The ARIAs will spotlight the new Australian soundtrack from rock to pop, electronic to hip hop

NO one could have imagined that Jessica Mauboy, Nick Cave, Flume and Peking Duk would be up for the same ARIA award. But that’s what has happened.

NO one in the Australian music industry could have imagined an ARIA awards where Jessica Mauboy, Nick Cave, Flume and Peking Duk would be up for the same trophy.

But in 2017, there they are among the 10 nominees for Best Australian Live Act, one of the four publicly voted awards on offer next Tuesday at Sydney’s The Star Event Centre.

Mauboy’s inclusion, in particular, illustrates the dramatic shift in Australia’s music tastes in the past decade.

Jessica Mauboy joins Australia’s premier live artists in contention for the ARIA Awards. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

While we worshipped at the altar of pub rock, fans and critics have occasionally had cause to be suspicious of pop concerts over the past 30 years. Where’s the band? Is the singer miming? How many costume changes are too many?

And we were equally suspicious of electronic artists whose primary “instrument” appeared to be a laptop. Were they checking their emails after pressing Start on a playlist?

But we got over that simply because the artists in question, whether they be Mauboy or Peking Duk, proved to be as entertaining and captivating as Cave or other rock acts including this year’s multi-nominees Gang Of Youths and rising solo superstar Tash Sultana, who has yet to meet an instrument she can’t play.

Gang of Youths, fronted by Dave Le’aupepe, are renowned as one of Australia’s best live rock bands. Picture: John Feder

“That award has done a pretty good job in the past of reflecting what’s been happening on the festival scene but with people like Jessica Mauboy and Nick Cave, both incredible live acts in there, it reminds you Australian artists also sell out arenas,” he said.

The 2017 ARIA Awards not only reflect the new sound of Australia but the raft of new talent who have exploded on the airwaves here and internationally.

And they are predominantly female.

The Breakthrough Artist category will be contested by Amy Shark, who has six nominations, as well as Sultana and Tkay Maidza alongside hip hop duo A.B. Original and singer songwriter Dean Lewis.

Women dominate the Best Pop Release with Waves chart-slayer Lewis the only male contesting the category alongside Shark, Mauboy, Vera Blue and Sia.

While there is no disputing the worthiness of Daryl Braithwaite’s induction this year, Rosen said ARIA still has a long way to go to redress the imbalance in the Hall Of Fame honour roll.

Amy Shark is one of the biggest acts to breakthrough this year. Picture: AAP Image/Claudia Baxter.

Only 10 of the 75 inductees since the Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 1988 are women.

“I am concerned that the Hall of Fame is male heavy. I think that reflects the industry as it was while the Breakthrough Artist category this year reflects how the industry will be,” he said.

“And if you look at pop, where female artists have dominated, you have to consider this is the music most people listen to which I think shows we are in great shape in terms of this generation of artists.”

While the new generation is well represented by Gang Of Youths, who lead this year’s nominations and are up for eight awards, Paul Kelly is celebrating a watershed year with seven nominations for his latest record Life Is Fine, his first ever No. 1 in a 40-year career.

Long hailed by the true believers as Australia’s Bob Dylan, Kelly is now receiving the kind of reverence and mainstream support which the American industry has always accorded its seminal singer songwriters.

His single Firewood and Candles is even scoring commercial radio airplay, whose gatekeepers generally turn an ageist eye to the new releases of middle-aged artists.

“He is one of our greatest ever artists and put out a brilliant album. I think it’s good he is recognised for creating vital work; he’s always pushing boundaries and that has kept him relevant to music fans,” ARIA CEO Dan Rosen said.

“It’s amazing that after 40 years, he finally gets his first No.1.”

Major ARIA nomineess A.B Original have already cleaned up many music prizes. Picture: Justin Kennedy

The 2017 honour roll also shines a spotlight on the not-so-quiet revolution coming from our indigenous artists.

Mauboy’s stirring rendition of Amazing Grace with the late Dr. G. Yunupingu features on the Secret Daughter soundtrack while A.B. Original’s debut record Reclaim Australia has been hailed as one of the most important records in emerge in the past decade and achieved six nominations including Album of the Year.

And one of the most pitched battles for an award this year pits Jimmy Barnes against ... The Wiggles.

Both are up for Best Children’s Record. And both contribute to each other’s album. Rosen would love to see a tie.

Kiwi superstar Lorde will perform on Tuesday night at the ARIAs. Picture: Andrew Chin/Getty Images.

In an era where the relevance of awards as determined by social media appears limited to who wore dud frocks, hit dud notes or wore dud facial expressions, does an ARIA win actually mean anything to the artist and their career in 2017?

Rosen insists it does and that the awards attract international attention courtesy of social media — and the presence of global superstars such as Harry Styles and Lorde.

“I think it matters to the artists and I hope the ARIAs help shine a spotlight on what is great, whether you’re A.B. Original putting out your first record or Paul Kelly putting out your 23rd. If we can get more people turned onto Australian music, then it is relevant,” he said.

The 2017 ARIA Awards broadcast by Nine from 7.30pm on November 28.