Missy Higgins calls out lack of support for female artists ahead of ARIA Hall of Fame honour

Adored singer-songwriter Missy Higgins has been critical of a major part of the Australian music scene, as she celebrates one of the biggest years in her career.

Adored singer-songwriter Missy Higgins will be the 2024 ARIA Hall of Fame inductee as she celebrates one of the biggest years in her career.

Higgins’ inclusion has again focused the spotlight on the gender inequality of the Hall of Fame – she will be only the 13th female artist or female-fronted band to join the illustrious rollcall of 89 inductees, comprising about 280 musicians, from 1988 to 2024

The 40-year-old chart-topper has just completed the wildly successful The Second Act tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut record The Sound of White, playing 40 sold-out shows to 80,000 fans.

While she plans to still be playing music for decades to come, she said older female artists continue to face discrimination from sectors of the music industry.

Baker Boy and Missy Higgins at the launch of Always Live in Melbourne on Wednesday. Picture: David Crosling

Tina Arena called out commercial radio for its lack of support when she was the Hall of Fame inductee in 2015, defiantly stating “that ladies over 40 are still in the game.”

“I reckon I’ll still be playing music — I can’t imagine life without it — but whether people will still want to come and share it is entirely out of my hands,” Higgins said.

“One of the big things I’ve noticed as I’ve got older is that lots of Australian male artists still get played on the radio and supported in other ways well into their 50s and 60s.

“That’s great of course but there are hardly any examples of Aussie women who’ve been afforded the same lifelong support.

“So it’d be great to be part of a group of women who can build a similarly enduring connection with an audience. I guess I’m half way there — hence ‘the second act.’”

Missy Higgins. Picture: Tajette O'Halloran

Higgins, like Jet last year, has been selected by ARIA in the first year of meeting the criteria to be inducted to the Hall of Fame which dictates a recording career of at least 20 years.

The Sound of White was released in September 2004, a month after her breakthrough single Scar claimed No.1 on the ARIA singles chart.

As she prepares to release her sixth album The Second Act next month, Higgins said she was “lucky” – and thrilled – to be this year’s inductee.

“It means an incredible amount to be joining the Hall of Fame. It’s always something that I’ve looked at, not imagining one day I would be inducted myself, so it’s a bit of a pinch-me moment,” she said.

“I mean, it’s an acknowledgement of my life’s work up until this point so that’s pretty cool.”

Higgins said she was excited to join the illustrious company of peers and friends in the Hall of Fame including Kasey Chambers, Tina Arena, Paul Kelly and Archie Roach.

Missy Higgins and Bernard Fanning present the ARIA for Album of the Year during the 30th ARIA Awards in 2016. Picture: AAP

And while the honoree is selected by the ARIA board and industry insiders, Higgins gave all credit for her long career to her fans.

“The fans are everything really; I wouldn’t have a career without people wanting to hear my music,” she said.

“I see the same faces at a lot of the shows I play and I know that a lot of them have really stuck by me from the beginning, from when I was a supporting act when I was 18, just trying to push my EPs onto anyone who would walk past. So, god, I owe the fans everything really.”

Higgins is also proud that her success has come without compromising to industry expectations, or exploitation of female artists.

“I’ve always tried to prioritise the quality of the work over being popular or being seen on the cover of magazines,” she said.

“I’ve been pretty head-strong about remaining true to myself and not being pushed round in an industry that often tries to push you around - particularly if you’re not male.”

She has won nine ARIA awards from 25 nominations over the past two decades.

Missy Higgins jumps into the arms of actor David Hasselhoff after winning Album of the Year at the 2005 ARIA Awards.

Her most memorable ARIAs moment came when she jumped into the arms of a shocked David Hasselhoff as he presented her with the album of the year award in 2005.

“It came to me as soon as Ben Lee won the award before me, and he kissed the Hoff on the mouth and I was like ‘F … you Ben, I have to one-up that’ because it was the coolest thing anyone had done all night,” she said.

“So when I won, I thought ‘I’ve got to jump on him, I’ve got to straddle him!’ I remember when I got up there, he was so much taller than I expected.

“And then I remember thinking that my whole dress had come up and my arse was showing on live TV and luckily that hadn’t happened.”

The 2024 ARIA Awards will be held in Sydney on November 20. 

Originally published as Missy Higgins calls out lack of support for female artists ahead of ARIA Hall of Fame honour