2019 ARIA Awards: Tones and I cleans up
From a Moonlight moment to a cheeky swipe at The Veronicas Qantas drama, the 2019 ARIAs had it all | GALLERY
• ‘Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself
• ARIAs get underway, beard and all
• Triple J presenters’ Moonlight moment
Sebastian’s tearful award acceptance speech
Guy Sebastian has tearfully accepted the final ARIA award of the night for Song of the Year with his hit tune Choir, using his speech to talk about the power of love.
“There’s so many people who need love,” Sebastian, the winner of the first Australian Idol season, said.
“We get up at industry awards and we’re dressed to the nines but there’s so many people hurting. Tones and I said it, we just need to be nice people. We’re all the same and we’re all in this together. Thanks, this means the world.”
Dean Lewis, who took out two ARIAs for best male artist and album of the year, also mentioned mental health and depression in his acceptance speech - saying the most important thing we can do is to “treat someone with kindness”.
“No matter what you are going through there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and this is it for me,” he said while accepting the award for his album A Place We Knew.
Tones and I capped off an incredibly successful night with a fourth ARIA for breakthrough artist, saying she was “literally the epitome of the breakthrough artist of 2019” in her acceptance speech.
The 26-year-old shot to fame earlier this year with her hit single Dance Monkey, which has remained at the top of the charts for 16 weeks straight, and just last week made her American television debut on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
American comedian Arj Barker said he was “officially an honorary Australian” after taking out the ARIA for best comedy release.
The ARIA 2019 ceremony ended with the entire room on their feet dancing to a live performance of Guy Sebastian’s Choir.
Triple J presenters’ Moonlight moment
Paul Kelly has been accidentally announced as the winner of best independent release, an award he was not nominated for. Presenters Veronica and Lewis, from Triple J, were handed the wrong envelope but handled the situation well - with Lewis saying “it’s Moonlight!” - referencing the 2017 Oscars gaffe when La La Land was accidentally announced as the winner of best picture instead of Moonlight.
The correct winner of the award was Tones and I, who used her third acceptance speech of the night to thank the youth radio broadcaster for supporting her at the launch of her career. She only uploaded her first song to the Triple J Unearthed website in March this year.
It was then no surprise that Paul Kelly won the following award, taking out best adult contemporary release for his album Nature.
Best rock album went to Melbourne rock/punk band Amyl and the Sniffers, and the Teskey Brothers took out their second award for the night for blues and roots album.
Boy band Human Nature was also inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in recognition of over three decades of contribution to the Australian music scene. The group formed while they were in high-school in 1989 and have been performing together ever since.
“This is so overwhelming, tonight for us is built on thank yous,” they said.
They are the first boy band to be inducted into the ARIA hall of fame.
‘Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself’
Jaws dropped when hip-hop group the Hilltop Hoods used their ARIA speech to declare that Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself.
While accepting the first award of the night - for best live group - founding member Matt Lambert said “Epstein didn’t kill himself”, sending a wave of gasps through the room.
The sentence was a reference to the recent death in custody of disgraced businessman Jeffrey Epstein and the subsequent conspiracy theories about his death.
There was speculation that Channel Nine will edit out the comment once their broadcast goes live at 7.30pm, but it was broadcast.
Melbourne blues and roots group The Teskey Brothers, who are nominated for seven awards tonight, have taken out Best Group - saying they were stunned to have won and hadn’t written a speech. They later performed their hit song Rain live onstage.
Guy Sebastian has been awarded best music video for his hit tune Choir, and Nashville-based, Aussie-born Morgan Evans has taken out the award for best country album for his release Things That We Drink To.
ARIAs get underway, beard and all
One year on from watching Amy Shark at the ARIAs from her van in Byron Bay, Tones and I never dreamt she would not only be performing live but leading the award show with the most nominations.
The breakout artist opened Australian music’s biggest night wearing a purple beard and puffer jacket, emulating the music video for her smash hit Dance Monkey.
Host Guy Sebastian poked fun at guests in the audience - making a memorable reference to The Veronicas recent ousting from a Qantas flight over their baggage, by begging people not to touch the pop duo’s bags. “Just leave it, for god’s sake it’s not worth it.”
Soon after, Adelaide hip-hoppers Hilltop Hoods took out the first ARIA award of the night for Best Live Act.
Presented by Daryl Braithwaite alongside host Guy Sebastian, the band paid homage to the fans that voted for them.
Keeping things colourful, Robert Irwin arrived on stage draped in a black headed python.
The son of late wildlife expert and TV personality Steve Irwin was joined by Sophie Monk who harked back to an iconic Britney Spears moment by holding the snake and singing the pop star’s hit Slave For You.
The duo presented Dean Lewis with the award for Best Male Artist.
Red carpet arrivals
The stars of Australia’s music industry have converged on Sydney’s Star Casino for tonight’s ARIA Awards, dazzling the red carpet with glitter, pastel suits, repurposed tyre necklaces and even a snake.
Newcomer Toni Watson - also known as Tones and I - sped down the red carpet in a green coat decorated with the name of her debut EP The Kids Are Coming. The 26-year-old has had a dizzying year of success and is up for eight awards tonight, including Breakthrough Artist and Song of the Year.
Our reporter @emritchiejourno speaks to @deanlewismusic on the red carpet at the #ARIAs tonight 🎤 pic.twitter.com/85DznnqTXK
— The Australian (@australian) November 27, 2019
Tones and I will perform at the ARIAs for the first time tonight after recently debuting her hit song Dance Monkey live on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Other top-nominated artists feature Aussie music mainstays, with blues-rock band The Teskey Brothers and Adelaide hip-hoppers The Hilltop Hoods each receiving seven nominations.
Stars support #RightToKnow campaign
Guy Sebastian, Katie Noonan and Ocean Alley were among some music stars to pose on the red carpet with a shirt featuring a photo this newspaper’s recent front page which was entirely redacted as part of the press freedom #righttoknow movement.
“My dad is a journalist so I’m all for it,” Noonan said.
Brian Noonan was a journalist and singer who met Katie Noonan’s mother, opera singer Maggie, on the set of television show.
Her brother, Tyrone, was also a journalist who worked at The Courier-Mail, published by News Corp, before concentrating on his music career with the Brisbane band George.
Tyrone and Katie were both members of George.
What does it mean for @jessicamauboy to be nominated for Best Female Artist at the #ARIAs? Watch her interview with @emritchiejourno below 🎤 See our full coverage here: https://t.co/zkiimUveEo pic.twitter.com/pdx9islDR6
— The Australian (@australian) November 27, 2019
Two international performers - America’s Halsey and popstar Dua Lipa from the UK - will perform tonight as well as a number of the nominated Australian artists.
Boy band Human Nature will be inducted into the ARIAs hall of fame tonight for their contribution to the Australian music scene over the past two decades.
Some stars also shared with The Australian their go-to karaoke songs on the red carpet.
Noonan, who was wearing a repurposed tyre as a necklace, said she couldn’t go past Starship’s Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now whenever she’s doing karaoke.
Singer-songwriter Dean Lewis, who is nominated for four awards including Album of the Year and Best Male Artist, said Oasis’ hit Wonderwall was his favourite karaoke tune.
Jessica Mauboy can’t resist some Spice Girls, saying her absolute favourite was their classic hit Wannabe.
Mauboy is up for Best Female Artist tonight, an award she said was “an honour” to be nominated for as it represented “being a human who’s loving, kind and passionate about creating”. “It’s the whole package and I’m just so proud to be here,” Mauboy told The Australian.
In typical Aussie fashion, Robert Irwin - draped in a snake - said his go-to song was John Williamson’s classic Give Me a Home Among the Gumtrees.
Do you follow us on Instagram? See all our red carpet interviews there.
Be sure to keep an eye on our website for tonight’s winners.
Tones & I emerges as favourite
Busker turned global pop superstar Toni Watson is one of the big favourites at this year’s ARIA awards, going into the ceremony with eight nominations.
Watson, better known as Tones and I, has broken record after record with her song Dance Monkey becoming the longest-running Australian number one since ARIA began their numbers in 1988. She is nominated across eight categories, including best female artist, breakthrough artist and best pop release.
Adelaide hip-hop trio Hilltop Hoods are in contention for seven awards, including album of the year, best group and best Australian live act. The Teskey Brothers are up for seven awards, including album of the year for Run Home Slow. Their competition in that category include Dean Lewis (A Place We Knew), Hilltop Hoods (The Great Expanse), Rufus du Sol (Solace) and Thelma Plum (Better in Blak.)
The ARIA awards ceremony is taking place at the Star in Sydney, hosted by Guy Sebastian, who himself is in the running for several gongs, including best male artist and best pop release.
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