Last night the first three ARIAs were awarded: Byron Bay rock band Parkway Drive won in new category Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album; Djan Djan a group made up of Mamadou Diabate, Bobby Singh and Jeff Lang won the Best World Music Album and the Sound Relief DVD took out the award for Best Music DVD.
Yesterday the shortlist was announced for new publicly voted “Most Popular” categories for next weeks ARIA Music Awards. For the first time the Australian public will be able to vote in the following categories: Most Popular Australian Artist, Most Popular Australian Album, Most Popular Australian Single and Most Popular International Artist. Voters will choose between artists already nominated within the industry categories that were shortlisted by Australian music fans (listed below). We’re not sure who specifically ARIA tapped to get the shortlist, but we’re guessing it was cash-paying music puchasers based on the list of nominees.
It seems to be common practice for the public to attack the outcomes of various popularity lists if it does not reflect their personal opinion. A variety of input, both professional and personal, are what fuels something like the ARIAs and the music industry in general; however it will inevitably be those people that choose not to participate in the vote that will complain, scrutinise and theorize the loudest once the winners are announced. Really, the people who do bother to vote and impact the results should be the ones able to comment on the results.
So if you want to have a say you should get involved and put your vote to the artists you think are the most deserving (from the relatively slim pickings).
The nominations for the Most Popular ARIA awards are:
Most Popular Australian Artist
Vanessa Amorosi
Amy Meredith
Powderfinger
Guy Sebastian
Angus and Julia Stone
Most Popular Australian Album
Vanessa Amorosi – Hazardous
Powderfinger – Golden Rule
Guy Sebastian – Like It Like That
Angus and Julia Stone – Down The Way
The Temper Trap – Conditions
Most Popular Australian Single
Vanessa Amorossi – This Is Who I Am
Kate Miller-Heidke – The Last Day On Earth
Guy Sebastian – Like It Like That
The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
Yolanda Be Cool and DCup – We Speak No Americano
Most Popular International Artist
Lady Gaga
Michael Buble
Katy Perry
Mumford & Sons
Taylor Swift
Vote here: www.ariaawards.com.au
By Jordan Kretchmer
Title Image: Still from Guy Sebastian’s “Get Along” Music Video
