Have Australian musicians gotten over their record slump? If you speak to the organisation responsible for compiling the official music charts then the answer is a resounding yes, as they decide to resurrect the ARIA #1 Awards on August 10th.

According to News Limited, the decision to resurrect the awards comes after a two-year hiatus following less than stellar results for local musicians on the mainstream charts, as they struggled against a backdrop of falling record sales, and increased competition with overseas acts for the coveted #1 single or record.

But things have changed dramatically since then, as Australian musicians enjoy a local renaissance off the back of Gotye’s global success and some big releases from the likes of Hilltop Hoods, Bliss N Eso, The Temper Trap, and Missy Higgins.

Since the last awards in 2010, Australian acts spent 61 weeks in number one positions, and 84 singles and 73 albums from local musicians were accredited either gold, platinum or multi-platinum status. A total of 10 Australian artists have managed either a number one album or single.

“In this highly competitive business, with releases from all around the world vying for the publics’ attention, one of the greatest thrills for an artist and their record label is to reach number one on the chart in the journey of building a long and successful career,” said Denis Handlin, ARIA Chairman and Sony Music Entertainment Chairman and CEO Australia & New Zealand.

“That is what defines us all as record labels and these artists deserve the spotlight of attention and recognition.”

The ceremony will coincide with the launch of a new ariacharts.com.au website, developed by MCM Media who recently acquired the Australian rights to run popular music video streaming website VEVO, so it should come at no surprise that the new site will feature music videos prominently.

The ceremony will be held at The Ivy in Sydney on Friday 10th August, with all number ones between August 2010 to August 2012 being recognised. You can take a look at who qualified below.

SINGLES
Guy Sebastian (featuring Eve), Who’s That Girl, 2 weeks
Gotye (featuring Kimbra), Somebody That I Used To Know, 8 weeks
Reece Mastin, Good Night, 4 weeks
Karise Eden, Stay With Me Baby, 1 week
Reece Mastin, Shout It Out, 1 week

ALBUMS
Bliss N Eso, Running On Air, 1 week
Drapht, The Life Of Riley, 1 week
Gotye, Making Mirrors, 1 week
Hilltop Hoods, Drinking From The Sun, 2 weeks
Keith Urban, The Story So Far, 1 week
The Temper Trap, The Temper Trap, 1 week
Missy Higgins, The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle, 2 weeks
Karise Eden, My Journey, 4 weeks

MUSIC DVDS
Hilltop Hoods, Parade Of The Dead, 1 week
Powderfinger, Sunsets Farewell Tour, 7 weeks
The Wiggles, Ukelele Baby!, 3 weeks
Miriusa (featuring Andre Rieu), Always And Forever, 4 weeks
AC/DC, Live At River Plate, 15 weeks
Hillsong Live, God Is Able, 1 week
Parkway Drive, Home Is For The Heartless, 1 week

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