Despite no official red carpet, no crowds to line said red carpet, and no physical ARIA Awards to attend in 2020, the Australian music industry’s night of nights has still gone forth and handed out the only awards in the biz that surprisingly haven’t caused anyone serious harm.
With nominees beaming in from their respective hubs, and sending in their homemade red carpet snaps, it finally felt like everyone at the ARIAs was experiencing it like us plebs – in our pyjamas on the couch with a bottle of wine. How it should be done every year, if you ask me. Normalise wearing comfies for major events, please.
.@thisisyorke with the world’s best photobomb from her best boy, Robbee wearing @swarovski on the #ARIAsAtHome Red Carpet!@youtube @youtubemusic #SwarovskiXARIAs #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/ftlGEf5L9O
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) November 25, 2020
The 2020 ARIA Awards kicked off in the afternoon this year with a pre-awards award show live-streamed on YouTube (another perk of doing everything online this year, you can pace yourself) with gongs handed out for categories like Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album, Best Independent Release, Best Comedy Release, and Best Dance Release.
Kicking off at 7.30pm, the main event handed out the accolades for the big ARIA Awards – Breakthrough Artist, Album Of The Year and Song Of The Year – and Archie Roach being inducted into the coveted ARIA Hall Of Fame.
So without further ado, here are all your winners for the 2020 ARIA Awards.
2020 ARIA Awards Winners List
Album Of The Year
WINNER: Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
DMA’s – THE GLOW
Jessica Mauboy – Hilda
Lime Cordiale– 14 Steps To A Better You
Sampa The Great – The Return
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Best Male Artist
WINNER: Archie Roach – Tell Me Why
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You
Ruel – Free Time
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love
Troye Sivan – In A Dream
Best Female Artist
WINNER: Sampa The Great – The Return
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise
Miiesha – Nyaaringu
Sampa The Great – The Return
Sia – Together
Tones And I – Bad Child / Can’t Be Happy All the Time
Best Dance Release
WINNER: Dom Dolla – San Frandisco
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep
Dom Dolla – San Frandisco
Flume– Rushing Back feat. Vera Blue
Northeast Party House – Shelf Life
Stace Cadet & KLP – Energy
Best Group
WINNER: Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
5 Seconds Of Summer– CALM
DMA’S – THE GLOW
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Forum
Breakthrough Artist
WINNER: Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You
Alex the Astronaut – The Theory of Absolutely Nothing
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You
Mallrat – Driving Music
Miiesha – Nyaaringu
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love
Best Pop Release
WINNER: Amy Shark – Everybody Rise
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You
Sia – Together
Tame Impala – Lost In Yesterday
Troye Sivan – In A Dream
Best Hip Hop Release
WINNER: Sampa The Great – The Return
Baker Boy – Meditjin feat. JessB
Briggs– Always Was EP
Illy– Last Laugh
Sampa The Great– The Return
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love
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Best Soul/R&B Release
WINNER: Miiesha – Nyaaringu
Genesis Owusu – Don’t Need You
KIAN – Every Hour
Miiesha – Nyaaringu
Tash Sultana – Pretty Lady
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol.2
Best Independent Release
WINNER: Sampa The Great – The Return
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why
DMA’S – THE GLOW
Lime Cordiale– 14 Steps To A Better You
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds– Ghosteen
Sampa The Great – The Return
Best Rock Album
WINNER: Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Cold Chisel – Blood Moon
DMA’S – THE GLOW
Ocean Alley – Lonely Diamond
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK
Best Adult Contemporary Album
WINNER: Archie Roach – Tell Me Why
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why
Donny Benét – Mr Experience
Gordi – Our Two Skins
Josh Pyke – Rome
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
Best Country Album
WINNER: Fanny Lumsden – Fallow
Casey Barnes – Town of A Million Dreams
Fanny Lumsden – Fallow
Jasmine Rae – Lion Side
The McClymonts – Mayhem To Madness
Travis Collins – Wreck Me
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Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
WINNER: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Chunky Shrapnel
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Chunky Shrapnel
Parkway Drive – Viva The Underdogs
Polaris – The Death Of Me
The Amity Affliction – Everyone Loves You…Once You Leave Them
The Chats – High Risk Behaviour
Best Blues & Roots Album
WINNER: The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Forum
Busby Marou – The Great Divide
Frank Yamma – Tjukurpa: The Story
Lucky Oceans – Purple Sky
The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Forum
Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife – You Be The Lightning
Best Children’s Album
WINNER: Teeny Tiny Stevies – Thoughtful Songs for Little People
Diver City – Welcome to Diver City
Teeny Tiny Stevies – Thoughtful Songs for Little People
The Vegetable Plot – Season Two
The Wiggles – Choo Choo Trains, Propeller Planes & Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car!
Tiptoe Giants – Colour the World
Best Comedy Release
WINNER: Anne Edmonds – What’s Wrong With You?
Anne Edmonds – What’s Wrong With You?
Bev Killick – Crummy Mummy
Celia Pacquola – All Talk
Megan Washington – Just Jesus (feat. Chris Ryan)
Tom Gleeson – Joy
Best Video
WINNER: Guy Sebastian – Standing With You
Baker Boy – Meditjin feat. JessB
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You
Lime Cordiale – Robbery
PNAU feat. Vlossom – Lucky
Sampa The Great – Time’s Up (feat. Krown)
Tame Impala – Is It True
The Chats – The Clap
Tones And I – Ur So F**kInG cOoL
Troye Sivan – Easy
Violent Soho – Pick It Up Again
Best Australian Live Act
WINNER: Amy Shark – Amy Shark Regional Tour
Amy Shark – Amy Shark Regional Tour
Baker Boy – Falls Festival
Cold Chisel – Blood Moon Tour
DMA’S – Unplugged & Intimate | Laneway Festival
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – St Jerome’s Laneway Festival
Paul Kelly – Paul Kelly – Making Gravy 2019
PNAU – All Of Us Australian Tour
RÜFÜS DU SOL – 2019 Summer Festival Tour
Sampa The Great – The Return Australian Tour 2019
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow
Song of the Year
WINNER: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Teeth
5 Seconds Of Summer – Teeth
Flume Feat. Vera Blue – Rushing Back
Hilltop Hoods Feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal – Exit Sign
Lime Cordiale – Robbery
Mallrat – Charlie
Ruel – Painkiller
Sam Fischer – This City
The Jungle Giants – Heavy Hearted
The Rubens – Live In Life
Tones and I – Never Seen the Rain
Best International Artist
WINNER: Harry Styles – Fine Line
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Eminem – Music To Be Murdered By
Halsey – Manic
Harry Styles – Fine Line
Juice WRLD – Legends Never Die
Justin Bieber – Changes
Lewis Capaldi – Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent
Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
Taylor Swift – Folklore
The Weekend – After Hours
ARIA Music Teacher Award
WINNER: Sarah Donnelley – Wilcannia Central School, Wilcannia NSW
CJ Shaw – Palmerston District Primary School, Canberra ACT
Kathryn McLennan – Virginia State School, Virginia QLD
Sarah Donnelley – Wilcannia Central School, Wilcannia NSW
Thomas Fienberg – Evans High School, Blacktown, NSW
Best Cover Art
WINNER: WASHINGTON – Batflowers
Donny Benét – Mr Experience
Jessica Mauboy – Hilda
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You
Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK
WASHINGTON – Batflowers
Engineer Of The Year
WINNER: Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep
IAMMXO (aka Mohamed Komba) for Miiesha – Nyaaringu
Eric J Dubowsky for Ruel – Free Time
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Greg Wales for Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK
Producer Of The Year
WINNER: Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Kevin Shirley for Cold Chisel – Blood Moon
DNA & Louis Schoorl for Jessica Mauboy – Hilda
IAMMXO (aka Mohamed Komba) for Miiesha – Nyaaringu
M-Phazes for Ruel – Free Time
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Best Classical Album
WINNER: Richard Tognetti & Erin Helyard – Beethoven & Mozart Violin Sonatas
Alicia Crossley – Muse
David Greco & Erin Helyard – Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin
Jayson Gillham, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Carter – Beethoven Piano Concertos
Richard Tognetti & Erin Helyard – Beethoven & Mozart Violin Sonatas
Slava & Sharon Grigoryan – Our Place: Duets For Cello And Guitar
Best Jazz Album
WINNER: Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky – Please Leave Your Light On
Katie Noonan – The Sweetest Taboo
Luke Howard – All That Is Not Solid (Live At Tempo Rubato, Australia / 2020)
Mike Nock; Hamish Stuart; Julien Wilson; Jonathan Zwartz – This World
Nat Bartsch – Forever More
Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky – Please Leave Your Light On
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
WINNER: Chelsea Cullen – I Am Woman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Chelsea Cullen – I Am Woman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Dan Golding – Untitled Goose Game (Original Soundtrack)
Grigoryan Brothers – A Boy Called Sailboat
Matteo Zingales & Antony Partos – Mystery Road (Original Score: Seasons 1-2)
Sally Seltmann & Darren Seltmann – The Letdown (Music from Seasons 1+2)
Best World Music Album
WINNER: Joseph Tawadros – Live at the Sydney Opera House
Grace Barbe – FANM:WOMAN
Joseph Tawadros – Live at the Sydney Opera House
Melbourne Ska Orchestra – Live At The Triffid
The Crooked Fiddle Band – Another Subtle Atom Bomb
Xylouris White – The Sisypheans
There you have it! All your big winners and those smiling politely and clapping on mute on Zoom from the 2020 ARIA Awards. Fingers crossed next year it’ll be back in full force, and we can knock the froth off a few with everyone again.
