Aussie icon Daryl Braithwaite reveals his surprise favourite song

Australia’s biggest musicians have revealed which songs and artists they’ve had on repeat as the industry celebrates the 2024 ARIA Awards.

Aussie icon music Daryl Braithwaite has revealed his favourite song as Australia’s biggest night in music kicks off in Sydney.

The 2024 ARIA Awards is underway at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, with the country’s biggest stars – from Troye Sivan, Missy Higgins and Grinspoon – hitting the red carpet.

Daryl Braithwaite, known for hits The Horses and One Summer, revealed his top song of the year is The Sound by the 1975.

“I’ve been so engrossed in the 1975 I’ve just lost track of everyone else,” Braithwaite said.

He added it’s “great” to see “music is still very much a priority with a lot of young people”.

Daryl Braithwaite, the former lead singer of 70s band Sherbet, said he can't stop listening to The 1975. Picture: NewsWire/Clareese Packer.

Matty Healy is the frontman for British indie pop band The 1975.

Peach PRC, who stepped out in a light pink crocheted bikini and skirt set, said she’s had Taste by Sabrina Carpenter on repeat this year, but noted she’s also a huge fan of Gretta Raye and Salty.

“Salty’s a really cool pop artist, and I think she brings ‘girly pop’, which not a lot of Australians do,” she said.

“I think when we do we’re really like not seen, because it’s all just Triple J, surfer rock, garage.

“I love Triple J, I love you guys, but I wish they played more pop because we have some really cool pop artists.”

Lime Cordiale put their support behind Royel Otis at the 2024 ARIA Awards. Picture: NewsWire/Clareese Packer.

Phil Jamieson of Grinspoon threw support behind Amyl and the Sniffers. Picture: NewsWire/Clareese Packer.

She added Australian music often gets “forgotten” despite the country having some “really cool stuff happening”.

Royel Otis have taken out top artist of the year for Lime Cordiale star Oliver Leimbach.

“I mean, Royel Otis – those guys have been absolutely grinding, so definitely big fans and supporters of those guys,” Leimbach said.

However his brother, Louis Leimbach, belted out a rendition of the Verge Collection’s Our Place when asked to sing a line from his favourite Aussie song.

“It’s gettin late, You can stay at my place, It’s gettin- you’re still on your P Plates,” he sang.

Royel Otis are up for Album of the Year, Song of the Year (Triple J Like A Version of Murder on the Dance Floor), Best Group, Best Independent Release with Ourness/Believe, Best Rock Album, Best Australian Live Act for their PRATTS & PAIN tour, Best Engineered Release with Chris Collins for their Pratts & Pain album, and Best Produced Release for the same album with Chris Collins again up for the award.

The Sydney duo, comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, recently cancelled their December US tour over “devastating family matters”. The group shot up after their cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s hit Murder on the Dance Floor, which had new life breathed into it following the release of Saltburn.

Other favourite songs echoed by artists included U Should Not Be Doing That by Amyl and The Sniffers, with Phil Jamieson of Grinspoon plugging it as his number one pick of the year.

Amyl and the Sniffers are up for Best Video with John Angus Stewart for U Should Not Be Doing That, while Grinspoon is up for Best Rock Album with their record whatever, whatever.

Royel Otisa are up for eight ARIAs. Picture: Alex Wall

The rockers, who have won two ARIAs in the past, have also just been announced on the bill with Jet, The Veronicas, Spiderbait, JEBEDIAH, Magic Dirt and Youth Group at the Lookout Festival Tour.

Katie Noonan said A Complicated Truth by Missy Higgins is her top pick of the year, having known Higgins since the early days.

“I just love celebrating Australian music, particularly the sisterhood, and I’m excited that Missy’s going into the hall of fame,” Noonan said.

“I took her on one of her first tours when she was 16 and I knew that she’d be amazing and her new album is wonderful, so I’m really happy for her.”

Missy Higgins is set to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on Wednesday night, with the songwriter earlier telling Rolling Stone she “didn’t have it in (her) sights as a goal”.

Higgins is also up for Best Australian Live Act for her The Second Act tour, which sold out 40 shows across the country, 20 years on from her debut hit The Sound Of White.

The tour stopped everywhere from Frankston in Melbourne’s southeast to Townsville on Queensland’s northeast coast.

The album quickly shot to number one on the ARIA charts following its September release, with the tour playing songs from the record before launching into The Sound of White, playing her debut 2004 album in full.