The year 2014 has been massive for Aussie music and last night saw our fair nation come together to celebrate what a triumphant year our incredibly talented artists have had at the annual ARIA awards.
What we found particularly incredible and equal part astonishing, were that seven of the major award recipients have all released their music via independent labels, demonstrating that we Australians really do dig our homegrown indie tunes.
Beginning with shining star of pop Sia, who absolutely smashed the evening, taking out Album Of The Year for 1000 Forms Of Fear Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release and Best Video for the epic ‘Chandelier’ that was put out via indie label Inertia. It’s been an insane year for the the 38-year old, having claimed #1 position across the globe as she finally cracked the notoriously difficult US Billboard charts.
Recent Triple J Album Of The Year Winner Chet Faker took home three awards including Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release and Producer Of The Year for his debut LP, Built On Glass.
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Aussie hiphop pioneers Hilltop Hoods claimed Best Urban Album for Walking Under The Stars that was released through their own label Golden Era Records, Dan Sultan walked away with Best Rock Album for Blackbird (released via Liberation) whilst Sheppard won Best Group for their poppy debut record Bombs Away that came out on Empire of Song.
It doesn’t end there for indie label victories, which also featured Peking Duk who won Best Dance Release for their cataclysmic beat ‘High’, the track initially released on Vicious Recordings and party-thrashers DZ Deathrays receiving the award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album with their I Oh You released record, Black Rat. Awesome, right?
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Stepping away from independent releases, major labels were still represented by first time American Music Award winners 5 Seconds Of Summer who took out Song Of The Year for ‘She Looks So Perfect’, as Best Breakthrough Artist was awarded to Iggy Azalea, who has been an unstoppable force internationally, smashing international chart records, not to mention having won Best Rapper and Best Hiphop Album at the AMAs.
Beloved Australian icon, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum and the show that introduced us to him, Countdown was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame by Marcia Hines and John Paul Young. The overwhelming reaction from the crowd when Molly was inducted is a testament to how loved and admired the first non-artist being inducted into the ARIAHall Of Fame is by all. It’s fantastic to see the Aussie music icon to be included in the celebration.
ARIA CEO Dan Rosen said: “2014 has been an amazing year for Australian music and that was certainly evident by the incredible talent that graced the ARIA stage. The collection of tonight’s winners, nominees and performers highlight the world-class homegrown talent that we have here in Australia. ARIA is proud to be able to present these artists to music fans around Australia and around the world to celebrate their achievements.”
There’s nothing greater than celebrating our own homegrown talent, and with such a killer year of independent and major labelled music to emanate from Australia’s shores, we see a very bright 2015.
2014 ARIA Award Winners
SIA ‘1000 FORMS OF FEAR’
Album Of The Year
Best Female Artist
Best Pop Release
Best Video presented by YouTube – Directed by Sia and Daniel Askill
CHET FAKER ‘BUILT ON GLASS’
Best Male
Artist
Best Independent Release
SHEPPARD ‘BOMBS AWAY’
Best Group
IGGY AZALEA ‘THE NEW CLASSIC’
Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA
5 SECONDS OF SUMMER ‘SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT’
ARIA Song Of The Year
NEIL FINN AND PAUL KELLY ‘GOIN’ YOUR WAY’
Best Adult Contemporary Album
JOHN BUTLER TRIO ‘FLESH AND BLOOD’
Best Blues and Roots Album
THE WIGGLES ‘APPLES & BANANAS’
Best Children’s Album
BUDDY GOODE ‘IT’S A BUDDY GOODE CHRISTMAS’
Best Comedy Release
KASEY CHAMBERS ‘BITTERSWEET’
Best Country Album
PEKING DUK FEATURING NICOLE MILLAR ‘HIGH’
Best Dance Release
DZ DEATHRAYS ‘BLACK RAT’
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
DAN SULTAN ‘BLACKBIRD’
Best Rock Album
HILLTOP HOODS ‘WALKING UNDER STARS’
Best Urban Album
KEITH URBAN
Best Live Australian Act
ONE DIRECTION
Best International Artist
MOLLY MELDRUM AND COUNTDOWN
ARIA Hall Of Fame
DENIS HANDLIN
ARIA Industry Icon Award
