Music News:  2008 ARIAS Winners

By Sean Lynch
Official Site: Aria Awards

The winners of the 2008 ARIA Awards have been announced and pop and electronic dance music have ruled the day in the form of multiple winners Gabriella Cilmi and The Presets.

They join an eclectic group of ARIA Award recipients who include The Living End, Kasey Chambers, Nick Cave and many many more.

In what is an extraordinary success story, vocal powerhouse Gabriella Cilmi, a pop singer who emerged from almost nowhere, has taken out an incredible six ARIA trophies back to her Victorian home on the back of her debut album, "Lessons To Be Learned".

With the world at her feet, Cilmi’s ARIA Awards triumph is nothing short of a phenomenal achievement for the Dandenong girl who has just celebrated her 17th birthday.

Electro kings, The Presets, has also had a cracking year with the release of their widely acclaimed second album "Apocalypso". They fought off stiff competition in the prestigious categories of Album Of The Year and Best Group to take out both.

Strangley - it was a relative no-name that made the biggest impact at this years awards (which, sadly, saw no Axle Whitehead genitals) with the rise of the Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu who now has 2 ARIA Awards to his credit.

And last but certainly not least, the inimitable Shaun Micallef has took out the ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release for his DVD "The Expurgated Micallef Tonight : The Very Best of Shaun Micallef's Short-Lived but Brilliant Tonight".