Pop star Amy Shark and globally acclaimed genre-bender Genesis Owusu lead 2021 ARIA nominations
The Australian music industry finally has something to celebrate after a brutal year with a strong field of nominees from hip hop, pop, rock and soul at this year’s ARIA Awards.
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Amy Shark’s reckoning with her ghosts and Genesis Owusu’s explosive genre-bending commentary on racism and depression in Australia lead the nominations for the 2021 ARIA Awards.
While it was one of the toughest years on record for our pop industry, the great music kept coming and this year’s nominations roll call is an eclectic field of legends and rookies.
Shark’s indie pop record Cry Forever and Owusu’s globally acclaimed Smiling With No Teeth, each with six nominations, are the perfect bookends to illustrate the dizzying diversity of Australia’s sound of now.
Shark, who is in the US working on songs for her third record, said the nominations gave our artists a much-needed boost after two years of chaos because of the pandemic shutdown of live music.
“It has been the ugliest couple of years for our industry, it just felt like you were putting music out into a vacuum and there was no way to gauge how it was connecting with fans at festivals or tours,” she said.
“So you best be damn happy with what you’re putting out there and I think this year, more than any other year, is an important time to celebrate our artists because we are on fire with talent and the songs coming out are so fierce and unapologetic.”
Owusu, who is likely to feature on best-of lists worldwide at the end of the year, said watching the global reaction to his dizzying, independently-produced blend of hip hop, soul, funk and punk from “my little bedroom in Canberra” made him fiercely proud.
“It’s been crazy, surreal to watch the reception the album got and to be honest, I didn’t really care whether Australia was ready or whether anyone was ready for it,” he said.
“It was just the time in my life where I needed to put that out, I needed to say what was being said on that album.”
And then there’s the five nominations crew.
Midnight Oil’s collaboration with First Nations artists on The Makarrata Project, Tones and I’s long-awaited debut record Welcome To The Madhouse, global hip hop star Masked Wolf, stream king Vance Joy’s single Missing Pieces, electronic superstars The Avalanches and exciting soul newcomer Budjerah reflect the wild-ranging Australian soundtrack on fans’ playlists.
For the soulful 19-year-old First Nations artist Budjerah, who only released his debut single Missing You a year ago and self-titled EP in March, the ARIA nominations are the realisation of a schoolyard prophecy.
“My main dream was to do tours and I just finished my first headlining tour. And my next goal was to win an award and I used to tell the kids at school ‘I’m going to go to the ARIAs one day’,” he said.
“And they’d be like ‘Yeah, sure.’ And now I will have ARIA Awards nominated artist next to my name and that’s prestigious.”
Vance Joy hopes to return home from Barcelona, where he has been living with his partner, to celebrate the success of Missing Pieces, which was written about being separated from loved ones during the pandemic.
“I think the song could exist at any time because it’s about being separated from the ones you love and that is so relevant now,” he said.
“I remember playing it to my parents and my mum Gabrielle said ‘You better release it now!’”
Global pop star The Kid Laroi and indie soul artist Ngaiire both have four nominations while Brisbane Festival stage slayers Ball Park Music are up for three awards.
But ARIA’s move to dispense with the gender categories of Best Male and Female for the new Best Artist category has had a rocky launch with six male nominees and only four female artists.
“The removal of gendered categories puts all artists on an equal platform. Just as importantly it allows non-binary artists to be recognised and celebrated in the ‘Best’ category they were previously excluded from. ARIA is not the first to make this change, the GRAMMYs and the MTV Video Music Awards removed gendered categories many years ago,” ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said.
“ARIA nominees are determined by a democratic process where more than 1,000 ARIA judges cast their votes. This happens without any interference from ARIA.
“ARIA will continue to work toward, support, and speak out for equitable representation for all in the music industry through the ARIA Awards and everything else that we do.”
This year’s awards will also be in the spotlight as the industry wrestles with the its MeToo reckoning and addresses cultural issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality.
After controversy erupted earlier this year about Shark’s experience at a previous ARIAs after forgetting to thank former Sony label head Denis Handlin, the Cry Forever singer joked that should she win any awards, her speech would mirror Matt Corby’s approach which is a simple “Thanks!”.
The awards will be livestreamed to Australia and the world on November 24 from Sydney where organisers are still hoping to have a small scale live gathering of artists and industry.
2021 ARIA NOMINATIONS
Album Of The Year
Amy Shark – Cry Forever
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth
Midnight Oil – The Makarrata Project
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
Tones And I – Welcome to the Madhouse
Best Artist
Amy Shark – Cry Forever
Budjerah – Budjerah (EP)
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth
Keith Urban – The Speed Of Now Part 1
Kylie Minogue – Disco
Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean
Ngaiire – 3
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – Stay
Tones And I – Welcome to the Madhouse
Vance Joy – Missing Piece
Best Dance Release
Cosmo’s Midnight – Yesteryear
Dom Dolla – Pump The Brakes
Jolyon Petch – Dreams
KLP & Stace Cadet – People Happy
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Alive
Best Group
AC/DC – Power Up
Gang Of Youths – The Angel of 8th Ave.
Midnight Oil – The Makarrata Project
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Alive
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist
Budjerah – Budjerah (EP)
Gretta Ray – Begin To Look Around
Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean
MAY-A -Don’t Kiss Ur Friends
Ngaiire – 3
Best Pop Release
Amy Shark – Cry Forever
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – Stay
Tones And I – Fly Away
Vance Joy – Missing Piece
Best Hip Hop Release
B Wise – Jamie
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth
Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean
The Kid LAROI – Without You
Youngn Lipz – Area Baby
Best Soul/R & B Release
Budjerah – Budjerah (EP)
Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant
Ngaiire – 3
Tash Sultana – Terra Firma
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3
Best Independent Release
Archie Roach – The Songs Of Charcoal Lane
Ball Park Music – Ball Park Music
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth
Vance Joy – Missing Piece
Best Rock Album
AC/DC – Power Up
Ball Park Music – Ball Park Music
Holy Holy – Hello My Beautiful World
Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest
Midnight Oil – The Makarrata Project
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Big Scary – Daisy
Crowded House – Dreamers Are Waiting
Kylie Minogue- Disco
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage
Odette – Herald
Best Country Album
Brad Cox – My Mind’s Projection
Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham – The Song Club
Shane Nicholson – Living In Colour
The Wolfe Brothers – Kids On Cassette
Troy Cassar-Daley – The World Today
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
Alpha Wolf – A Quiet Place To Die
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound What Reality?
Tropical F**k Storm – Deep States
Yours Truly – Self Care
A. Swayze & the Ghosts – Paid Salvation
Best Blues & Roots Album
Archie Roach – The Songs Of Charcoal Lane
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover
Josh Teskey & Ash Grunwald – Push The Blues Away
Martha Marlow – Medicine Man
Ziggy Alberts – Searching For Freedom
Best Children’s Album
Amber Lawrence – The Kid’s Gone Country 2
Bluey The Album – Bluey
Diver City – Dance Silly
The Wiggles – Lullabies With Love
Various Artists – The Moon, The Mouse & The Frog: Lullabies from Northern Australia
PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS
Best Video
24k – Tkay Maidza, Nicholas Muecke
Astronaut In The Ocean – Masked Wolf, Daniele Cernera
could cry just thinkin about you (Full Version) – Troye Sivan & Jesse Gohier-Fleet
Dance – Julia Stone, Jessie Hill
First Nation – Midnight Oil, Robert Hambling
Higher – Budjerah, Mick Soiza
Love Songs Ain’t for Us – Amy Shark, James Chappell
Missing Piece – Vance Joy, Annelise Hickey
The Divine Chord – The Avalanches, Jonathan Zawada
Won’t Sleep – Tones and I, Nick Kozakis, Liam Kelly
Best Australian Live Act
Amy Shark – Cry Forever Tour 2021
Ball Park Music – The Residency
Budjerah – Budjerah 2021 Aus Tour
Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth Album Tour
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Micro Tour
Lime Cordiale – Relapse Tour
Midnight Oil – Makarrata Live
The Avalanches – The Avalanches Live
The Teskey Brothers – The Teskey Brothers (Headline Shows + Festivals)
Thelma Plum – Homecoming Queen Tour
Song of the Year
Amy Shark Feat. Keith Urban – Love Songs Ain’t For Us
Dean Lewis – Falling Up
Hooligan Hefs – Send It!
Keith Urban & Pink – One Too Many
Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean
Sam Fischer & Demi Lovato – What Other People Say
Spacey Jane – Booster Seat
The Kid LAROI with Miley Cyrus – Without You
Tones and I – Fly Away
Vance Joy – Missing Piece
Most Popular International
Ariana Grande – Positions
Doja Cat – Planet Her
Justin Bieber – Justice
Kanye West – Donda
Luke Combs – What You See Ain’t Always What You Get
Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets To My Downfall
Miley Cyrus – Plastic Hearts
Olivia Rodrigo – Sour
Pop Smoke – Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon
Taylor Swift – Evermore
Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award
Aaron Silver – Wodonga Primary School, Regional VIC
Ashley Baxter – Pimlico State High School, Townsville QLD
Daniel Wilson – Star Struck, Newcastle NSW
Zoë Barry – Sacred Heart School, Melbourne VIC
ARTISAN AWARDS
Best Cover Art
Ngaiire Joseph & Dan Segal for Ngaiire – 3
Eben Ejdne for Odette – Herald
Kofi Anash & Bailey Howard for Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth
Jonathan Zawada for The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
Giulia Giannini McGauran & Mitchell Eaton for Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse
Engineer Of The Year
Chris Collins
Eric J Dubowsky
Konstantin Kersting
Matt Corby
Tony Espie
Producer Of The Year
Andrew Klippel, Dave Hammer
Konstantin Kersting
M-Phazes
Matt Corby
Robert Chater
FINE ARTS AWARDS
Best Classical Album
Christian Li – Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Emily Sun & Andrea Lam – Nocturnes
Genevieve Lacey and Marshall McGuire – Bower
Grigoryan Brothers – This is Us: A Musical Reflection of Australia
Nat Bartsch – Hope
Best Jazz Album
Australian Art Orchestra, Reuben Lewis, Tariro Mavondo & Peter Knight – Closed Beginnings
Kristen Beradi, Sean Foran & Rafael Karlen – Haven
Mildlife – Automatic
Petra Haden & The Nick Haywood Quintet – Songs from my Father
Vazesh – The Sacred Key
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
Angus & Julia Stone – Life Is Strange
Antony Partos – Rams (Original Motion Picture Score)
Caitlin Yeo, Maria Alfonsine, Damian de Boos-Smith – Wakefield Season One Official Soundtrack
Sia – Music Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture
Yve Blake – Fangirls
Best World Music Album
Bob Weatherall & Halfway, with William Barton – Restless Dream
Bukhu – Bukhchuluun Ganburged – The Journey
Eishan Ensemble – Project Masnavi
Joseph Tawadros – Hope In An Empty City
Kuya James – ISA
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