The ARIA Noms Are In & A.B. Original, Amy Shark & Gang Of Youths Dominated

We’re getting to the pointy end of the year and today the pointiest of all the awards handed down its yearly nominations – the inaugural ARIA Awards.

This year’s nominations were cleaned up by a very diverse bunch, with Gang Of Youths picking up eight nods, and Amy SharkA.B. OriginalJessica Mauboy, and Paul Kelly copping six noms each.

To drill it down, here’s what the big categories are down to for the Aus music industry’s night of nights on November 28:

Apple Music Album Of The Year
A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Gang Of Youths  – Go Farther In Lightness
Illy – Two Degrees
Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine

Best Male Artist
DD Dumbo
Dan Sultan
Illy
Paul Kelly
Vance Joy

Best Female Artist
Amy Shark
Jessica Mauboy
Julia Jacklin
Meg Mac
Sia

Best Dance Release
Dom Dolla and Torren Foot – Be Randy
Jagwar Ma – Every Now & Then
Peking Duk – Stranger (feat. Elliphant)
Pnau – ‘Chameleon’
The Kite String Tangle – The Kite String Tangle

Best Group
A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia
Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
Peking Duk – Stranger (feat. Elliphant)

Breakthrough Artist
A.B Original
Amy Shark
Dean Lewis
Tash Sultana
Tkay Maidza

Best Pop Release
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Dean Lewis – Waves
Jessica Mauboy – Fallin’
Sia – The Greatest (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Vera Blue – Perennial

Best Urban Album
A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia
Illy – Two Degrees
REMI – Divas & Demons
Thundamentals – Everyone We Know
Tkay Maidza – TKAY

Best Independent Release
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Dan Sultan – Killer
Sia – The Greatest (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Tash Sultana – Notion
Vance Joy – Lay It On Me

Best Rock Album
Dan Sultan – Killer
Dune Rats – The Kids Will Know It’s Bullshit
Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness
Polish Club – Alrighty Alrighty
The Preatures – Girlhood

Best Adult Contemporary Album
Bernard Fanning – Brutal Dawn
D.D Dumbo – Utopia Defeated
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine
Pete Murray – Camacho

Best Country Album
Kasey Chambers – Dragonfly
Lee Kernaghan – The 25th Anniversary Album
O’Shea – 61-615
Shane Nicholson – Love And Blood
The McClymonts – Endless

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
Airbourne – Breaking Outta Hell
Frenzal Rhomb – Hi-Vis High Tea
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Murder Of The Universe
Northlane – Mesmer
Sleepmakeswaves – Made of Breath Only

Best Blues & Roots Album
All Our Exes Live In Texas – When We Fall
Archie Roach – Let Love Rule
Busby Marou – Postcards From The Shell House
Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen – Death’s Dateless Night
Tash Sultana – Notion

Best Video
Amy Shark – ‘Drive You Mad’
Bliss N Eso – ‘Moments’ (feat. Gavin James)
Client Liaison – ‘A Foreign Affair’
Client Liaison – ‘Off White Limousine’
Dean Lewis – ‘Waves’
Gang Of Youths – ‘The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows’
Illy – ‘You Say When’ (feat. Marko Penn)
Jessica Mauboy – ‘Fallin’
Kirin J Callinan – ‘S.A.D’
Sia – ‘The Greatest’ (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

Best Australian Live Act
Client Liaison
Flume
Gang Of Youths
Illy
Jessica Mauboy
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Peking Duk
Tash Sultana
Violent Soho

Apple Music Song Of The Year
Amy Shark – ‘Adore’
Bliss N Eso – ‘Moments’ (feat. Gavin James)
Dean Lewis – ‘Waves’
Guy Sebastian – ‘Set In Stone’
Illy – ‘Catch 22’ (feat. Anne-Marie)
Jessica Mauboy – ‘Fallin’
Peking Duk – ‘Stranger’ (feat. Elliphant)
Pnau – ‘Chameleon’
Sia – ‘The Greatest’ (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Starley – ‘Call On Me’ (Ryan Riback Remix)

Best International Artist
Adele
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Harry Styles
Kendrick Lamar
Lorde
Metallica
Shawn Mendes
The Rolling Stones
The Weeknd

This year is also has a very spesh new category – Music Teacher of the Year. Because a lot of artists got their start somewhere, and maybe it was their Year Nine music teacher who had to put up with them playing Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance) over and over on a shitty out of tune guitar that gave them hope.

Here’s the true MVPs that are up for the Best Music Teacher for 2017.

Julie Layt (Cresent Lagoon State School, Rockhampton QLD)
Stephen Mcewan (Bellarine Secondary College, Drysdale VIC)
Renee McCarthy (Woodcroft College, Morphett Vale SA)
Alex Manton (Asquith Girls High School, Asquith NSW)

Hell, if it was anything like music class at my high school, give them all the award immediately.

Another reason to cheer about the ARIAs this year is something that’s more for the folks who have gone to the awards ceremony in years past, and bloody wish they could have something to raise for a toast when their fave wins.

That’s right, you’ll be able to have a couple of very responsible beverages at the awards this year, which is a welcome relief to everyone who has probably done pre-drinks before the red carpet only to find it a totally dry event and the hangover sets in at about 8.45pm.

If Frenzal Rhomb doesn’t cop a gong for this song, then I’ll be deeply unimpressed. You hear me, music gods? DO YOU HEAR ME?

Oh and Peter Combe copped a nod for Best Children’s Album and I will fuckin riot if he doesn’t win.

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