The best of the best in Australian music flocked to Sydney’s The Star to celebrate the industry’s greatest achievements for 2019.
Sweeping the awards gala was Tones and I, who took home four of her eight nominations. An incredible feat for someone who was, under a year ago, busking on the streets and living out of her car in Byron Bay. Following closely were The Teskey Brothers, with three ARIA awards across their seven nominations.
Dean Lewis was another big winner of the night, nabbing the coveted Album of the Year and Best Male Artist. We even got to have a little cameo from his good mate, Taylor Henderson.
Touring with US pop sensation, Lauv, is Carlie Hanson, who made her awards night debut at the ARIAs. She was stoked to walk her first carpet halfway across the globe.
Another buzzing international export is BENEE, who’s in town playing Spilt Milk 2019. Having released two highly successful EPs this year, this girl has a lot of restless energy that obviously manifests in the amount of work she’s putting out.
Best Rock Album nominees, Holy Holy, also graced the carpet. Tait got to the bottom of their genesis story from way back when, when they met as volunteer English teachers in South-East Asia.
Make sure you head to our DailyMotion channel for more interviews with Kwame, Triple One, G Flip, Genesis Owusu, Thandi Phoenix, Stella Donnelly and more.
ARIAs 2019 WINNERS
Album Of The Year
Dean Lewis – A Place We Knew (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace (Rose Avenue Records/Sony Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records/Mushroom)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Best Male Artist
Dean Lewis – A Place We Knew (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Choir (Sony Music Australia)
Hayden James – Between Us (Future Classic)
Matt Corby – Rainbow Valley (Matt Corby/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Paul Kelly – Nature (EMI Music Australia)
Best Female Artist
Amy Shark – Mess Her Up (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Jessica Mauboy – Little Things (Sony Music Australia)
Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records/Mushroom)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)
Best Dance Release
Dom Dolla – Take It (Sweat It Out/Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
FISHER – You Little Beauty (etcetc Music)
Peking Duk & Jack River – Sugar (Sony Music Australia)
PNAU – Solid Gold (etcetc Music)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace (Rose Avenue Records/Sony Music Australia)
Best Group
5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier (Interscope / EMI Music Australia)
Birds Of Tokyo – Good Lord (EMI Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace (Rose Avenue Records/Sony Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA
G Flip – About Us (Future Classic)
Stella Donnelly – Beware Of The Dogs (Stella Music/MGM)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)
Best Pop Release
Amy Shark – Mess Her Up (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Dean Lewis – A Place We Knew (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Choir (Sony Music Australia)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)
Best Hip Hop Release presented by Hennessy
Baker Boy – Cool As Hell (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Illy – Then What (Sony Music Australia)
Sampa The Great – Final Form (Ninja Tune/Inertia Music)
Tkay Maidza – Awake feat. JPEGMAFIA (Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)
Best Soul/R&B Release
Kaiit – Miss Shiney (Alt. Music Group/Ditto Music)
Matt Corby – Rainbow Valley (Matt Corby/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Adrian Eagle – AOK (Adrian Eagle)
Genesis Owusu – WUTD + Vultures (Ourness/AWAL)
Tash Sultana – Can’t Buy Happiness (Lonely Lands Records/Sony Music Australia)
Best Independent Release
Angie McMahon – Salt (Independent/AWAL)
G Flip – About Us (Future Classic)
Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Tones And I – The Kids Are Coming (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)
Best Rock Album
Amyl and The Sniffers – Amyl and The Sniffers (Flightless Records)
Holy Holy – My Own Pool Of Light (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Jimmy Barnes – My Criminal Record (Bloodlines/Mushroom)
Midnight Oil – Armistice Day: Live at The Domain, Sydney (Sony Music Australia)
Skegss – My Own Mess (Ratbag Records)
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Paul Kelly – Nature (EMI Music Australia)
Samantha Jade – The Magic of Christmas (Sony Music Australia)
Seeker Lover Keeper – Wild Seeds (Liberation Records/Mushroom)
The Paper Kites – On The Corner Where You Live (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Best Country Album
Charlie Collins – Snowpine (Mirror Music/Inertia Music)
Felicity Urquhart – Frozen Rabbit (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Lee Kernaghan – Backroad Nation (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Morgan Evans – Things That We Drink To (Warner Music Nashville)
Sara Storer – Raindance (Universal Music Australia)
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
Clowns – Nature/Nurture (Damaged Record Co./Caroline Australia)
Dead Letter Circus – Dead Letter Circus (BMG)
DZ Deathrays – Positive Rising: Part 1 (I OH YOU/Mushroom)
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Infest The Rats’ Nest (Flightless Records/Inertia Music)
Northlane – Alien (UNFD)
Best Blues & Roots Album
Dan Sultan – Aviary Takes (Liberation Records)
John Butler Trio – HOME (Jarrah Records/MGM)
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Fishing For Fishies (Flightless Records/Inertia Music)
Paul Kelly – Live At Sydney Opera House (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Best Children’s Album
Dan Sultan – Nali & Friends (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Kamil Ellis and Ensemble Offspring – Classic Kids: Music For The Dreaming (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Regurgitator’s Pogogo Show – The Really Really Really Really Boring Album (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
The Beanies – Imagination Station (Kinderling Kids Radio)
The Wiggles – Party Time! (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Best Comedy Release
Arj Barker – Organic (Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Carl Barron – Drinking With A Fork (Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Chris Lilley – Lunatics (Official Soundtrack) (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Sammy J – Symphony In J Minor (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Veronica & Lewis – Sex Flex: A Rap Guide To Fornication (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Best Video presented by YouTube Music
Baker Boy – Cool As Hell (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia)
Briggs – Life Is Incredible feat. Greg Holden (Adam Briggs/Island Records Australia)
G Flip – Drink Too Much (Future Classic)
Guy Sebastian – Choir (Sony Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – Exit Sign feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Jessica Mauboy – Little Things (Sony Music Australia)
PNAU – Solid Gold (etcetc Music)
Sampa The Great – Final Form (Ninja Tune/Inertia Music)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music Australia)
Best Australian Live Act
Amy Shark – Amy Shark Australian Tour (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Baker Boy – Cool As Hell Tour (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia)
Electric Fields – 2000 And Whatever Tour (Independent/Ditto)
Gang Of Youths – Say Yes To Life Tour (Mosy Recordings/Sony Music)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse World Tour (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Keith Urban – Graffiti U Tour 2019 (Capitol – Nashville/EMI Music Australia)
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Australian Tour 2019 (Flightless Records/Inertia Music)
Midnight Oil – Midnight Oil (Sony Music Australia)
Peking Duk – Peking Duk’s Biggest Tour Ever… So Far (Sony Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – The Teskey Brothers – Intimate Venue Tour (Ivy League Records)
Song Of The Year presented by YouTube Music
5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier (Interscope/EMI Music Australia)
Amy Shark – Mess Her Up (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Birds Of Tokyo – Good Lord (EMI Music Australia)
Dean Lewis – 7 Minutes (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Choir (Sony Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – Leave Me Lonely (Hilltop Hoods/Universal Music Australia)
Kian – Waiting (EMI Music Australia)
Morgan Evans – Day Drunk (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Ocean Alley – Confidence (The Orchard)
Tones and I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)
Best International Artist
Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (UNI/UMA)
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go (INR/UMA)
Ed Sheeran – No.6 Collaborations Project (ATL/WAR)
George Ezra – Staying At Tamara’s (COL/SME)
Khalid – Free Spirit (RCA/SME)
P!nk – Hurts 2B Human (RCA/SME)
Post Malone – Hollywood’s Bleeding (UNI/UMA)
Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes (ISL/UMA)
Taylor Swift – Lover (UNI/UMA)
Travis Scott – Astroworld (SME)
Telstra ARIA Music Teacher of the Year
Antonio Chiappetta (St Andrews College, Marayong, NSW)
Bel Skinner (North Regional TAFE, WA)
Julie Rennick (Gunnedah Conservatorium, NSW)
Lee Strickland (Narbethong State Special School, QLD)
Best Cover Art
Ben Jones for Amyl and The Sniffers – Amyl and The Sniffers (Flightless Records)
Jonathan Zawada for Flume – Hi This is Flume (Mixtape) (Future Classic)
Nick Mckk for Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Lucy Dyson for Paul Kelly – Nature (EMI Music Australia)
Emilie Pfitzner for Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Engineer Of The Year
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Burke Reid for Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – Patience (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Sam Teskey for The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Konstantin Kersting for Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)
Producer Of The Year
Dann Hume for Matt Corby – Rainbow Valley (Matt Corby/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – Patience (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Burke Reid for Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Paul Kelly and Steven Schram for Paul Kelly – Nature (EMI Music Australia)
Konstantin Kersting for Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)
Best Classical Album
Diana Doherty, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Nigel Westlake, David Robertson, Synergy Vocals – Nigel Westlake: Spirit of the Wild / Steve Reich: The Desert Music (ABC Classic/Universal Music Australia)
Genevieve Lacey – Soliloquy: Telemann Solo Fantasias ( ABC Classic/Universal Music Australia)
Grigoryan Brothers, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Northey – Bach Concertos (ABC Classic/Universal Music Australia)
Nicole Car, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti – Heroines (ABC Classic/Universal Music Australia)
Paul Kelly, James Ledger – Thirteen Ways To Look At Birds (Decca Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Best Jazz Album
Andrea Keller – Transients Vol.1 (MGM)
Angela Davis – Little Did They Know (ABC Jazz/Universal Music Australia)
Barney McAll – Zephyrix (Extra Celestial Arts)
Kate Ceberano and Paul Grabowsky – TRYST (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Phil Slater – The Dark Pattern (Earshift/The Planet Company)
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
Burkhard Dallwitz – LOCUSTS: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Closereef Productions)
Gang Of Youths – MTV Unplugged (Live in Melbourne) (Mosy Recordings/Sony Music)
Luke Howard – The Sand That Ate The Sea (Mercury KX/Universal Music Australia)
Trials – Cargo (Causeway Films/Universal Music Australia)
Various Artists – The Recording Studio (Music From The TV Series) (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Best World Music Album
Chaika – Arrow (Mara Music/Independent/Gyrostream)
Joseph Tawadros – Betrayal of a Sacred Sunflower (Independent/The Planet Company)
Melbourne Ska Orchestra – One Year Of Ska (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Tara Tiba – Omid (Cezanne Producciones/The Planet Company)
Zela Margossian Quintet – Transition (Art As Catharsis)
The ARIAs 2019 took place in Sydney on Wednesday 27 November.
Main Image Credit: Nathan Atkins.
