The 2021 ARIA Awards nominations have been unveiled, with Genesis Owusu, Amy Shark, Budjerah and The Avalanches up for multiple awards this year.
The nominations were announced this morning in a livestream hosted by journalist Brooke Boney, a month out from the virtual awards ceremony on November 24.
Shark, Owusu, The Avalanches, Midnight Oil and Tones And I are all up for the prestigious Album of the Year category.
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This is the first year ARIA has abolished the gendered categories of Best Male Artist and Best Female Artist, instead opting for a gender-neutral Best Artist category. The ten artists in the running are Shark, Owusu, Budjerah, Keith Urban, Tones And I, Kylie Minogue, Ngaiire, The Kid LAROI, Masked Wolf and Vance Joy.
“The time for separating artists based on gendered categories that exclude non-binary artists altogether has passed,” ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said in a statement last month.
“The music industry is demanding a more equal, inclusive, safe and supportive space for everyone, and ARIA is working hard to achieve that across the ARIA Awards and everything we do.”
The annual Breakthrough Artist category was renamed this year in honour of the late Mushroom Group founder, Michael Gudinski. Budjerah, Gretta Ray, Masked Wolf, MAY-A and Ngaiire are all up for the award.
Most of the awards will be determined by the ARIA Voting Academy and specialist judging committees. The awards for Best Video, Best Australian Live Act, Song of the Year, Most Popular International Artist and the Music Teacher Award, however, are voted on by the public.
The 2021 ARIA Award nominations:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Amy Shark – ‘Cry Forever’
Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling with No Teeth’
Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators – ‘The Makarrata Project’
The Avalanches – ‘We Will Always Love You’
Tones And I – ‘Welcome to the Madhouse’
BEST ARTIST
Amy Shark – ‘Cry Forever’
Budjerah – ‘Budjerah’
Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling with No Teeth’
Keith Urban – ‘The Speed Of Now Part 1’
Kylie Minogue – ‘Disco’
Masked Wolf – ‘Astronaut in the Ocean’
Ngaiire – ‘3’
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’
Tones And I – ‘Welcome to the Madhouse’
Vance Joy – ‘Missing Piece’
BEST DANCE RELEASE
Cosmo’s Midnight – ‘Yesteryear’
Dom Dolla – ‘Pump The Brakes’
Jolyon Petch – ‘Dreams’
KLP & Stace Cadet – ‘People Happy’
RÜFÜS DU SOL – ‘Alive’
BEST GROUP
AC/DC – ‘Power Up’
Gang Of Youths – ‘The Angel of 8th Ave.’
Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators – ‘The Makarrata Project
RÜFÜS DU SOL – ‘Alive’
The Avalanches – ‘We Will Always Love You’
MICHAEL GUDINSKI BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Budjerah – ‘Budjerah’
Gretta Ray – ‘Begin To Look Around’
Masked Wolf – ‘Astronaut In The Ocean’
MAY-A – ‘Don’t Kiss Ur Friends’
Ngaiire – ‘3’
BEST POP RELEASE
Amy Shark – ‘Cry Forever’
The Avalanches – ‘We Will Always Love You’
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’
Tones And I – ‘Fly Away’
Vance Joy – ‘Missing Piece’
BEST HIP-HOP RELEASE
B Wise – ‘jamie’
Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling with No Teeth’
Masked Wolf – ‘Astronaut in the Ocean’
The Kid LAROI – ‘WITHOUT YOU’
Youngn Lipz – ‘Area Baby’
BEST SOUL/R&B RELEASE
Budjerah – ‘Budjerah’
Hiatus Kaiyote – ‘Mood Valiant’
Ngaiire – ‘3’
Tash Sultana – ‘Terra Firma’
Tkay Maidza – ‘Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3’
BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE
Archie Roach – ‘The Songs Of Charcoal Lane’
Ball Park Music – ‘Ball Park Music’
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – ‘Crossover’
Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling with No Teeth’
Vance Joy – ‘Missing Piece’
BEST ROCK ALBUM
AC/DC – ‘Power Up’
Ball Park Music – ‘Ball Park Music’
Holy Holy – ‘Hello My Beautiful World’
Middle Kids – ‘Today We’re The Greatest’
Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators – ‘The Makarrata Project’
BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Big Scary – ‘Daisy’
Crowded House – ‘Dreamers Are Waiting’
Kylie Minogue – ‘Disco’
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – ‘Carnage’
Odette – ‘Herald’
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Brad Cox – ‘My Mind’s Projection’
Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham – ‘The Song Club’
Shane Nicholson – ‘Living In Colour’
The Wolfe Brothers – ‘Kids On Cassette’
Troy Cassar-Daley – ‘The World Today’
BEST HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL ALBUM
Alpha Wolf – ‘A Quiet Place To Die’
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – ‘SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound’
Tropical Fuck Storm – ‘Deep States’
Yours Truly – ‘Self Care’
A. Swayze & the Ghosts – ‘Paid Salvation’
BEST BLUES & ROOTS ALBUM
Archie Roach – ‘The Songs Of Charcoal Lane’
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – ‘Crossover’
Josh Teskey & Ash Grunwald – ‘Push The Blues Away’
Martha Marlow – ‘Medicine Man’
Ziggy Alberts – ‘Searching For Freedom’
BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM
Amber Lawrence – ‘The Kid’s Gone Country 2’
Bluey The Album – ‘Bluey’
Diver City – ‘Dance Silly’
The Wiggles – ‘Lullabies With Love’
Various Artists – ‘The Moon, The Mouse & The Frog: Lullabies from Northern Australia’
BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM
Christian Li – ‘Vivaldi: The Four Seasons’
Emily Sun & Andrea Lam – ‘Nocturnes’
Genevieve Lacey and Marshall McGuire – ‘Bower’
Grigoryan Brothers – ‘This is Us: A Musical Reflection of Australia’
Nat Bartsch – ‘Hope’
BEST JAZZ ALBUM
Australian Art Orchestra, Reuben Lewis, Tariro Mavondo & Peter Knight – ‘Closed Beginnings’
Kristen Beradi, Sean Foran & Rafael Karlen – ‘Haven’
Mildlife – ‘Automatic’
Petra Haden & The Nick Haywood Quintet – ‘Songs from my Father’
Vazesh – ‘The Sacred Key’
BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK OR MUSICAL THEATRE CAST ALBUM
Angus & Julia Stone – ‘Life Is Strange’
Antony Partos – ‘Rams (Original Motion Picture Score)’
Caitlin Yeo, Maria Alfonsine, Damian de Boos-Smith – ‘Wakefield Season One Official Soundtrack’
Sia – ‘Music: Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture’
Yve Blake – ‘Fangirls’
BEST WORLD ALBUM
Bob Weatherall & Halfway, with William Barton – ‘Restless Dream’
Bukhu – Bukhchuluun Ganburged – ‘The Journey’
Eishan Ensemble – ‘Project Masnavi’
Joseph Tawadros – ‘Hope In An Empty City’
Kuya James – ‘ISA’
BEST VIDEO
’24k’ – Tkay Maidza, Nicholas Muecke
‘Astronaut in the Ocean’ – Masked Wolf, Daniele Cernera
‘could cry just thinkin about you (Full Version)’ – Troye Sivan & Jesse Gohier-Fleet
‘Dance’ – Julia Stone, Jessie Hill
‘First Nation’ – Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators, Robert Hambling
‘Higher’ – Budjerah, Mick Soiza
‘Love Songs Ain’t for Us’ – Amy Shark, James Chappell
‘Missing Piece’ – Vance Joy, Annelise Hickey
‘The Divine Chord’ – The Avalanches, Jonathan Zawada
‘Won’t Sleep’ – Tones and I, Nick Kozakis, Liam Kelly
BEST AUSTRALIAN LIVE ACT
Amy Shark – Cry Forever Tour 2021
Ball Park Music – The Residency
Budjerah – Budjerah 2021 Aus Tour
Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth Album Tour
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Micro Tour
Lime Cordiale – Relapse Tour
Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators – Makarrata Live
The Avalanches – The Avalanches Live
The Teskey Brothers – The Teskey Brothers (Headline Shows + Festivals)
Thelma Plum – Homecoming Queen Tour
SONG OF THE YEAR
Amy Shark feat. Keith Urban – ‘Love Songs Ain’t For Us’
Dean Lewis – ‘Falling Up’
Hooligan Hefs – ‘Send It!’
Keith Urban & Pink – ‘One Too Many’
Masked Wolf – ‘Astronaut in the Ocean’
Sam Fischer & Demi Lovato – ‘What Other People Say’
Spacey Jane – ‘Booster Seat’
The Kid LAROI with Miley Cyrus – ‘Without You’
Tones and I – ‘Fly Away’
Vance Joy – ‘Missing Piece’
MOST POPULAR INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
Ariana Grande – ‘Positions’
Doja Cat – ‘Planet Her’
Justin Bieber – ‘Justice’
Kanye West – ‘Donda’
Luke Combs – ‘What You See Ain’t Always What You Get’
Machine Gun Kelly – ‘Tickets to My Downfall’
Miley Cyrus – ‘Plastic Hearts’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Sour’
Pop Smoke – ‘Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon’
Taylor Swift – ‘Evermore’
MUSIC TEACHER AWARD
Aaron Silver – Wodonga Primary School, Regional VIC
Ashley Baxter – Pimlico State High School, Townsville QLD
Daniel Wilson – Star Struck, Newcastle NSW
Zoë Barry – Sacred Heart School, Melbourne VIC
BEST COVER ART
Ngaiire Joseph & Dan Segal for Ngaiire – ‘3’
Eben Ejdne for Odette – ‘Herald’
Kofi Anash & Bailey Howard for Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling with No Teeth’
Jonathan Zawada for The Avalanches – ‘We Will Always Love You’
Giulia Giannini McGauran & Mitchell Eaton for Tones and I – ‘Welcome to the Madhouse’
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Chris Collins
Eric J Dubowsky
Konstantin Kersting
Matt Corby
Tony Espie
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Klippel, Dave Hammer
Konstantin Kersting
M-Phazes
Matt Corby
Robert Chater