ARIAs host Tim Blackwell names two ‘most intimidating’ celebs

Nova host Tim Blackwell has met hundreds of celebs during his career, but two of them were way more intimidating than the rest.

I’ve interviewed Tim Blackwell many times over the years, but I’ve never heard him more excited than when I spoke to him this week.

The popular Nova host jumped on the phone to talk about the fact he’d just been announced as the host of this year’s ARIAs, which are coming up on Wednesday, November 20.

Blackers, as he’s referred to on his national Nova drive show, told me why the hosting gig is a dream come true, which artist he’s most excited to see perform, and which two famous musicians are the most intimidating stars he’s ever met.

Blackers, congrats on the ARIAs hosting gig. How did it come about?

Well I’m surprised that they want me because I make such a tit of myself there every year (laughs). I’m like a professional ARIAs guest, it’s my favourite night of the year, it really is. I don’t want to be facetious when I say this, but this is an actual dream come true.

Tim Blackwell will host the ARIAs alongside Rhys Nicholson, Bridget Hustwaite, Latifa Tee and Christian Wilkins.

Is hosting something that you’ve wanted to do for a while now?

Well, I can’t say I have because I just never would have expected I would ever be asked. But I’ve always been involved. I’ve been voting on the voting committee for years and I’ve presented before, and as I said I’m a professional attendee, but it never occurred to me in a million years that they would want me to be in charge of the biggest night in Australian music.

I’ve never been to the ARIAs. I’ve been to the Logies …

It’s so much better than the Logies. You just have to look at the award itself to know how much cooler it is than the Logies. It’s like the coolest award in the world. It’s sharp, it’s a weapon, it’s confident, it’s got BDE (big d**k energy).

Troye Sivan won the ARIA for Best Solo Artist last year. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Is it a wild night?

Look, there was one year, and I blame Dan Rosen the former CEO for this, where there was a dry ARIAs (held at The Star Sydney). He had no idea what he was in for because what we did we spent all the commercial breaks running to the sports bar, downing schooners, then running back. People got more blazed in the dry ARIAs than they would have if they were allowed to have a few sips of their chardonnay during the performances. It’s at the Hordern Pavilion this year so it’s already very rock and roll. There’ll be drinks but it’ll be moderate. It’s at the after parties where everyone really lets their hair down.

Some amazing artists are set to perform during the show including The Kid LAROI, Amy Shark, Jessica Mauboy and Missy Higgins. Who are you most excited to watch?

I’m excited, and in a weird way proud, to see Missy Higgins because my first ever ARIAs was her first ever ARIAs. It was the year she cleaned up for the Sound of White (2005) and she jumped into the Hoff’s arms (David Hasselhoff). I was in the media scrum that year. So it’s a full circle moment this year because she’s being inducted into the hall of fame and I’m hosting the thing. It’s pretty crazy, for both of us.

Missy and The Hoff in 2005.

Hosting the ARIAs is a pretty big gig. Are you shitting yourself?

Now that you’ve said that I am (laughs). It’s strange though, I’m looking at the nominees and I’ve been lucky enough to be working in the industry for 20 years and I kind of have a little connection with just about everybody on the night. I normally would have impostor syndrome but this is maybe a crazy night where I actually don’t, I don’t feel I’m out of my depth. In saying that I’m nervous, I want to do a good job, but it’s good nerves.

Have you asked your Nova co-host Joel Creasey to come up with a couple of jokes for you?

No, that is the one thing I don’t want to do. One thing I’ve learnt by watching award shows is ‘do not try and be funny’. Please know this, this is not going to be a comedy performance. This is just going to be ‘a straight down the barrel, giving the music the credibility it deserves’ kind of night. If there’s a laugh along the way, I’ll take it, but I’m not preparing jokes because that is a recipe for disaster.

Nova’s national driver show is hosted by Ricki-Lee Coulter, Joel Creasey, and Tim Blackwell. Picture: Justin Lloyd

There are going to be so many big names in the crowd at the ARIAs and I know you’ve met a lot of them and other famous musicians in the past, so I have a random question ... Who’s the most intimidating artist you’ve ever met?

It’d be a toss up between Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age who’s about 6′4″ and just towers over you. I interviewed him backstage at a show in Brisbane and he was walking around with a bottle of Jägermeister in his hand, just swigging from the bottle. That was pretty hardcore. And then I got to meet Robert Smith from The Cure and just visually, he is very intimidating. He rocks the makeup and he’s just kind of got that punk rock attitude. I said a few words to him and he was very, very softly spoken and very straight to the point. But then about two hours after that I saw him at the Qantas Club on the Gold Coast trying to make his own toasted sandwich and I thought, ‘he’s just one of us’. He went from intimidating to two hours later straight back down to Earth as I watched him trying to put ham and mustard on his toastie. It was quite a cute moment actually.

Josh Homme. Picture: Harmony Gerber/Getty Images

Robert Smith. Picture: Suzanne Cordeiro / AFP

You’re obviously going to kick on after the ARIAs on Wednesday. Do you think you’ll make it into Nova to host the drive show on Thursday?

Well, the radio show is on at 4pm so if I miss a 4pm start that means something has gone terribly wrong (laughs). Of course I’ll be on air. I can’t wait to share the things that I can remember from the night with my Nova audience the next day.

The 2024 ARIA Awards will be broadcast on Channel 9 at 8.30pm AEDT on November 20