The dust has settled, all the artists are (I assume) now barefoot and wearing lampshades on their heads like drunk people in a cartoon – the 2017 ARIA Awards have come to a close.
The night saw big wins from Gang of Youths, A.B. Original, Peking Duk, Sia and Amy Shark, but that’s not the whole story: wrap your peepers around the full list of nominees and winners for the evening (excluding the awards voted on by the public).
No one managed to clean up quite so much as Flume did last year (holy moly what an effort), but still, good effort from everyone all round.
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
WINNER: Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness
BEST MALE ARTIST
D.D Dumbo – Utopia Defeated
Dan Sultan – Killer
Illy – Two Degrees
Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine
Vance Joy – Lay It On Me
WINNER: Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Jessica Mauboy – The Secret Daughter (Songs from the Original TV Series)
Julia Jacklin – Don’t Let The Kids Win
Meg Mac – Low Blows
Sia feat. Kendrick Lamar – The Greatest
WINNER: Sia feat. Kendrick Lamar – The Greatest
BEST DANCE RELEASE
Dom Dolla & Torren Foot – Be Randy
Jagwar Ma – Every Now & Then
Peking Duk feat. Elliphant – Stranger
Pnau – Chameleon
The Kite String Tangle – The Kite String Tangle
WINNER: Pnau – Chameleon
BEST GROUP
A.B Original – Reclaim Australia
Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
Peking Duk feat. Elliphant – Stranger
WINNER: Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
A.B Original – Reclaim Australia
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Dean Lewis – Waves
Tash Sultana – Notion
Tkay Maidza – TKAY
WINNER: Amy Shark – Night Thinker
BEST POP RELEASE
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Dean Lewis – Waves
Jessica Mauboy – Fallin
Sia feat. Kendrick Lamar – The Greatest
Vera Blue – Perennial
WINNER: Amy Shark – Night Thinker
BEST URBAN ALBUM
A.B Original – Reclaim Australia
Illy – Two Degrees
REMI – Divas & Demons
Thundamentals – Everyone We Know
Tkay Maidza – TKAY
WINNER: A.B Original – Reclaim Australia
BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE
A.B Original – Reclaim Australia
Dan Sultan – Killer
Sia feat. Kendrick Lamar – The Greatest
Tash Sultana – Notion
Vance Joy – Lay It On Me
WINNER: A.B Original – Reclaim Australia
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
WINNER: Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness
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
WINNER: Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine
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
WINNER: Northlane – Mesmer
BEST BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUMS
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
WINNER: All Our Exes Live In Texas – When We Fall
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Kasey Chambers – Dragonfly
Lee Kernaghan – The 25th Anniversary Album
O’Shea – 61-615
Shane Nicholson – Love And Blood
The McClymonts – Endless
WINNER: Kasey Chambers – Dragonfly
Better luck next year to all the nominees that didn’t win, especially Bernard Fanning. Keep your chin up, homie.
