There was a theme to the 2016 ARIAs and that theme was “Flume” – the Sydney DJ / musician / producer cleaned the fuck up this evening and somehow managed to make coherent acceptance speeches for the many, many awards he won.
Despite might what you might have been lead to believe, however, there were some other winners at tonight’s ceremony, including perennial favourite Troye Sivan, unearthly beauty Montaigne, and shitkicking, beer pulling, weed smoking Brissy heroes Violent Soho.
Similarly weedified and similarly Brisbanite psych rockers King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizzard managed to take out Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal album, while less weedified but still Brisbanian colleague Bernard Fanning managed to snatch Best Adult Contemporary Album. I promise I’m not just singling these ones out because I’m from Brisbane (I am).
Have a gander at the full list of nominees and winners:
BEST HARD ROCK OR HEAVY METAL ALBUM
Hellions – ‘Opera Oblivia‘
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – ‘Nonagon Infinity‘
Parkway Drive – ‘Ire‘
The Amity Affliction – ‘This Could Be Heartbreak’
12 Foot Ninja – ‘Outlier‘
WINNER: KING GIZZARD & THE LIZZARD WIZARD.
BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE
Flume – ‘Skin‘
Jarryd James – ‘Thirty One’
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – ‘Nonagon Infinity‘
Sia – ‘This Is Acting‘
Violent Soho – ‘Waco‘
WINNER: FLUME.
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST RELEASE
DMA’s – ‘Hills End‘
L D R U – ‘Keeping Score (feat. Paige IV)i
Montaigne – ‘Glorious Heights‘
Olympia – ‘Self Talk‘
SAFIA – ‘Make Them Wheels Roll‘
WINNER: MONTAIGNE.
BEST ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Jarryd James – ‘Thirty One‘
Matt Corby – ‘Telluric’
Peter Garrett – ‘A Version Of Now‘
Sarah Blasko – ‘Eternal Return‘
The Temper Trap – ‘Thick as Thieves‘
WINNER: SARAH BLASKO.
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Adam Brand & the Outlaws – ‘Adam Brand & the Outlaws‘
Bill Chambers – ‘Cold Trail‘
Fanny Lumsden – ‘Small Town Big Shot‘
Sara Storer – ‘Silos‘
The Wolfe Brothers – ‘This Crazy Life‘
WINNER: SARA STORER.
BEST VIDEO
Courtney Barnett – ‘Elevator Operator‘
Delta Goodrem – ‘Dear Life‘
Flume – ‘Never Be Like You (feat. Kai)‘
Guy Sebastian – ‘Black & Blue‘
Hilltop Hoods – ‘1955 (feat. Montaigne & Tom Thum)‘
Illy – ‘Papercuts (feat. Vera Blue)’
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – ‘People-Vultures’
Sia – ‘Cheap Thrills‘
Troye Sivan – ‘Youth Acoustic (Sydney Session)’
Violent Soho – ‘Like Soda‘
WINNER: TROYE SIVAN.
BEST DANCE RELEASE
Flume – ‘Skin‘
Hayden James – ‘Just a Lover‘
L D R U – ‘Keeping Score (feat. Paige IV)‘
RÜFÜS – ‘Bloom‘
The Avalanches – ‘Wildflower‘
WINNER: FLUME.
BEST GROUP
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – ‘Nonagon Infinity‘
RÜFÜS – ‘Bloom‘
The Avalanches – ‘Wildflower’
The Veronicas – ‘In My Blood‘
Violent Soho – ‘Waco‘
WINNER: VIOLENT SOHO.
BEST ROCK ALBUM
Ball Park Music – ‘Every Night The Same Dream‘
Boy & Bear – ‘Limit of Love‘
Gang of Youths – ‘Let Me Be Clear’
The Living End – ‘Shift‘
Violent Soho – ‘Waco‘
WINNER: VIOLENT SOHO.
BEST BLUES & ROOTS ALBUM
Jimmy Barnes – ‘Soul Searchin’‘
Kev Carmody – ‘Recollections… Reflections… (A Journey)‘
Russell Morris – ‘Red Dirt, Red Heart‘
The Cat Empire – ‘Rising With The Sun‘
The Wilson Pickers – ‘You Can’t Catch Fish From A Train‘
WINNER: RUSSELL MORRIS.
BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Bernard Fanning – ‘Civil Dusk’
Bob Evans – ‘Car Boot Sale‘
Paul Kelly – ‘Seven Sonnets & a Song‘
Robert Forster – ‘Songs to Play‘
Tina Arena – ‘Eleven‘
WINNER: BERNARD FANNING.
BEST MALE ARTIST
Bernard Fanning – ‘Civil Dusk‘
Flume – ‘Skin‘
Guy Sebastian – ‘Black & Blue‘
Illy – ‘Papercuts (feat. Vera Blue)’
Troye Sivan – ‘Blue Neighbourhood‘
WINNER: FLUME.
BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM
Justine Clarke – ‘Pyjama Jam!’
Pat Davern – ‘Alexander the Elephant in Zanzibar‘
Play School – ‘Famous Friends: Celebrating 50 Years of Play School‘
Sam Moran – ‘Play Along With Sam: Best. Day. Ever!‘
The Wiggles – ‘Wiggle Town!‘
WINNER: THE WIGGLES.
BEST URBAN ALBUM
Citizen Kay – ‘With The People‘
Drapht – ‘Seven Mirrors‘
Koi Child – ‘Koi Child‘
L-Fresh the Lion – ‘Become‘
Urthboy – ‘The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat‘
WINNER: DRAPHT.
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Delta Goodrem – ‘Wings of the Wild‘
Jessica Mauboy – ‘This Ain’t Love’
Montaigne – ‘Glorious Heights’
Sarah Blasko – ‘Eternal Return‘
Sia – ‘This Is Acting‘
WINNER: SIA.
BEST POP RELEASE
Flume – ‘Never Be Like You (feat. Kai)‘
Illy – ‘Papercuts (feat. Vera Blue)’
Sia – ‘This Is Acting‘
The Veronicas – ‘In My Blood‘
Troye Sivan – ‘Blue Neighbourhood‘
WINNER: FLUME.
BEST AUSTRALIAN LIVE ACT
Courtney Barnett
Flume
Gang of Youths
Hilltop Hoods
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
RÜFÜS
Tame Impala
The Living End
Violent Soho
You Am I
WINNER: HILLTOP HOODS.
BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
Adele – ‘25′
Beyoncé – ‘Lemonade‘
Coldplay – ‘A Head Full of Dreams‘
Drake – ‘Views‘ & ‘If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late‘
Meghan Trainor – ‘Title‘ & ‘Thank You‘
Justin Bieber – ‘Purpose‘
One Direction – ‘Made in the A.M.‘ & ‘Four‘
Taylor Swift – ‘1989‘
Twenty One Pilots – ‘Blurry Face‘
The Weeknd – ‘Beauty Behind the Madness‘
WINNER: ONE DIRECTION.
TELSTRA ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Flume – ‘Skin’
RÜFÜS – ‘Bloom‘
Sia – ‘This Is Acting’
The Avalanches – ‘Wildflower‘
Troye Sivan – ‘Blue Neighbourhood‘
WINNER: FLUME.
APPLE MUSIC SONG OF THE YEAR
Flume – ‘Never Be Like You (feat. Kai)’
Hilltop Hoods – ‘1955 (feat. Montaigne & Tom Thum)’
Illy – ‘Papercuts (feat. Vera Blue)’
Kungs vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners – ‘This Girl‘
Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood – ‘The Fighter‘
L D R U – ‘Keeping Score (feat. Paige IV)’
Marcus Marr & Chet Faker – ‘The Trouble With Us‘
Sia – ‘Cheap Thrills‘
The Veronicas – ‘In My Blood‘
Troye Sivan – ‘Youth‘
WINNER: TROYE SIVAN.
Congratulations to everyone, but especially Flume and Troye Sivan, whose names I feel like I just wrote out about a dozen times each to the point that they no longer look like words.
Photos: Getty Images / Brendan Thorne & Cameron Spencer.
