The 2023 Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards have honoured the best and brightest in Australian music.
The awards ceremony took place in Sydney last night (April 4) in front of a crowd of hundreds of artists, music industry icons and media.
Tina Arena was honoured with the first-ever Rolling Stone Icon Award, while Budjerah took home Best New Artist. Later in the night, the two also teamed up for a surprise performance of Arena’s 1994 hit “Chains”.
Spacey Jane won Best Single for “Hardlight” and Gang of Youths won Best Record for angel in realtime.
Global Rolling Stone staff anointed Tash Sultana with the Rolling Stone Global Award, and local readers and fans gave the hotly contested Rolling Stone Readers’ Choice Award to Lime Cordiale.
Poppy Reid, The Brag Media’s Editor in Chief, paid tribute to Arena’s lasting impact and legacy during the awards ceremony.
“Tina Arena is one of Australia’s highest-selling artists, she’s a once-in-a-generation talent, but more than that, she is an icon for young people everywhere,” Reid said.
“Her work comes from a place of love, it comes from obsession, and it shows in everything she does. From her music, to her activism, her feminism, her allyship and the way she fights the sickness in our society around ageism, to her using her platform to lift others up. She’s an inspiration to me and everyone I know.”
In a video message, Gang of Youths frontman Dave Le’aupepe thanked everyone involved with the album as well as their friends and family.
“Most of all I want to thank youse back in Australia for caring about a record that was made entirely to serve the memory of my father. This is for my dad as well, who taught me how to live,” he said.
Tash Sultana, meanwhile, noted how far the awards have come in recent years.
“I’ll keep it short and sweet, just like me. I was at the Rolling Stone Awards two years ago and it’s much better tonight! Next round’s on me… I’m joking, there’s a bar tab. Thanks very much.”
The awards were hosted by podcast and radio star Alex Dyson.
2023 Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards Winners:
Rolling Stone Icon Award
Winner: Tina Arena
Best Single
Winner: Spacey Jane – “Hardlight”
Amy Shark – “Only Wanna Be With You”
Budjerah – “Ready for the Sky”
Courtney Barnett – “Rae Street”
Keith Urban – “Brown Eyes Baby”
Ruel – “Growing up is ___”
The Kid LAROI – “Thousand Miles”
Vance Joy – “Clarity”
Best New Artist
Winner: Budjerah
Blake Rose
Eliza & The Delusionals
Forest Claudette
James Johnston
Lara D
Merci, Mercy
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers
Best Record
Winner: Gang of Youths – angel in realtime
5 Seconds of Summer – 5SOS5
Julia Jacklin – Pre Pleasure
Parkway Drive – Darker Still
Spacey Jane – Here Comes Everybody
The Wiggles – ReWiggled
Thelma Plum – Meanjin
Vance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time
Rolling Stone Global Award
Winner: Tash Sultana
Alison Wonderland
Gang Of Youths
Iggy Azalea
Keith Urban
Kylie Minogue
Rüfüs Du Sol
The Wiggles
Tones And I
Troye Sivan
Vance Joy
Rolling Stone Readers’ Choice Award
Winner: Lime Cordiale
Boy & Bear
CXLOE
Daniel Johns
Ruby Fields
San Cisco
Teenage Dads
The Chats
The Wiggles
Tones And I
