Sydney’s lockout laws, Australian marriage equality and a surprise appearance from Kylie Minogue were the big talking points at the 30th annual Aria awards, otherwise dominated by the electronic music wunderkind Flume.
The 25-year-old Sydney electronic producer whose real name is Harley Streten, picked up five of the pointy statues, winning best male artist, album of the year and best independent release for his sophomore album Skin, as well as best dance release and best pop release for Never Be Like You.
Flume had already won all three artisan categories – best producer, engineer and cover art of the year – when nominations were announced in early October, bringing his total Aria awards to eight.
In his acceptance speech for best dance release, Flume rallied against Sydney’s controversial lockout laws, which he said had curtailed opportunities for young musicians that he himself had benefitted from.
Wearing a pin in support of the Keep Sydney Open campaign, he thanked the venues at which he’d performed, “especially the small ones ... because that’s where music evolves, that’s where all the exciting stuff happens, and that’s what’s getting shut down right now”.
“To our policy-makers and our politicians, please keep Sydney open so that the young artists, so that the next generations of musicians, can have the same opportunities that I had,” he told Guardian Australia on the red carpet.
Now in its 30th year, the Australian Recording Industry Association awards were held at Sydney’s Star event centre from Wednesday afternoon and later broadcast on Channel Ten.
Sarah Blasko, who won the best adult alternative album award for Eternal Return, and Montaigne, named breakthrough artist, were also critical of the lockout laws.
“As a musician I’ve enjoyed many late nights of playing shows, and dancing like a moron at late hours,” Blasko told media backstage. “It’s been an important part of my development as a human being.
“Culturally it’s very important for people to be able to experience the city at all hours, and for people to be able to address the drinking problems as separate – not one and the same as a late night.”
The Perth YouTube star turned singer Troye Sivan, 21, claimed his wins for his song Youth – which took out best video and song of the year – as victories for the LGBTQI community.
He later told media that the only obstruction to marriage equality in Australia seemed to be politicians, and that it was “only a matter of time” before the law was passed.
“Socially it feels like Australia is an amazing, progressive, open, inclusive country and I’m so proud to be from here – and it just kind of sucks that it doesn’t feel like that’s represented politically.
“What I can do is just keep pushing the envelope as far as the opinion of the public goes. And that’s what I’m going to try and keep doing.”
Sivan’s resolution was reinforced later when Sia’s award for best female artist was accepted on behalf of Angie Broome, a marriage equality campaigner, who said it was for “every single non-hetero and gender-diverse person who can currently not marry the person that they love in this country”.
Kylie Minogue and her British fiance, Joshua Sasse, who both made a surprise appearance to present an award, also rallied on behalf of Sasse’s campaign to Say “I Do” Down Under, with Sasse adding that 2017 could be the year Australia is “back on the right side of history”.
Kylie Minogue in the green room repping for marriage equality. Pics only, but such a pro. #arias pic.twitter.com/rUM3CLVnsi
— steph harmon (@stephharmon) November 23, 2016
The actor, presenter and DJ Ruby Rose, who is in a relationship with the Veronicas’ Jess Origliasso, who co-hosted the Aria awards with her twin sister Lisa, tweeted the night was “a huge win for the LGBT community”.
The #Arias were a huge win for the LGBT community tonight. Thanks to so many inspiring acts and presenters. Beautiful. Get it 🇦🇺
— Ruby Rose (@RubyRose) November 23, 2016
Marriage equality and Sydney’s lockout laws mobilised the crowd more than many of the performances did, with Crowded House raising one of the biggest responses of the night with their induction into the Aria Hall of Fame.
Flight of the Conchords, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, eventually presented the award after some territorial posturing over frontman Neil Finn’s hailing from New Zealand.
“We can’t let this happen. You have enough bands in Australia,” said Clement.
“We really need Crowded House, our musical Hall of Fame is more of a Doorway of Fame. So stop it Australia,” said McKenzie.
After an acceptance speech from Finn, in which he remembered Paul Hester, the band’s drummer who died in Melbourne in 2005, Missy Higgins and Bernard Fanning performed Crowded House classics Fall at Your Feet and Better Be Home Soon.
Crowded House – still in black tie, which, for Finn, constituted a very purple suit – then performed Distant Sun from the band’s 1993 album Together Alone.
On Thursday the band will begin a string of performances at the Sydney Opera House forecourt 20 years after their Farewell to the World concert that was attended for free by more than 100,000 fans. In contrast, the four ticketed concerts Crowded House will play from Thursday to Sunday will be capped at just 6,000 punters a night, Finn said.
“[1996] was a time when there was a complete absence of health and safety,” Finn told media. “It’s a wonder that no one died. People look after each other in those situations – and it’s nice when a population can be trusted.”
He said the band was “determined to make those shows sing and fly and be as good as – if not better than – what we were like 20 years ago”.
Finn had condemned Australia’s “detention and mistreatment of asylum seekers [as] completely unacceptable” before he performed with Paul Kelly at the Aria awards in 2014.
“It’s still the same,” he said on Wednesday. “It seems like a very strange place to be commenting on it but it’s a deeply concerning thing. It really is.”
John Butler and Ben Lee, who appeared on stage together to present the Aria for best male artist, acknowledged the traditional custodians of the land, with Lee adding: “We also want to use this opportunity to say we stand with Standing Rock.”
Best calls of the night - Acknowledgement of country from @JohnButlerTrio & showing solidarity with #StandingRock from @benleemusic #ARIAs
— Nakari Thorpe (@nakarithorpe) November 23, 2016
The only other act to win more than one Aria award on Wednesday was the Brisbane alternative rock band Violent Soho, who were named best group and best rock album for WACO.
John Farnham closed the event with his 30-year-old ballad, You’re The Voice – described as “Australia’s unofficial anthem” by hosts the Veronicas, who bowed down before the singer whose 1986 album Whispering Jack is still the biggest-selling Australian album of all time.
Full list of Aria winners
Telstra album of the year: Flume – Skin
Best male artist: Flume – Skin
Best female artist: Sia – This is Acting
Best dance release: Flume – Skin
Best group: Violent Soho – WACO
Breakthrough artist: Montaigne – Glorious Heights
Best pop release: Flume – Never Be Like You (feat. Kai)
Best urban album: Drapht – Seven Mirrors
Best independent release: Flume – Skin
Best rock album: Violent Soho – WACO
Best adult contemporary album: Bernard Fanning – Civil Dusk
Best adult alternative album: Sarah Blasko – Eternal Return
Best country album: Sara Storer – Silos
Best hard rock/heavy metal album: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity
Best blues and roots album: Russell Morris – Red Dirt Red Heart
Best children’s album: The Wiggles – Wiggle Town!
Best video: Troye Sivan – YOUTH Acoustic (Sydney Session)
Best Australian live act: Hilltop Hoods – The Restrung Tour
Apple Music song of the year: Troye Sivan – Youth
Best international artist: One Direction – Made in the A.M. & Four
