APRA song of the year for Amyl and the Sniffers’ defiant ode U Should Not Be Doing That
The best Australian song released last year is a cheerily defiant punk-rock anthem devoted to naysayers of all stripes that was written and performed by one of the most compelling singers working today.
The best Australian song released last year is a cheerily defiant punk-rock anthem devoted to naysayers of all stripes that was written and performed by one of the most compelling singers working today.
That’s according to thousands of songwriter members of music rights organisation APRA AMCOS, whose collective voice saw a smart, sharp ode to ignoring critical voices named as peer-voted song of the year at the annual APRA Music Awards on Wednesday night.
“I was in L.A. shaking my shit / While you were down in Melbourne saying, ‘F..k that bitch’,’ sings Amy Taylor, frontwoman of Amyl and the Sniffers, in the chorus of the band’s single U Should Not Be Doing That.
“You were in New York getting shit on / And they were down in Melbourne saying, ‘You should not be doing that’,” Taylor concludes in its chorus, while her three bandmates lay down a rock-solid rhythmic bed beneath her, led by Gus Romer’s buoyant bassline.
It’s only the newest accolade for the three-time ARIA Award-winning band, which recently played at the US music festival Coachella amid a world tour that includes 34 dates booked through to November.
Formed in Melbourne in 2016 and with three albums to its name, the group has earned a global audience of 1.1m Spotify monthly listeners through its brand of abrasive, explicit and undeniably Australian rock ‘n’ roll, in the vein of Bon Scott-era AC/DC.
On stage, Taylor is a force of nature fond of strutting and flexing her small frame with aplomb, as her stone-faced bandmates thrash out their unique style of energetic, innovative punk in two- and three-minute bursts.
Taylor, 29, was inspired to write U Should Not Be Doing That as a way to hit back at narrow-minded people who found her revealing clothing choices and direct vocal style confronting. “I know my worth,” she states confidently after the song’s second chorus.
Of the newly award-winning song, she said in an interview last year: “It’s unconscious and meant nothing at the time of writing it but now I think it’s a comedic way of rubbing the dog’s nose in its own dog piss after it peed on your favourite rug or something.”
Amyl and the Sniffers were not present to accept their award on Wednesday night, owing to being midway through a US tour, but Taylor supplied an exclusive statement to The Australian on learning the happy news.
“We’re super pumped to win the song of the year this year for the APRA Awards,” she said. “Thanks so much to all our peers who voted it in! I think it means the most when it’s peers and people who also make music who vote for us coz as the kind of band that we are, we’re not usually recognised for our songwriting and so the fact that U Should Not Be Doing That is recognised as a song that is written good is a real big compliment and a testament that its coming from a bit of a rock-scrappy band it’s still shown respect and we really appreciate that.”
Other key winners at the APRA Music Awards – hosted by Zan Rowe at Melbourne Town Hall – included Kevin Parker, aka Fremantle musician Tame Impala, whose work on Dua Lipa’s pop song Houdini earned him two awards for most performed Australian work and most performed pop work.
Perth-raised pop artist Troye Sivan was named songwriter of the year following the international success of his third album, 2023’s Something to Give Each Other.
Its lead single Rush was named peer-voted song of the year at the 2024 APRAs, and that baton pass – from Sivan’s sleek club anthem to Amyl and the Sniffers’ defiant punk rock statement – speaks loudly of the depth of Australian music talent finding global audiences today.
APRA Music Awards 2025 winners
Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Title: U Should Not Be Doing That
Artist: Amyl and the Sniffers
Writers: Declan Mehrtens / Fergus Romer / Amy Taylor / Bryce Wilson
Songwriter of the Year
Writer: Troye Sivan
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing
Emerging Songwriter of the Year
Writers: Otis Pavlovic & Royel Maddell (Royel Otis)
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Ourness Songs
International Recognition Award
Keanu Torres (Keanu Beats)
Most Performed Australian Work
Title: Houdini
Artist: Dua Lipa
Writers: Kevin Parker / Dua Lipa*^ / Caroline Ailin / Daniel Harle / Tobias Jesso Jr.^
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music* / Universal Music Publishing^
Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
Title: Unstoppable
Artist: Sia
Writer: Sia Furler / Christopher Braide*
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing ANZ*
Most Performed Alternative Work
Title: Paradise
Artist: Coterie
Writers: Brandford Fisher / Conrad Fisher / Joshua Fisher / Tyler Fisher / Robby De Sa*
Publishers: Concord Music Publishing ANZ / Sony Music Publishing*
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Title: New Love
Artist: Ziggy Alberts
Writer: Ziggy Alberts
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing
Most Performed Country Work
Title: Take Forever (Hally’s Song)
Artist: Cooper Alan
Writers: Kylie Sackley* / Timothy Cooper^ / Justin Morgan+
Publishers: I Love You More Music Worldwide* / BMG^ / SHOUT! Music Publishing+
Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work
Title: Saving Up
Artist: Dom Dolla
Writers: Dominic Matheson / Clementine Douglas* / Toby Scott^ / Caitlin Stubbs^
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Mushroom Music Publishing* / Kobalt Music Publishing^
Most Performed Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work
Title: Epitaph
Artist: Make Them Suffer
Writers: Sean Harmanis / Nicholas McLernon / Jordan Mather / Alexandra Reade / Jeff Dunne
Publisher: Cooking Vinyl Publishing
Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work
Title: Fall Back
Artist: Lithe
Writers: Josiah Ramel* / Omid Khasrawy
Publisher: Concord Music Publishing ANZ obo Boss Level*
Most Performed International Work
Title: Greedy
Artist: Tate McRae
Writers: Tate McRae / Amy Allen* / Jasper Harris^ / Ryan Tedder
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music* / Concord Music Publishing ANZ^
Most Performed Pop Work
Title: Houdini
Artist: Dua Lipa
Writers: Kevin Parker / Dua Lipa*^ / Caroline Ailin / Daniel Harle / Tobias Jesso Jr.^
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music* / Universal Music Publishing^
Most Performed R&B / Soul Work
Title: Space
Artist: Kaiit
Writers: Kaiit Waup / Jake Amy / Anthony Liddell / Jaydean Miranda / Justin Smith
Most Performed Rock Work
Title: Through the Trees
Artist: King Stingray
Writers: Theo Dimathaya Burarrwanga / Roy Kellaway* / Campbell Messer / Yirrnga Gotjiringu Yunupingu* / Yimila Gurruwiwi / Lewis Stiles
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing*
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music
Licensee of the Year
Lazybones Lounge Restaurant & Bar
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