With that, we’re going to leave you. But check out Steph Harmon’s wrap of the entire night. As Steph writes, there were moving tributes to Kasey Chambers and Gurrumul, while Amy Shark, who dominated the awards, paid tribute to women in music.
Nominated for nine awards in total, Shark took home three of the biggest, winning album of the year, best female artist and best pop release for her #1 album, Love Monster. Her single I Said Hi picked up the Aria for producer of the year at an earlier event.
I hope you’ve enjoyed following along with us. We’ll see you this time next year.
Updated
Keith Urban is closing out the show. I think it’s a short medley of his hits but, honestly, I have gone through life without hearing that many Keith Urban songs. Feel free to correct me below the line. He’s joined on stage by Amy Shark, who has taken a break from counting her awards. Cue confetti, beaming faces. Pure emotion. And that’s a wrap.
The Fighter by @KeithUrban remains a banger, now with added Queen of the night @AmySharkMusic #arias
— cameron adams (@cameron_adams) November 28, 2018
Updated
On the TV, Keith Urban is wrapping up. “Well, at the start of the night I promised you guys a bloody great show. Did we deliver?” It’s a rhetorical question, apparently.
He invites Bob Geldof on stage. They’re chatting about what Bob’s up to. Bob says he has a new record. Someone suggests to me that Geldof looks like he might blow over in a stiff wind. Anyway. If it sounds like I’m rambling, so is Geldof. In fact, he’s gone rogue.
“It is down to three or four or five people who get to have the song of the year, the song better than any other song ever this year, the song that from all over the world gets to win this thing.” Um, what?
He admits he can’t read the teleprompter so “I’m making this up but it sounds fucking good to me”.
U okay Geldof? #arias
— Anthea 🌈 (@anthea_yeah) November 28, 2018
So Bob Geldof is an EXTREMELY loose unit and I think the people who booked him secretly knew this #ARIAs
— Paul Donoughue (@paulwdonoughue) November 28, 2018
Updated
5 Seconds of Summer are in the media room, talking about how the fierce loyalty – and fierce youth – of their fanbase has affected them.
“It’s changed how we communicate with our online following, because we carefully articulate what we want them to latch on to,” says drummer Ashton Irwin. He says they’re very conscious of bringing positive messages to the youth.
“We’re one of the first live bands to come of the internet. We made our Twitter accounts in the early dawning of Twitter and everything online has moved so quick, and we’re witnesses of it. We’re very much part of the genesis of the online fanbase culture being what it is today. So we play close attention to how groups grow, groups like BTS and stuff.”
Irwin said the band are “fiercely determined to make everybody like us”.
“We want to be a peoples’ band and we want to play to a lot of people – and not just the fanbase we have now. We really believe that this band can exist for a while – we look up to the Rolling Stones and whatever, but that’s a long, long, long, long shot. But, why not!”
Some breaking news from Steph Harmon.
Shocked to discover there are only four members of 5 Seconds of Summer. #5SoS #arias pic.twitter.com/m8NObpODqJ
— steph harmon (@stephharmon) November 28, 2018
On TV, Mr Scott Maxwell from Grant high school in Mount Gambier, South Australia, has won the music teacher of the year. “I’m feeling absolutely awesome,” Maxwell says. Richard Wilkins says the award is one of his favourites. I’m not sure I believe him. But Wilkins ploughs on. “How do your students feel about it?” he asks.
“Look, you know, I want to say a big hi to all the students at Grant high school in Mount Gambier,” Maxwell says. “Those guys have gotten behind me whole way.”
Well done, Mr Maxwell.
Updated
A few more updates from the TV. (I hope this hasn’t been too confusing.)
Looks like I’m not the only one who found that segue out of the Gurrumul tribute a bit jarring.
That @Gurrumul @ARIA_Official tribute shook the cosmos so much that it seemed incredibly crass to snap straight back into the next award without a moment to spare #ariaawards #ARIAs2018
— NGAIIRE (@NGAIIRE) November 28, 2018
Dean Lewis, who just picked up best video, is up to perform his song Be Alright. The floppy hair singer-songwriter is hunched over his piano. It’s all soft lighting and swirling strings. A friend says: “That sounded much better recorded.” I thought it was ... Alright. Sorry!
@deanlewismusic with the Break up Anthem of the Year, Be Alright. #arias
— Storm2017Champs (@TheStyles83) November 28, 2018
Amy Shark is on stage, again, to accept best female artist from George Ezra. (Perhaps there were no women available?)
“This is huge,” she says. “I feel like 2018 has been a very amazing year for women in music. And in every industry around the world, actually.
“I believe we all work just as hard as any male in music and I thank you all in this room and I thank you all in this room and at home for believing that the sex of a human doesn’t define their worth or ability.”
Updated
On TV, Keith Urban is back. I was wondering where he was – he’s supposed to be hosting this thing.
Keith throws to a video of a performance from Gurrumul’s final album. The video fades back into the awards ceremony room. Jessica Mauboy, Briggs, Gurrumul’s daughter Jasmine come together for a tribute, backed by haunting strings.
I won’t be able to find the right words to adequately describe that performance, except to say it had a subtlety that is usually missing from these sorts of awards ceremonies. You’d be best to watch it. I’ll post a video when there is one available.
As the tribute ends, the broadcast makes a gear change that would probably send your car off the road. Everyone is suddenly very excited again.
Aria winner Conrad Sewell appears to present best video. Sewell is excited, as is Dean Lewis, who wins. “Thank you very much,” Lewis says. “This is insane.” Uh huh.
Updated
In real time: 5 Seconds of Summer have won the fan-voted song of the year, for Youngblood – the exact same song which they opened the night with. Not a huge coincidence there probably, Aria organisers!!!
Meanwhile, in the media room, Courtney Barnett talked about the chance she got to hold the guitar Bob Dylan played when he first went electric.
“I love this question,” she said to the guy who asked it. “It was at Newport folk festival ... that festival has so much history and someone mentioned the guitar thing, and it was one of those weird moments that you don’t really expect at all. But something like that can bring up so much history in a small way.”
Robbie Buck pressed her: “So what did it sound like?”
“Well first of all I’m left-handed, and it’s a right-handed guitar. And I don’t think it was plugged in. So it was a great photo opp!” she laughed.
Updated
Over on the TV broadcast, Rita Ora has taken to the stage. She’s dressed all in yellow. It’s a lively performance. Here is what that looked like.
We can't get enough of @RitaOra! 🙌 #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/2oOm6R048f
— Channel 9 (@Channel9) November 28, 2018
Jessica Mauboy is here to award best male artist. The late Gurrumul wins. His daughter Jasmine returns to the stage with his manager, Michael Hohnen. This time, Jasmine accepts the award. Reading from her phone, she thanks the Arias and the Australian people.
“He was a special person to everyone he met and all he wanted was for people to like his music and songs and stories,” Jasmine says.
After the break, there will be a tribute to Gurrumul.
Updated
Album of the year – Amy Shark
She’s crying! Amy Shark is crying. “I really wanted this,” she says, of winning one of the biggest awards of the night, album of the year.
Her partner Shane gets a little shoulder squeeze from Sony head Dennis Handlin as she tells him, “You’re the reason I’m up here.”
Just before, Scott Maxwell from Grant high school in SA won teacher of the year – which is a sweet award but not sweet enough to let him get on the stage to accept it.
Updated
The tribute to Kasey Chambers is continuing on the TV. Paul Kelly has reworked his song When I First Met Your Ma into a poem – a tribute to Chambers. As he reads it, the the camera zooms in to catch her watching intently.
Kelly says:
When I first saw you, Kasey, you were singing in a tent to some muddy, bearded bikers against a pole I leant. You were singing ‘Cripple Creek’. I lent closer, getting chills. Your voice as old as sunshine, and older than the hills.
High waters, hidden lakes, and your songs keep pouring from you, just like a levy breaks, and all those fires burn fierce in you. Kasey, they’ll never call you tame, that is why you live right here, in my own hall of fame.
What an incredible tribute from Paul Kelly! #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/drlgAmKVDR
— Channel 9 (@Channel9) November 28, 2018
Chambers reaches down to her ankle, where she was keeping her speech. As you’d expect, her speech is honest and completely unaffected.
Fame hasn't changed @KaseyChambers... She still keeps her speech in her shoes! #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/LmEbcZxGyB
— Channel 9 (@Channel9) November 28, 2018
“I think the two main things that I’ve learnt about the best way to survive in the music business is to always be true to yourself,” she says. “And to find your tribe, and I think that your real tribe will always encourage you to be true to yourself and they won’t try and change you into something that you’re not.”
Chambers says her mother taught her that “being a bitch doesn’t make you strong and being strong doesn’t make you a bitch”. Her Dad’s advice? “Don’t be a dickhead.” Both her parents were musicians.
Here is how she finished her speech:
I am so proud to have become a strong woman in the music industry. But I don’t think that I’m standing up here because I’m a strong woman. I don’t think I’m standing up here in spite of being a strong woman either. I actually just think that I’m standing up here because I’m just myself and I think that that’s all that any of us ever really need to be.
.@KaseyChambers has been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, and it's no secret why! #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/8f6ou655C5
— Channel 9 (@Channel9) November 28, 2018
Updated
Kasey Chambers inducted into Aria hall of fame
It’s gold Aria time on the TV.
Kasey Chambers is being inducted into the Aria hall of fame.
Troy Cassar-Daley calls Chambers a “great mate” as he introduces the video tribute.
Bernard Fanning says she is one of the “best songwriters of her generation”.
A teary Chambers tells how she wrote Not Pretty Enough because she felt she’d never be played on radio. Later, she says, she still looks in the mirror sometimes and ponders the same question. “But my answer now is, ‘Who gives a fuck?’
Now, a star-studded tribute to Chambers, with Amy Sheppard, Missy Higgins and Kate Miller-Heidke, who nail their harmonies on Not Pretty Enough.
Chambers appears on stage to perform I Ain’t No Little Girl. Her voice crackles as she wails against a slide guitar. She’s crying. The crowd is on its feet.
Updated
Best female artist – Amy Shark
In real time, AKA the best time, Amy Shark has just won best female artist – and used her time at the podium for a little nod at #MeToo.
“2018 has been a very amazing year for women in music – and in every industry around the world actually ... There are so many incredible female musicians right now writing great songs, and I’m so proud to just be in this room with the lot of you.
“I believe we all work just as hard as any male in music and I thank you all – both here and abroad – for believing that the sex of a human doesn’t define their worth or ability.”
To her parents, she said, “Thank you for raising me to be strong and resilient and the best female I can be.”
And to her husband: “Thank you for reminding me every day that girls can do anything.”
Updated
On the TV, there’s been a really moving movement. Michael Hohnen, Gurrumul’s long-time manager, takes the stage to accept best independent release. Gurrumul won for Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow). Hohnen is joined by Gurrumul’s daughter Jasmine.
Hohnen says: “It should be a happy moment but it’s hard representing an artist who has left us. But I would like to thank all the people that he worked with.”
"It should be a happy moment but it's hard representing an Artist who's left us..." Gurrumul wins the ARIA Award for Best Independent Release. #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/xfJcApzUcK
— Channel 9 (@Channel9) November 28, 2018
Coming up later, there will be a tribute to Gurrumul.
Updated
On the broadcast, Ruel is accepting best breakthrough artist from Troye Sivan. He is 16 years old. He thanks his band for helping to cover hip his “little testy pops” on stage. He has cue cards and an oversized jacket. Before he leaves the stage, he pops a move.
Updated
On TV, we’re back from the ad break and Wilkins throws to Courtney Barnett, who plays her catchy guitar pop tune Charity. Wilkins notes it’s her debut Arias performance and that she’s up for four Arias tonight.
Her band’s performance is raucous and raw. From what’s been on the broadcast so far, it kind of feels like they’ve been dropped down from Mars and on to the Arias stage.
@courtneymelba is the first female solo artist ever to win #ARIAs Best Rock Album... and given 2 seconds of TV airtime 😑 No doubt if this was a male rock artist, they'd have the full 2 minutes of screen time. So, Courtney... huge props for being a trailblazer 🎤🔥 📺
— Lauren Saylor (@LozLoz1988) November 28, 2018
Sophie Monk pops up to hand out the best soundtrack or musical theatre album. And Monk does what she does. Deadpan.
It might be like 20 years now I’ve been here. Guess what? I still have not won one award. So I was thinking about it. And I thought why don’t they create ... the participation award, or the encouragement award so I can at least win something.
As Steph has told you, Jimmy Barnes wins. He thanks a bunch of people for living through this “fuckin life” with him – and it goes to air. It’s 8.25pm. Wild.
Hope kids aren’t watching listing to the #arias tonight. Language
— Lee_Cummins (@lee__cummins) November 28, 2018
Updated
Best music video – Dean Lewis for Be Alright
In real time, the fan-voted category for best music video has been won by Dean Lewis for Be Alright but Justine Clarke is in the media room – as unsure as we are about why best children’s album is one of the last awards of the night.
She talks of the pitfalls of performing for children: “If you dare to go out into the crowd, that’s your downfall. Often you can’t see them. You can knock them over - you turn around and ones on the ground, there’s a moment of, ‘Gasp!’ It’s dangerous.”
Updated
The TV broadcast skips over Courtney Barnett’s win for best rock album, which is not very nice at all. She’ll be performing later though.
Wilkins then intros the UK singer-songwriter George Ezra, who performs his infectious song Shotgun. I was going to say that song will be stuck in my head by Keith does it for me.
“George, I love your song, but shit it gets so stuck inside my head, it makes me want to punch a beanbag,” Keith sings to a tune vaguely resembling Shotgun.
Richard Marx, of Right Here Waiting fame, takes the stage to award best adult contemporary to Vance Joy. That seems fitting. Is that harsh?
Vance Joy has a piece of paper which he reads from to thank a whole list of people I won’t bore you with. “Yew!” he exclaims. And he’s off the stage.
In the ad break, there’s an ad for George Ezra’s Shotgun. There was one for Amy Shark in the break before.
Updated
Best male artist: Gurrumul
Luke and I are now blogging across two time zones but in REAL time, as the broadcast catches up, Gurrumul has won his second Aria of the night – but the fifth of his life, which was cut short last year.
His daughter Jasmine Yunupingu accepted the award: “He was a special person to everyone who he met. And all he wanted was for people to like his music and our Yolngu songs and stories.”
Justine Clark, meanwhile, has won best children’s album for The Justine Clarke Show!
Updated
On the TV broadcast, Amy Shark, who is nommed nine times (and on the broadcast at least, has already won once), just performed her hit I Said Hi.
Richard Wilkins introduced her by saying, “Please say hi to Amy Shark.” Clever. Was that a good performance?
That performance was amazing @AmySharkMusic. #ARIAs
— Matthew Gronow (@Mattgronow) November 28, 2018
Is this our best talent? 5SOS and Amy Shark out of tune and dull. I know I’m old but... 🤦🏻♀️ #ARIAs
— Andy Mac (@andream75) November 28, 2018
Then, in a meeting that only the Arias could make happen, Jimmy Barnes is called upon to announce Best Group to 5 Seconds of Summer. They thank their fans, again.
Updated
Parkway Drive and Tash Sultana win
Best hard rock/heavy metal album has been won by Parkway Drive for Reverence, and best blues and roots album has gone to Tash Sultana.
Meanwhile, Kasey Chambers has come off stage after being awarded the lifetime achievement award in a “I’m-not-crying-you’re-crying” tribute. Paul Kelly read a poem he wrote for her; Missy Higgins, Kate Miller-Heidke and Amy Sheppard sung Not Pretty Enough with her; and Chambers gave a pretty amazing speech too, which my colleague Luke will bring to you as it goes to air.
Kelly’s poem was a surprise to her, she tells us in the media room. “That killed me. He didn’t rehearse the poem or anything, so I didn’t know that. I didn’t know that he’d written a poem and that it was so moving. It was amazing. That was one of the most special things that has ever happened to me.
“Paul and I have worked together a lot over the years but in a lot of ways he’s still Paul Kelly to me, the guy who I’ve admired for my whole life.”
Updated
Over on the TV, UK pop star Rita Ora has bounded on to the stage to help Keith present best pop release. But first, some banter. Keith asks how Rita’s birthday was, she says she doesn’t remember it.
Rita: “You are doing a very good job.”
Keith: “I’m just getting started.”
Rita: “You are great at telling jokes.”
Ora, who is performing later, either has no sense of humour at all or that was sly, brutal and very, very sarcastic. I think the latter.
Amy Shark wins best pop release for Love Monster.
Updated
As you already know, 5 Seconds of Summer wins best live act. Keith calls their song Youngblood a “modern Australian classic”. The boys say they are nervous, which is kind of adorable.
How pure is @KeithUrban as an #ARIAs host? Giving all the nominees for best Aus live act some individual love. 💕
— Julia (@Julaberry) November 28, 2018
Congratulations 5SOS!! You are amazing live and totally deserve it!! #ARIAs
— Sally (@salmeier_1989) November 28, 2018
The broadcast begins with 5 Seconds of Summer, ripping through an energetic version of their hit single Youngblood. Awards shows are usually a tough gig but that sounded quite good from here!
Here’s what that looked like.
“Uh uh, 5 Seconds of Summer!” Wilkins says. Then he introduces Keith Urban. (I’m not sure who is actually hosting here.
“Hi, baby, right in the front row,” Urban says, referring to Nicole Kidman. Settle down.
He rambles a bit about his musical influences, before sliding into some philosophical musings: “The art of originality is knowing how to hide your sources.” OK, Keith.
Then, a joke about the Aria awards trophies themselves: “They might not be the biggest pricks in the room but they are pretty close.”
This is going to be an interesting night.
Updated
Jimmy Barnes chats in the green room
Jimmy Barnes has dropped by the media room and given Robbie Buck a typically A++ interview about his two memoirs, which came with a documentary, which came with a soundtrack, which won him an Aria, which is why he’s here.
“We’re not the only family who went through tough times, or the only family still going through them,” he says. “And there’s people still going through it now. I wanted to draw attention by writing these books and making the film, to the families struggling all around Australia. They’re struggling with poverty, with alcoholism, domestic violence. Sixty-odd women have been killed this year and we’re worried about terrorism?”
Revisiting his past has been a difficult process, he says. “All the stuff that was in the movie and in these books was poisonous to me, it was killing me. To get it out has helped. Now I’ve been talking about it for two years solid ... it’s starting to kill me again,” he laughs.
“Talking about it every night really brought it home. By the end of it, when we made this documentary – and to actually be on the streets of Glasgow where I was born ... It was a bit overwhelming, actually. It was a different kind of feeling. And I guess that by the end I had a sense of closure with it, but it was very confronting.”
Barnes has a strong message to others experiencing poverty or darkness in their lives:
“Please hang in there, and hopefully things will change. We didn’t think that things would ever change, we didn’t think that we’d survive. I never thought I’d survive, or even make 21, you know? But if I could go back, I’d say to myself to hang in there, it will get better.
“But the message that I really wanted to get across was that we can’t sit around waiting for it to get better. People who are washed over by this plague of domestic violence in this country, are dying, right now. And the only way it’s going to change is if we all reach out to each other. And if government gets more help to families, to struggling families to help with addiction, to help with alcoholism, to help.”
Updated
I can now inform you that Richard Wilkins has popped up on the TV, interrupting A Current Affair, no less, to plug the live broadcast, which begins in five minutes. We’re told it will feature a live performance from the host, Keith Urban.
I’ll be keeping tabs on that for any weird and wonderful moments on the tele.
While you wait, here’s a pic of Keith doing his thang (I assume that’s how he pronounces it).
Updated
Ruel, the 16-year-old who won an Aria in the newcomer category, has had a huge year since Elton John spun his track on the BBC. The Sydney-based songwriter released his debut EP in June and sold-out the Enmore in October; he now tours with a tutor, and he’s being homeschooled next year.
“I love going back to school, I just went back the other week to say hi to my friends. It is quite strange – but it’s nice to not be the centre of attention. Because my friends don’t really see it all – this thing that’s happening to me. It’s nice to go back to being a bit normal.”
He says he compartmentalises those two parts of his life: the kid and the upcoming star. “When people talk about ‘Ruel’ I think about it as another person ... some people think it’s ungrateful that I do that, but I just think it’s healthy.”
He’s having a good night. “I walked past Nicole Kidman which was pretty crazy. I got to meet Troye Sivan. Rita Ora’s here, which is really cool. Everyone I’ve walked past I’ve been like, ‘Oh my god!’ I’m kind of freaking out.”
In the media room, Hilltop Hoods tell us they’ve almost finished the new record. But they’re really just here to talk up Adrian Eagle, the newcomer who features on the single that just won best urban release.
“I feel like I’m dreaming,” Eagle says. “When I was a teenager I was listening to these guys right here, and I was too young to go to their shows in Adelaide. I was already winning before this award. I’d already won, you know what I mean?”
Eagle was raised in housing commissions around Adelaide. “When I was a teenager I never would have projected this, that’s for damned sure.”
According to MC Suffa, it’s mutual. “We’re huge fans and can’t wait to see what he does next year.”
Updated
There is about 15 minutes until the TV broadcast begins. But, as Steph Harmon has told you, there have already been plenty of gongs handed out, and some performances, too.
Here, in pictures, is some of what you have to look forward to.
Updated
Gurrumul and Ruel win
Jimmy Barnes has just been in the media room, and there’ll be more on that later, but in the meantime Ruel has just won breakthrough artist, delivered to him by perfect angel Troye Sivan.
At just 16 years, Sydney songwriter Ruel van Dijk is the youngest person to win in this category. He’s very cute and excited.
Best independent release has been won by the late Gurrumul, for Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) – an album that was four years in the making, which became the first Indigenous language album to top the Aria charts, and which you can read about here:
“Sucked in to all the people that followed Sportsbet,” says Michael Hohnen at the podium, Gurrumul’s long-time manager and collaborator.
Updated
Best urban release – Hilltop Hoods for Clark Griswold
Hilltop Hoods have won best urban release for Clark Griswold, featuring Adrian Eagle. They’re betting that this category won’t be televised, so urge the audience to “show your bits”.
Meanwhile, Richard Marx, the singer of 1991 hit Hazard and likely some other songs, is in Australia on tour – and in the green room talking to the media.
“The songwriting part of me - which was prior to me becoming an artist - is still very young,” he says. “I’m still mystified by the process of writing a new song.”
He says he wrote Hazard in the back of a tour bus. “It woke me up out of a sound sleep – the music was completely written in my head, I dreamed it. I immediately reached for my Panasonic cassette recorder and sang all the music into the tape machine so that I wouldn’t forget it.”
Richard Marx is backstage at the ARIAs chatting “getting stuff done yourself” ✔️ #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/JJFqqD6c0h
— the AU review (@theAUreview) November 28, 2018
The song is about a murder mystery, and he says he’s had “100 people come up to me, to my face, and ask me if the song is autobiographical. A song about a guy accused of murdering a girl. You think I murdered a woman in Alaska?”
Also, for some reason, he sings us the jingle to Kelloggs Raisin Bran. Pretty good!
Updated
Best original soundtrack – Jimmy Barnes for Working Class Boy
Courtney Barnett plays, and Jimmy Barnes wins best original soundtrack for Working Class Boy – The Soundtracks. He thanks his family, who “lived through his fucking life with me”.
I’m mostly in favour of short and sweet speeches but Barnes has a lot to say and deserves like five minutes longer. He’s coming to join us in the media room soon but, in the meantime, read his chat yesterday with our music writer Andrew Stafford.
“I wouldn’t give Peter Dutton any of my time,” he said, at a protest to get kids off Nauru in Canberra. “It’s a waste of time speaking to someone like him, because they just spread lies and propaganda. He doesn’t represent me, he doesn’t care about people and I wouldn’t give him the time of day, to tell you the truth.”
Updated
We mentioned 5 Seconds of Summer before. Given they are going to feature prominently tonight, how about some fun 5SOS facts.
The four boys – Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin and Michael Clifford –formed in Sydney and first found fame as YouTube celebrities. As a band, they hit the big time while opening for One Direction.
Earlier this year, they gave an interview to the BBC that touched on the usual boy band interview fodder, dating, their fans and, er, gun control. Hemmings told BBC that, if he could enact any law in the world, he would “ban guns in the States”.
Apparently fans sometimes serve them with adoption papers. “The weirdest ones are adoption papers … people ask us to sign those,” Hemmings said. “You can never really tell if they’re real.”
Golly.
5SOS x ARIA’s // SOUNDCHECK pic.twitter.com/Rvfiv9jUOJ
— 5 Seconds Of Summer (@5SOS) November 28, 2018
Updated
Best dance release – Pnau
Best dance release has been won by Pnau for Go Bang, the second single from the album Changa. It’s the third time they’ve won this award. More interesting is the little tidbit Robbie Buck gives us in the media room: lead singer Nick Littlemore is the son of former Media Watch host Stuart Littlemore. (NB: not Stuart Little.)
Also, the fan-voted best international artist has been won by Camila Cabello, who, no surprises, wasn’t there to accept the award.
Also, lol:
The MOR pop symmetry is sweet: George Ezra plays before Richard Marx gives an award to Vance Joy. Shame the Midday Show isn’t still around to have them all on. #arias
— Bernard Zuel (@BernardZuel) November 28, 2018
Updated
Best adult contemporary album – Vance Joy for Nation of Two
After George Ezra sings Shotgun, 80s/90s pop star Richard Marx presents the mixed blessing category that is best adult contemporary album.
One day, the TV networks won’t make @ARIA_Official book international artists on our Australian night of nights.
— TheIndustryObserver (@theindustry_o) November 28, 2018
When will we start embracing our own commercial equity and success as a country? For fucks sake. #arias
Vance Joy wins – his second Aria after winning best male artist in 2015. Back then he was hanging with #1 fan Taylor Swift, and now he’s adult contemporary. Life moves at you fast.
Updated
Finally, some musicians I respect.
Dressed up in style! 🎵 #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/22OG3H9iNP
— The Wiggles (@TheWiggles) November 28, 2018
Did I mention Keith was hosting? Cool.
Keith Urban, the host, says the ARIA Awards are SHARP. "They might not be the biggest pricks in the room, but they are pretty close." #arias
— Paul Donoughue (@paulwdonoughue) November 28, 2018
Best country album – Kasey Chambers and the Fireside Disciples
Troy Cassar-Daley has presented Kasey Chambers and the Fireside Disciples with the Aria for best country album, Campfire. Chambers, who has now won 13 Arias (nine in this category), will be awarded the lifetime achievement award tonight too, and she looks stoked: “This album means so much to me because I literally grew up beside a campfire,” she says.
Her dad, Bill Chambers, is in the band, and you’d better believe he took the mic. “I’m most proud of the fact that my daughter still gives me a job,” he says.
It’s a great night for dad content.
Sophie Monk brought her dad 😭 #Arias pic.twitter.com/BfA6McKOMy
— Jenna Guillaume (@JennaGuillaume) November 28, 2018
Meanwhile in the media room, our host Robbie Buck is exceedingly excited for the first guest he’ll be bringing in. “If my 12-year-old self told me that I’d be interviewing pop star Richard Marx when I was 46 ...”
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Some mixed reviews out there for 5 Seconds of Summer – sorry “5SOS” . I’ll be honest, I have no clue who they are but I understand they have an army of young fans. The Sydneysiders are performing later tonight.
not gonna lie but 5 seconds of summer look really good today at ARIA awards. hot snacc
— stephanie guilalas (@stephxguilalas) November 28, 2018
What is worse...the pop band 5 Seconds of Summer or 5 seconds of literal summer in Queensland? Tough one I reckon. #5sos
— Matt Ford (@Matthew_Ford) November 28, 2018
And here is one of their songs.
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Best group – 5 Seconds of Summer
Aria-winner Amy Shark comes straight back on to perform I Said Hi, standing on a mini stage hanging from the ceiling, wearing a safety harness as it slowly lowers to the main stage. Then her band gets raised on their own mini stages, which shoot fireworks! OK! It’s a good song.
But the big news is best group: Jimmy Barnes presents it to 5 Seconds of Summer, their second win of the night. They thank their fans again. Classic them.
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Best rock release – Courtney Barnett for Tell Me How You Really Feel
Nawww, it’s a one-two punch for insanely talented Australian women. Steve Kilbey of the Church presents it to Barnett, who saunters up to the stage with her band.
“I couldn’t do all the shows and make records without my amazing band,” she says through nerves.
Here’s how we reviewed it:
Best pop release – Love Monster by Amy Shark
Amy Shark has just won her first award of the night, presented by Rita Ora: best pop release. “I don’t mean to sound like a dick but this is my second pop release, two years in a row. This is insane.”
She beat 5 Seconds Of Summer, Dean Lewis, Jack River and Troye Sivan.
Our awards gallery is now live! Full of frocks, frolicking, more frocks … We’ll update it periodically throughout the evening with the best pics from the event.
As an aside, perhaps you’d like to know that, while I was building the gallery, I ate a crunchy banana and it was the worst. Did you know bananas came in “crunchy”? Well, now you do. Do not recommend.
Now, back to your scheduled programming …
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First award: 5SOS win best Australian live act
Hmm, that livestream doesn’t seem to be working anymore, sorry for the dud link. But 5SOS, who just played Youngblood, have also just won tonight’s first prize: best Australian live act, which was voted for by fans.
They have a lot of fans.
“We would not be standing here if our fans didn’t vote for this award. It’s for them,” Michael Clifford said.
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OK we have begun! Here’s a live stream if you want to be one of the 3 million people tuning in. My hot tip is 2.9 million of them will tune out once 5 Seconds of Summer, who are up for best live act and three other awards, finishes playing their opening song...
The official #ARIAs Red Carpet stream is LIVE from Sydney. Retweet if you're watching! https://t.co/ksxqobrBm2
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) November 28, 2018
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Proceedings are about to commence. Richard Wilkins has the mic on stage in the main room, and he’s asking the drunk music industry to stop talking to each other, AHAHAHA good luck Richard Wilkins. (He actually looks very cross, we are running quite late.)
While we wait, here is a cute photo of two musicians who might LOOK like friends, but are actually up against each other in four major categories tonight: album of the year, best female artist, best video and best live act. WHO WILL WIN???
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Apparently they are running late in there (tut, tut), so here are some more red carpet snaps.
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We’re getting close to – pre-TV coverage – awards time. They’ll start dishing them out in less 30 minutes from now, I’m reliably informed.
In fact, I’m also told the only way to get people to file into the venue was by closing the bar outside.
Anyway, sounds like a good moment to take a look at who’s nominated for what. Here are the contenders for the big ones. Your predictions are welcome below.
Album of the Year:
Amy Shark - Love Monster (Wonderlick Recording Company); Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records); Gurrumul - Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) (SFM/MGM); Pnau - Changa (etcetc Music); Troye Sivan - Bloom (EMI)
Best female artist:
Alison Wonderland - Awake (EMI); Amy Shark - Love Monster (Wonderlick Recording Company); Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records); Sia - Flames (What A Music Ltd, Under Exclusive Licence to Warner Music Group); Tash Sultana - Flow State (Lonely Lands Records/Sony Music)
Best male artist:
Dan Sultan - Killer Under A Blood Moon (Liberation Records);; Dean Lewis - Be Alright (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia); Gurrumul - Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) (SFM/MGM); Troye Sivan - Bloom (EMI); Vance Joy - Nation Of Two (Liberation Records)
Best group:
5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood (Capitol UK/EMI); DMA’S - For Now (I OH YOU); Peking Duk - Fire (Sony Music); Pnau - Go Bang (etcetc Music); RÜFÜS DU SOL - No Place (Sony Music)
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If previous photographs have not made it clear, the one below shows that Keith Lionel Urban has turned up in a T-shirt. To host the event. Please leave your feedback on this decision for Keith below the line.
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The indie upstarts from I OH YOU are here, featuring DMAs, who are up for three gongs including best group.
TEAM I OH YOU AT THE #ARIAS pic.twitter.com/feQmOEOtDN
— I OH YOU (@iohyouforever) November 28, 2018
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An interesting notion.
If I were a musician at the #ARIAs, instead of wearing an outrageous outfit to stand out among a series of hundreds of increasingly outrageous outfits trying to stand out, I would instead be original by combing my hair and going in a regular suit.
— Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) November 28, 2018
Got my @ARIA_Official outfit sorted. pic.twitter.com/KpPnmJ4cxx
— Senator Briggs (@Briggs) November 27, 2018
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The red carpet hosts are running out of questions, and just asked Amy Shark what she wants for Christmas. “Even a blender would be good, or I don’t know, a knife and fork,” she replied.
Here’s footage of Nicole Kidman and her husband Mr Kidman being interviewed. Final post about them, I promise (no promises) – but she does seem to be ........ in a boisterously good mood.
#ARIAs: @Angus_OL & @tanhennessy with @KeithUrban and #NicoleKidman pic.twitter.com/zeZES8wflh
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) November 28, 2018
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Here are some more photos of Nicole Kidman (and Keith), because, let’s be honest, that’s what you’re here for. A colleague says: “I can’t believe Nicole Kidman’s husband has a neck tatt.”
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Sophie Monk has arrived at the Star. For those of you who don’t follow the gossip mags: last year, only a few weeks after the finale of her season as The Bachelorette aired, Monk walked the Aria red carpet with her main squeeze and Bachelorette winner, wealthy “pub baron” Stu Laundy. In January, though, Monk confirmed rumours that the couple had split, saying on Instagram that they “gave it the best shot”. Reports are that she’s now seeing marketing executive Joshua Gross.
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Rita Ora is on the red carpet for her first Arias. She slept the whole flight. That’s what being rich gets you, I suppose.
She’s staying here till the weekend, she says, and plans to “hang out” and “check things out”, and “hears there are good museums and stuff”. It’s actually wild she’s spending so much time in Aus considering she’s promoting a new album and was already the hardest-working red carpet appearer in the history of pop.
Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman just showed up. Her husband, Keith Urban, is hosting proceedings.
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OK, now we’re talking. Photographic evidence that Nicole Kidman is in the house. Oh, and Keith Urban has turned up, too. (He’s hosting the thing.)
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A few more arrivals on the Red Carpet. Yes, Imogen Anthony is wearing “sale” stickers.
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Welcome to the Green Room
The red carpet has been moved inside due to the horrifying downpour this morning, and it is currently crammed full of screaming fans and other outlets elbowing Guardian Australia right in the face. So as we populate the blog with photos – which is all the red carpet is really there for anyway – we have left the throngs, made our way through the sad horrors of a bright casino at 4pm and found ourselves upstairs in the Iain Shedden memorial room.
The room was named after the beloved music writer from the Australian, who died in October last year. Soon, Robbie Buck will begin bringing in the winners as they’re announced at the ceremony so we can barrage them with questions, bring you the good stuff and reveal all the winners to those who can’t wait to watch it live tonight. Take this as your spoiler warning.
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Troye Sivan, who is nominated for best album for Bloom, is on the red carpet. He’s also up for best male, best pop release and song of the year.
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Our first political statement for the night comes from Sydney singer-songwriter Montaigne. As you’ll see below, it’s not the first time she’s done so.
Montaigne has arrived on the #ARIAs red carpet and has "STOP ADANI" written across her face, after having 'People Over Profit' written on her chest last year. pic.twitter.com/xemJfZ4xVy
— Tom Williams (@tom__williams) November 28, 2018
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Aria awards 2018
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the Australian music industry’s “night of nights”. I’m Luke Henriques-Gomes.
As we speak, some super talented artists – and a few famous people no one has actually heard of – are gathering at Sydney’s Star Event Centre to celebrate the best in Antipodean music-making.
We’ll be with you to fill you in on who won which gong, who was robbed, and, perhaps more importantly, all the thrills and spills of the red carpet. Our reporters Steph Harmon and Stephanie Convery will be front and centre to update you on any controversies. I’m sure there will be at least one.
TV coverage of the awards, to be hosted by Keith Urban (maybe Nicole Kidman will be there?), will kick off from 7.30pm on Channel Nine. But stick with us and you’ll get all the details – minus the earnestnest of it all.
One more sleep! Host @KeithUrban is ready for the 2018 #ARIAs, are you?@Channel9, 7.30pm pic.twitter.com/h5V8taXX7D
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) November 26, 2018
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