the new guard of Violent Soho.
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why
Donny Benét – Mr Experience
Gordi – Our Two Skins
Josh Pyke – Rome
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
Such an unfortunately-titled category, feels like it’s something Kamahl should win. Gordi shouldn’t be in here. Give it to Nick Cave. He’ll at least take the piss out of it.
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
Casey Barnes has been plugging away at this country caper for over a decade now and he’s had his best year and this is his first ARIA nomination. Give the lad the gong.
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