Young dance and pop songwriters dominate the APRA Music Awards, led by Flume and Troye Sivan

ELECTRONIC pop music has officially put Oz rock in a coma with Flume, Troye Sivan, D.D. Dumbo and Sia winning big at the APRA Music Awards.

Harley Streten aka Flume has cleaned up at the APRA Awards. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

AUSTRALIAN rock is dead; long live our dance pop music as Flume confirmed his dominance of our airwaves as the APRA Songwriter of the Year on Monday.

The Sydney songwriter, who won a Grammy earlier this year and dominated last year’s ARIA Awards, also took out the gongs for Most Played Australian Work and Dance Work Of The Year with his chart-slaying single Never Be Like You, featuring Canadian vocalist Kai.

Despite not singing on his own compositions, Flume has emerged as one of our most successful music exports of the past year, reaching the top 10 in the US with his second album Skin.

Harley Streten aka Flume won three APRA Awards. Picture: Renee Nowytarger.

Dance music was only recognised by the songwriter’s society APRA with its own category in 2002, with The Presets the only other electronic-based musicians to be recognised as Songwriter Of The Year in the awards’ history.

The indie electronica of D.D. Dumbo’s Satan beat out offerings from Nick Cave, Tim Minchin, Amy Shark and Julia Jacklin to win Song Of The Year.

Pop prince Troye Sivan was named the 2017 Breakthrough Songwriter Of The Year. Picture: Christian Gilles

The Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year was 21-year-old pop prince Troye Sivan who converted his YouTube stardom into becoming one of the most streamed Australian artists with his debut album Blue Neighbourhood.

Another Australian pop superstar Sia again proved another songwriters’ favourite, adding Pop Work Of The Year for her hit Cheap Thrills to her impressive tally of eight APRA awards.

Winners are grinners ... Illy and Vera Blue’s Papercuts won Urban Work Of The Year. Picture: Tim Hunter.

And even the Urban Work Of The Year, usually dominated by hip hop tracks, was taken out by the pop hit Papercuts from Illy and Vera Blue.

Birds of Tokyo flew the flag for guitars with their song I’d Go Anywhere With You winning Rock Work Of The Year.

While the trophies may have been dominated by dance and pop artists, the heart of the 2017 APRA Music Awards belonged to Archie Roach.

The indigenous artist who illuminated his experience as a child of the Stolen Generations in the heartwrenching ballad Took The Children Away had everyone on their feet when he was named the recipient of the prestigious Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services to Australian Music.

Indigenous artist Archie Roach had the APRA Awards audience on their feet. Picture: Bob Barker.

His co-writer and good friend Paul Kelly was joined by Dan Sultan and A.B. Original to perform that song in his honour at the ICC Grand Ballroom ceremony.

The APRA awards take a unique approach to their performances, pairing unexpected artists with the Song Of The Year nominations to reinvent the songs.

The theatrical Kate Miller-Heidke tackled Tim Minchin’s Come Home (Cardinal Pell), Julia Jacklin interpreted Nick Cave’s Skeleton Key while Holy Holy performer her song Pool Party.

Recent album chart-toppers Busby Marou put a blues spin to Amy Shark’s Adore and British-based singer songwriter Cloves sang D.D. Dumbo’s Satan.

It was no surprise he all-conquering Hello by Adele was named the International Work Of The Year.

Among the artists and guests at the 2017 ceremony were Bernard Fanning, INXS’s Andrew Farriss, Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson, Tkay Maidza, Katie Noonan, Jenny Morris and Birds Of Tokyo.

Song of the Year

Satan, D.D. Dumbo

Songwriter of the Year:

Harley Streten aka Flume

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year

Troye Sivan

Overseas Recognition Award

Sam Dixon

Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music

Archie Roach

Most Played Australian Work

Never Be Like You, Flume feat. Kai

Most Played Australian Work Overseas

Rip-tide, Vance Joy

International Work of the Year

Hello, Adele

Country Work of the Year

Greatest Companion, Aleyce Simmonds

Blues & Roots Work of the Year

The Pain, Robbie Miller

Dance Work of the Year

Never Be Like You, Flume feat. Kai

Rock Work of the Year

I’d Go With You Anywhere, Birds of Tokyo

Pop Work of the Year

Cheap Thrills, Sia

Urban Work of the Year

Papercuts, Illy feat. Vera Blue

Originally published as Young dance and pop songwriters dominate the APRA Music Awards, led by Flume and Troye Sivan