Music News: 2010 ARIA AWARDS Nominations

Aria Awards 2010

Temper Trap

With just weeks until the 2010 ARIA Awards take place at the iconic Sydney Opera House (Sunday, 7 November on Network Ten) the nominees across a record 31 categories were announced today at the ARIA Nominations event at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Also announced were the winners in the four ARIA Artisan Award categories, the first cabs off the rank to be acknowledged by their peers for their creative contributions.

The nominations are an intriguing mix of new and established music artists and set the scene for what should be the most unique ARIA Awards yet. 

The nominations feature six brand new categories including four which will be open to the music loving public to add their voice to the final outcome. 

The nominations encompass the new peer voted categories of BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST, BEST HARD ROCK / HEAVY METAL ALBUM and BEST ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM.

In what is sure to be a hit among music lovers, for the first time in ARIA Awards history, Australian music fans will be given the opportunity to vote in four brand new categories! 

Three of these categories - MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN SINGLE, MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ALBUM and MOST POPULAR INTERNATIONAL ARTIST – the final nominees are based on the top selling singles and albums in the eligibility period (Friday, 28 August, 2009, to Saturday, 21 August, 2010 inclusive).

The remaining category is MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST and the nominees for this Award are pooled from the finalists in 26 categories of this year’s ARIA Awards (excluding ARIA Artisan Awards nominees). Australian music fans will be given the first ever opportunity to determine who will take home these Publicly Voted ARIA Awards presented by V Energy Drink. The winners of these four Awards, as determined by Australian music fans, will be announced during the telecast for the 2010 ARIA Awards on Sunday, 7 November.

Now, let’s get down to business! Leading the nominations for 2010 are a number of artists who have received six nominations a-piece for their outstanding work. 

Sensational sibling duo, ANGUS & JULIA STONE, have received six nominations for their critically acclaimed No. 1 album "Down the Way", acknowledged by their industry peers in the categories of BEST GROUP, SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Big Jet Plane) and for the coveted ALBUM OF THE YEAR. They are also nominated in the brand new categories of BEST ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM, MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ALBUM and MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

Also receiving six nominations is pop powerhouse, SIA, whose album We Are Born has proven to be a big hit with the ARIA voting academy. She is nominated for BEST POP RELEASE, SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Clap Your Hands), ALBUM OF THE YEAR, BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE. She is also nominated for BEST FEMALE ARTIST, and in the new category of MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

Perth quartet BIRDS OF TOKYO have scored six nominations for their self titled album in the categories of BEST ROCK ALBUM, BEST MUSIC DVD, SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Plans), BEST GROUP, MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST and ALBUM OF THE YEAR.

Pop-soul singer GUY SEBASTIAN has picked up six nominations for his hit album, Like It Like That. He is recognised in the categories of BEST POP RELEASE and BEST MALE ARTIST. He is also nominated twice for MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN SINGLE (Art of Love and Like it Like That), MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ALBUM and MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

Singer/songwriter MEGAN WASHINGTON (who performs under the name WASHINGTON) makes her ARIA Awards’ debut by picking up six nominations for her impressive album, I Believe You Liar. 

She is nominated in the categories of SINGLE OF THE YEAR (How to Tame Lions), BEST FEMALE ARTIST and ALBUM OF THE YEAR. She is also nominated in the brand new categories of BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST, BEST ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM and MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

Two Perth acts at the opposite end of the music spectrum have received five nominations apiece for the 2010 ARIA Awards. On the back of the Number 1 album, April Uprising, multiple ARIA Award winners JOHN BUTLER TRIO have been nominated in the categories of BEST BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM, BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE, MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ALBUM and MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

Lead singer/songwriter JOHN BUTLER is also nominated in the category of BEST MALE ARTIST. Newcomers TAME IMPALA make their ARIA Awards debut with their psychedelic rock album Innerspeaker. They have received five nominations for BEST ROCK ALBUM, BEST GROUP and ALBUM OF THE YEAR and are also nominated in the new categories of BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST and MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

The irresistible TEMPER TRAP return with five ARIA Award nominations for SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Love Lost), BEST GROUP and in three new categories MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ALBUM (Conditions), MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN SINGLE (Sweet Disposition) and MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

In their swansong year, POWDERFINGER have racked up four ARIA nominations for their final album – the Number 1 hit Golden Rule. Currently on their mega farewell tour of Australia, the quintet is nominated for BEST ROCK ALBUM and BEST GROUP and in the two new categories MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ALBUM and MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

Charismatic singer / songwriter DAN SULTAN has also been given four ARIA nods off the back of his album Get Out While You Can. He is nominated for BEST BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM, BEST MALE ARTIST, BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE and MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST.

In a major break from tradition, the sixteen genre categories will be announced at a very special five night roll out in the final week lead up to the ARIA Awards from Monday November 1 to Friday November 5. The feeling is that this five night stand will be a very hot ticket. A formal announcement on this is expected in shortly.

"The NSW Government through Events NSW is thrilled to support the ARIA Awards, this year for the first time taking place at the iconic Sydney Opera House. We are the hub for Australia’s recording industry with the four major record labels having their headquarters in Sydney. The NSW music sector directly employs around 8,000 people, 42 percent of employment" said NSW Minister for Major Events, Kevin Greene.

"Sydney Opera House provides a spectacular backdrop to showcase Australia’s best music talent to the world" he said.