Australian music’s night of nights is well on its way, with the ARIA Awards today announcing the litany of artists who have received nominations for this year’s event.
Set to be handed out at The Star Event Centre in Sydney on November 25th, the 2020 ARIA Awards have once again recognised some of the best and brightest in the local music scene, with the likes of Lime Cordiale, Tame Impala, and Sampa the Great emerging as the most-nominated acts this year.
At eight nominations, Lime Cordiale lead the charge, scoring nods for Best Album, Best Group, and Breakthrough Artist – to name a few – through the strength of their second album, 14 Steps to A Better You, which topped the charts upon its release in July.
A similar feat was also undertaken by Kevin Parker and his Tame Impala project, bringing in seven nominations for his fourth album, The Slow Rush. Receiving nods in the Album of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Rock Album and Best Group, as well as Engineer of the Year and Producer of the Year categories, The Slow Rush managed to become one of Tame Impala’s biggest albums to date thanks to global top ten positions, 790 million streams globally, and the fact it’s currently the biggest-selling Aussie album of the year so far.
Zambian-born, Botswana-raised and now Melbourne-based Sampa the Great is another notable nominee for this year’s ceremony, with her debut album, The Return, gaining recognition in the Album of the Year, Best Female Artist, Best Hip Hop Release, Best Australian Live Act, Best Independent Release, and Best Video categories. At the 2019 awards, Sampa became the first woman of colour to win an ARIA Award in the Best Hip Hop Release category, while The Return won the most recent Australian Music Prize, making Sampa the first musician to win the award twice.
Meanwhile, the likes of DMA’S and Miiesha have both brought in five nominations, while Ruel and Violent Soho have both scored four nominations each. Other prominent names, including Archie Roach, Cold Chisel, 5 Seconds of Summer, Baker Boy, Tones And I, and more all received three nominations.
“It’s been a year we will never forget. Our industry has taken a hit, but the creativity of our local artists has not,” explained ARIA CEO Dan Rosen. “Our artists have shown great resilience and their music has helped many Australians get through these tough times.
I congratulate each of this year’s ARIA Nominees, who make up a remarkable list of Australian artists who have made a difference this year. I also want to congratulate all the Fine Arts and Artisan and nominees. The music industry is a team effort, and their role is vital in making our music industry robust.”
The winners of the 2020 ARIA Awards will be announced at a socially-distanced ceremony with no audience at The Star Event Centre in Sydney Wednesday, November 25th.
2020 ARIA Award Nominees
Album Of The Year
DMA’s – THE GLOW (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Jessica Mauboy – Hilda (Sony Music)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings / Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Best Male Artist
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why (Bloodlines / Mushroom)
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You (Sony Music)
Ruel – Free Time (RCA / Sony Music)
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love (Columbia / Sony Music)
Troye Sivan – In A Dream (EMI Music Australia)
Best Female Artist
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise (Wonderlick Recording Company / Sony Music)
Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
Sia – Together (Monkey Puzzle, Inc., under exclusive license to Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International for the world outside of the United States)
Tones And I – Bad Child / Can’t Be Happy All the Time (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Best Dance Release
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
Dom Dolla – San Frandisco (Sweat It Out / Warner Music)
Flume – Rushing Back feat. Vera Blue (Future Classic)
Northeast Party House – Shelf Life (Stop Start Music / Sony Music)
Stace Cadet & KLP Energy – (Medium Rare Recordings / Sony Music)
Best Group
5 Seconds Of Summer – CALM (Interscope / EMI Music Australia)
DMA’S – THE GLOW (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Forum (Ivy League / Mushroom)
Breakthrough Artist presented By PPCA
Alex the Astronaut – The Theory of Absolutely Nothing (Minkowski / AWAL Recordings)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Mallrat – Driving Music (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love (Columbia / Sony Music)
Best Pop Release
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise (Wonderlick Recording Company / Sony Music)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Sia – Together (Monkey Puzzle, Inc., under exclusive license to Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International for the world outside of the United States)
Tame Impala – Lost In Yesterday (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Troye Sivan – In A Dream (EMI Music Australia)
Best Hip Hop Release presented by Hennessy
Baker Boy – Meditjin feat. JessB (Danzal Baker / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Briggs – Always Was EP (Adam Briggs / Island Records Australia)
Illy – Last Laugh (Sony Music)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love (Columbia / Sony Music)
Best Soul/R&B Release
Genesis Owusu – Don’t Need You (OURNESS / AWAL)
KIAN – Every Hour (EMI Music Australia)
Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
Tash Sultana – Pretty Lady (Lonely Lands Records / Sony Music)
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol.2 (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
Best Independent Release
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why (Bloodlines / Mushroom)
DMA’S – THE GLOW (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen (Ghosteen / AWAL Recordings)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
Best Rock Album
Cold Chisel – Blood Moon (Cold Chisel / Universal Music Australia)
DMA’S – THE GLOW (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Ocean Alley – Lonely Diamond (Independent / Unified Music Group)
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why (Bloodlines / Mushroom)
Donny Benét – Mr Experience (Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records)
Gordi – Our Two Skins (Liberation / Mushroom)
Josh Pyke – Rome (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen (Ghosteen / AWAL Recordings)
Best Country Album
Casey Barnes – Town of A Million Dreams (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Fanny Lumsden – Fallow (Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Jasmine Rae – Lion Side (ABC Music / Universal)
The McClymonts – Mayhem To Madness (Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Travis Collins – Wreck Me (ABC Music / Universal)
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Chunky Shrapnel (Flightless Records)
Parkway Drive – Viva The Underdogs (Resist / Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Polaris – The Death Of Me (Resist / Cooking Vinyl Australia)
The Amity Affliction – Everyone Loves You…Once You Leave Them (The Amity Affliction. Marketed & Distributed by Warner Music Australia under exclusive license)
The Chats – High Risk Behaviour (Bargain Bin / Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Best Blues & Roots Album
Busby Marou – The Great Divide (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Frank Yamma – Tjukurpa: The Story (Wantok Musik / MGM)
Lucky Oceans – Purple Sky (Songs Originally By Hank Williams) (ABC Music / Universal)
The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Forum (Ivy League / Mushroom)
Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife – You Be The Lightning (Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Best Children’s Album
Diver City – Welcome to Diver City (ABC Music / Universal)
Teeny Tiny Stevies – Thoughtful Songs for Little People (ABC Music / Universal)
The Vegetable Plot – Season Two (ABC Music / Universal)
The Wiggles – Choo Choo Trains, Propeller Planes & Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car! (ABC Music / Universal)
Tiptoe Giants – Colour the World (Tiptoe Tunes / ABC Music)
Best Comedy Release
Anne Edmonds – What’s Wrong With You? (Guesswork Television)
Bev Killick – Crummy Mummy (Rivershack Records / MGM)
Celia Pacquola – All Talk (Guesswork Television)
Megan Washington – Just Jesus (feat. Chris Ryan) (ABC Music / Universal)
Tom Gleeson – Joy (Guesswork Television)
Public Voted Awards
Best Video presented by YouTube Music
Baker Boy – Meditjin feat. JessB (Danzal Baker / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You (Sony Music)
Lime Cordiale – Robbery (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
PNAU feat. Vlossom – Lucky (etcetc Music)
Sampa The Great – Time’s Up (feat. Krown) (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
Tame Impala – Is It True (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
The Chats – The Clap (Bargain Bin/Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Tones And I – Ur So F**kInG cOoL (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Troye Sivan – Easy (EMI Music Australia)
Violent Soho – Pick It Up Again (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Best Australian Live Act
Amy Shark – Amy Shark Regional Tour (Wonderlick Recording Company / Sony Music)
Baker Boy – Falls Festival (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Cold Chisel – Blood Moon Tour (Cold Chisel / Universal Music Australia)
DMA’S – Unplugged & Intimate | Laneway Festival (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – St Jerome’s Laneway Festival (Flightless Records)
Paul Kelly – Paul Kelly – Making Gravy 2019 (GAWD AGGIE / EMI Music Australia)
PNAU – All Of Us Australian Tour (etcetc Music)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – 2019 Summer Festival Tour (Rose Avenue Records under exclusive license to Reprise Records.)
Sampa The Great – The Return Australian Tour 2019 (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League / Mushroom)
Song of the Year presented by YouTube Music
5 Seconds Of Summer – Teeth (Interscope / EMI Music Australia)
Flume Feat. Vera Blue – Rushing Back (Future Classic)
Hilltop Hoods Feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal – Exit Sign (Hilltop Hoods / Island Records Australia/UMA)
Lime Cordiale – Robbery (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Mallrat – Charlie (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia
Ruel – Painkiller (RCA / Sony Music)
Sam Fischer – This City (Sony Music)
The Jungle Giants – Heavy Hearted (Amplifire Music / Together We Can Work Together / The Orchard)
The Rubens – Live In Life (Ivy League Records)
Tones and I – Never Seen the Rain (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Best International Artist
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Eminem – Music To Be Murdered By (Interscope / Universal Music Australia)
Halsey – Manic (Capitol/EMI Music Australia)
Harry Styles – Fine Line (Columbia / Sony Music)
Juice WRLD – Legends Never Die (Interscope / Universal Music Australia)
Justin Bieber – Changes (Def Jam Recordings / Universal Music Australia)
Lewis Capaldi – Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (Universal Music Group / Universal Music Australia)
Lizzo – Cuz I Love You (Atlantic / Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Taylor Swift – Folklore (Republic Records / Universal Music Australia)
The Weekend – After Hours (Universal Music Group / Universal Music Australia)
Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award
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
Artisan Awards
Best Cover Art
Donny Benét – Mr Experience (Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records)
Jessica Mauboy – Hilda (Sony Music)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
WASHINGTON – Batflowers (Washington / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Engineer Of The Year
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
IAMMXO (aka Mohamed Komba) for Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
Eric J Dubowsky for Ruel – Free Time (RCA / Sony Music)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Greg Wales for Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Producer Of The Year
Kevin Shirley for Cold Chisel – Blood Moon (Cold Chisel / Universal Music Australia)
DNA & Louis Schoorl for Jessica Mauboy – Hilda (Sony Music)
IAMMXO (aka Mohamed Komba) for Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
M-Phazes for Ruel – Free Time (RCA / Sony Music)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Fine Arts Awards
Best Classical Album
Alicia Crossley – Muse (Move)
David Greco & Erin Helyard – Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin (ABC Classic / Universal)
Jayson Gillham, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Carter – Beethoven Piano Concertos (ABC Classic / Universal)
Richard Tognetti & Erin Helyard – Beethoven & Mozart Violin Sonatas (ABC Classic / Universal)
Slava & Sharon Grigoryan – Our Place: Duets For Cello And Guitar (ABC Classic / Universal)
Best Jazz Album
Katie Noonan – The Sweetest Taboo (ABC Jazz / Universal)
Luke Howard – All That Is Not Solid (Live At Tempo Rubato, Australia / 2020) (Mercury KX / Universal Music Australia)
Mike Nock; Hamish Stuart; Julien Wilson; Jonathan Zwartz – This World (Lionsharecords / The Planet Company)
Nat Bartsch – Forever More (ABC Jazz / Universal)
Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky – Please Leave Your Light On (GAWD AGGIE / EMI Music Australia)
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
Chelsea Cullen – I Am Woman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Sony Masterworks)
Dan Golding – Untitled Goose Game (Original Soundtrack) (House House / Decca Classics Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Grigoryan Brothers – A Boy Called Sailboat (ABC Classic / Universal)
Matteo Zingales & Antony Partos – Mystery Road (Original Score: Seasons 1-2) (ABC Music / Universal)
Sally Seltmann & Darren Seltmann – The Letdown (Music from Seasons 1+2) (ABC Music / Universal)
Best World Music Album
Grace Barbe – FANM:WOMAN (Afrotropik / MGM)
Joseph Tawadros – Live at the Sydney Opera House (ABC Music / Universal)
Melbourne Ska Orchestra – Live At The Triffid (ABC Music / Universal)
The Crooked Fiddle Band – Another Subtle Atom Bomb (Bird’s Robe Records / MGM)
Xylouris White – The Sisypheans (ABC Music / Universal)
2020 ARIA Awards
Wednesday, November 25th
The Star Event Centre, Sydney, NSW
Broadcast via the Nine Network and YouTube
