At the APRA Music Awards, Beatle Ringo Starr’s glowing reference for Colin Hay
Guest of honour at the annual APRA Music Awards on Thursday night was Colin Hay, and for a change, he wasn’t a man at work – he was a man of leisure. | FULL WINNERS LIST
Guest of honour at the annual APRA Music Awards on Thursday night was Colin Hay, and for a change, he wasn’t a man at work – he was a man of leisure.
Having finished a US tour with his band a few days earlier, the Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter took up the offer of a rare holiday to the country where he made his name as a performer in the 1980s, as frontman of Melbourne rock band Men at Work.
Hay accepted the offer of a trip Down Under from music rights organisation APRA AMCOS, which hosts the annual night for songwriting excellence.
At the ICC Sydney, he accepted the Ted Albert Award for outstanding services to Australian music. “I was very chuffed when they said that they wanted to give it to me,” Hay, 69, said. “I thought it was lovely thing, and I’m happy to be here.”
When The Australian reminded him of the prize for distinguished services to music he received in Los Angeles at a Global APRA Music Awards ceremony in February 2020, shortly before Covid lockdowns, he replied with a smile: “I only receive awards just before and just after pandemics.”
Hay was introduced by an old school friend, actor Kim Gyngell, and was surprised to see a video message from his occasional bandmate, Ringo Starr.
After opening with a drum roll, the 82-year-old former Beatle congratulated Hay, and said: “You deserve it. I love you, you’re a great member of Ringo and the All-Starr Band, and it’s always my pleasure being on stage with you. I’m sure the people tonight will enjoy you as much as I do. Peace and love to Australia!”
Hay shared the coveted Ted Albert Award – named after the pioneering Alberts record producer and entrepreneur who died in 1990 – with the late tour promoter Colleen Ironside
They join a roll-call of notable artists and industry workers to receive the award, including Archie Roach, Helen Reddy, Midnight Oil and children’s music group The Wiggles, which received the Ted Albert Award last year.
The peer-voted APRA song of the year went to electronic musician Flume for Say Nothing (featuring MAY-A), co-written with Sarah Aarons, which also topped the Triple J Hottest 100 music poll this year.
Songwriter of the year was shared by the three members of Sydney alternative dance trio Rufus Du Sol, and hip-hop artist Sampa the Great was named breakthrough songwriter of the year. Sydney hip-hop artist The Kid Laroi’s winning streak with his Justin Bieber collaboration continued at the APRAs. Released in July 2021, their song Stay was named most performed pop work and most performed Australian work.
The award for most performed work overseas went to pop singer-songwriter Tones and I, aka Toni Watson, whose mega hit single Dance Monkey is still winning trophies nearly four years after its release in May 2019.
The writer travelled to Sydney as a guest of APRA AMCOS.
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