Sampa The Great made history in 2019 when she became the first woman of color to win the ARIA for best hip-hop release. The Melbourne-based artist made history again by snagging the award for a second time, one of a hattrick of ARIA wins on the night.
The Zambian-born, Botswana-raised singer and rapper also took out best female artist and best independent release for her debut full-length album The Return, winner of the 2019 Australian Music Prize.
Sampa also delivered one of the ARIA Awards’ highlights, a performance of “Final Form” shot in Africa.
On receiving the hip-hop honor, she noted: “This award means a lot to me because hip-hop has been redefined in the past five, 10 years in Australia. Young black artists, colored people, keep doing what you’re doing. Keep bringing your stories to the forefront, because now we get to see a side of Australia that wasn’t shown.”
Amy Shark opened the gala with a performance of “Everybody Rise.” Soon after, the Gold Coast singer won her seventh ARIA for best Australian live act, one of four publicly-voted ARIA Awards. She doubled-up later with best pop release, the third time she has won the award.
A breakout year for Lime Cordiale climaxed with ARIAs glory, as the Sydney indie outfit bagging their first ARIA Award, for breakthrough artist. Led by brothers Oliver and Louis Leimbach, the band enjoyed their first chart-leader during the year with their sophomore album, 14 Steps To A Better You.
The heart of the ARIAs program is, in a typical year, the induction ceremony for the ARIA Hall of Fame. This year’s honoree, Archie Roach, is the heart of Australia’s indigenous music community.
2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Charcoal Lane, Roach’s debut full length album which featured “Took The Children Away,” a heartbreaking tale of the enforced separation of Indigenous children from their families.
It was based on Roach’s own life and experiences.
The album received two ARIA Awards in 1991 and “Took The Children Away” received an international Human Rights Achievement Award, the first time that the award had been bestowed on a songwriter. It’s now preserved in the National Film And Sound Archive Of Australia.
Roach, now frail after several health battles, led a moving performance of the song with support from Paul Kelly, pianist Paul Grabowsky and others, filmed from his hometown Warrnambool.
On receiving the spiky trophy, Roach quipped: “They’re as lethal looking as they ever were. I’d hate to trip and fall on one.” He’ll need to be careful about the house, because he collected another two sharp trophies on the night, for best contemporary album (Tell Me Why) and male artist of the year, beating out a shortlist that included Guy Sebastian, Ruel, The Kid LAROI and Troye Sivan.
“They didn’t make a mistake?” he asked when his name was called out for best male.
With induction into the Hall of Fame, Roach now sits alongside the greats of Australia’s music scene, from AC/DC to the Bee Gees, Dame Joan Sutherland, INXS, Peter Allen, Olivia Newton John, Nick Cave and others.
The evening closed with a powerhouse tribute to the late feminist trailblazing icon and ARIA Hall of Fame Inductee Helen Reddy, who passed away Sept. 29 at the age of 78. An all-star cast of Australian female artists joined forces for a performance of “I Am Woman,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1972.
Amy Shark, Christine Anu, ARIAs host Delta Goodrem, Tones And I, Jessica Mauboy, Kate Miller-Heidke, Katie Noonan, Missy Higgins and Mo’Ju were among the 30-strong chorus.
Other performers on the night included Tame Impala, Lime Cordiale, Sia, and international stars Billie Eilish and Sam Smith.
“2020 has been a challenging year for the Australian music industry, but it’s clear that the quality of the music has not suffered,” comments outgoing ARIA CEO Dan Rosen. “I’m especially pleased to see the winners come from all parts of our music community, and that we could celebrate with audiences from all around the world.”
YouTube streamed performances online through an ongoing partnership, and free-to-air broadcaster Nine Network aired the show across Australia.
2020 ARIA AWARD RECIPIENTS
Album Of The Year
DMA’s – THE GLOW (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Jessica Mauboy – Hilda (Sony Music)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia): WINNER
Best Male Artist
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why (Bloodlines / Mushroom): WINNER
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You (Sony Music)
Ruel – Free Time (RCA / Sony Music)
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love (Columbia / Sony Music)
Troye Sivan – In A Dream (EMI Music Australia)
Best Female Artist
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise (Wonderlick Recording Company / Sony Music)
Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music): WINNER
Sia – Together (Monkey Puzzle, Inc., under exclusive license to Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International for the world outside of the United States)
Tones And I – Bad Child / Can’t Be Happy All the Time (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Best Dance Release
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
Dom Dolla – San Frandisco (Sweat It Out / Warner Music): WINNER
Flume – Rushing Back feat. Vera Blue (Future Classic)
Northeast Party House – Shelf Life (Stop Start Music / Sony Music)
Stace Cadet & KLP Energy – (Medium Rare Recordings / Sony Music)
Best Group
5 Seconds Of Summer – CALM (Interscope / EMI Music Australia)
DMA’s – THE GLOW (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia): WINNER
The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Forum (Ivy League Records / Mushroom)
Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA
Alex the Astronaut – The Theory of Absolutely Nothing (Minkowski / AWAL Recordings): WINNER
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Mallrat – Driving Music (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love (Columbia / Sony Music)
Best Pop Release
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise (Wonderlick Recording Company/Sony Music): WINNER
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Sia – Together (Monkey Puzzle, Inc., under exclusive license to Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International for the world outside of the United States)
Tame Impala – Lost In Yesterday (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Troye Sivan – In A Dream (EMI Music Australia)
Best Hip Hop Release presented by Hennessy
Baker Boy – Meditjin feat. JessB (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Briggs – Always Was EP (Adam Briggs / Island Records Australia)
Illy – Last Laugh (Sony Music)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music): WINNER
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love (Columbia / Sony Music)
Best Soul/R&B Release
Genesis Owusu – Don’t Need You (OURNESS / AWAL)
KIAN – Every Hour (EMI Music Australia)
Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia): WINNER
Tash Sultana – Pretty Lady (Lonely Lands Records / Sony Music)
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol.2 (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
Best Independent Release
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why (Bloodlines / Mushroom)
DMA’s – THE GLOW (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen (Ghosteen / AWAL Recordings)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music): WINNER
Best Rock Album
Cold Chisel – Blood Moon (Cold Chisel / Universal Music Australia)
DMA’s – THE GLOW (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Ocean Alley – Lonely Diamond (Independent / Unified Music Group)
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia): WINNER
Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK (I OH YOU/ Mushroom)
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why (Bloodlines / Mushroom): WINNER
Donny Benét – Mr Experience (Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records)
Gordi – Our Two Skins (Liberation Records)
Josh Pyke – Rome (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen (Ghosteen / AWAL Recordings)
Best Country Album
Casey Barnes – Town of A Million Dreams (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Fanny Lumsden – Fallow (Cooking Vinyl Australia): WINNER
Jasmine Rae – Lion Side (ABC Music / Universal)
The McClymonts – Mayhem To Madness (Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Travis Collins – Wreck Me (ABC Music / Universal)
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Chunky Shrapnel (Flightless Records): WINNER
Parkway Drive – Viva The Underdogs (Resist / Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Polaris – The Death Of Me (Resist / Cooking Vinyl Australia)
The Amity Affliction – Everyone Loves You…Once You Leave Them (The Amity Affliction. Marketed & Distributed by Warner Music Australia under exclusive license)
The Chats – High Risk Behaviour (Bargain Bin / Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Best Blues & Roots Album
Busby Marou – The Great Divide (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Frank Yamma – Tjukurpa: The Story (Wantok Musik/MGM)
Lucky Oceans – Purple Sky (Songs Originally By Hank Williams) (ABC Music / Universal)
The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Forum (Ivy League Records / Mushroom): WINNER
Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife – You Be The Lightning (Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Best Children’s Album
Teeny Tiny Stevies – Thoughtful Songs for Little People (ABC Music / Universal): WINNER
The Vegetable Plot – Season Two (ABC Music / Universal)
The Wiggles – Choo Choo Trains, Propeller Planes & Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car! (ABC Music / Universal)
Tiptoe Giants – Colour the World (Tiptoe Tunes / ABC Music)
Best Comedy Release
Anne Edmonds – What’s Wrong With You? (Guesswork Television): WINNER
Bev Killick – Crummy Mummy (Rivershack Records / MGM)
Celia Pacquola – All Talk (Guesswork Television)
Crossbread feat. Chris Ryan and Megan Washington – Just Jesus (ABC Music / Universal)
Tom Gleeson – Joy (Guesswork Television) PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS
Best Video presented by YouTube Music
Baker Boy – Meditjin feat. JessB (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You (Sony Music): WINNER
Lime Cordiale – Robbery (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
PNAU feat. Vlossom – Lucky (etcetc Music)
Sampa The Great – Time’s Up (feat. Krown) (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
Tame Impala – Is It True (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
The Chats – The Clap (Bargain Bin/Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Tones And I – Ur So F**kInG cOoL (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Troye Sivan – Easy (EMI Music Australia)
Violent Soho – Pick It Up Again (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Best Australian Live Act
Amy Shark – Amy Shark Regional Tour (Wonderlick Recording Company/Sony Music): WINNER
Baker Boy – Falls Festival (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Cold Chisel – Blood Moon Tour (Cold Chisel / Universal Music Australia)
DMA’S – Unplugged & Intimate | Laneway Festival (I OH YOU / Mushroom))
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – St Jerome’s Laneway Festival (Flightless Records)
Paul Kelly – Paul Kelly – Making Gravy 2019 (GAWD AGGIE / EMI Music Australia)
PNAU – All Of Us Australian Tour (etcetc Music)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – 2019 Summer Festival Tour (Rose Avenue Records under exclusive license to Reprise Records.)
Sampa The Great -The Return Australian Tour 2019 (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records / Mushroom)
Song of the Year presented by YouTube Music
5 Seconds Of Summer – Teeth (Interscope / EMI Music Australia): WINNER
Flume Feat. Vera Blue – Rushing Back (Future Classic)
Hilltop Hoods Feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal – Exit Sign (Hilltop Hoods / Island Records Australia/UMA)
Lime Cordiale – Robbery (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Mallrat – Charlie (Dew Process/Universal Music Australia
Ruel – Painkiller (RCA / Sony Music)
Sam Fischer – This City (Sony Music)
The Jungle Giants – Heavy Hearted (Amplifire Music / Together We Can Work Together / The Orchard)
The Rubens – Live In Life (Ivy League Records)
Tones and I – Never Seen the Rain (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Best International Artist
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Eminem – Music To Be Murdered By (Interscope/Universal Music Australia)
Halsey – Manic (Capitol/EMI Music Australia)
Harry Styles – Fine Line (Columbia/Sony Music):WINNER
Juice WRLD – Legends Never Die (Interscope/Universal Music Australia)
Justin Bieber – Changes (Def Jam Recordings/Universal Music Australia)
Lewis Capaldi – Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (Universal Music Group/Universal Music Australia)
Lizzo – Cuz I Love You (Atlantic/Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Taylor Swift – Folklore (Republic Records/Universal Music Australia)
The Weeknd – After Hours (Universal Music Group/Universal Music Australia)
Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award
CJ Shaw – Palmerston District Primary School, Canberra ACT
Kathryn McLennan – Virginia State School, Virginia QLD
Sarah Donnelley – Wilcannia Central School, Wilcannia NSW: WINNER
Thomas Fienberg – Evans High School, Blacktown, NSW ARTISAN AWARDS
Best Cover Art
Tim Rogers for Donny Benét – Mr Experience (Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records)
Made In Katana for Jessica Mauboy – Hilda (Sony Music)
Louis Leimbach for Lime Cordiale – 14 Steps To A Better You (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Luke Henery for Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK (I OH YOU)
Adam Dal Pozzo, Megan Washington and Michelle Pitiris for WASHINGTON – Batflowers (Washington / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia):WINNER
Engineer Of The Year
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
IAMMXO (aka Mohamed Komba) for Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
Eric J Dubowsky for Ruel – Free Time (RCA / Sony Music)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia): WINNER
Greg Wales for Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK (I OH YOU / Mushroom)
Producer Of The Year
Kevin Shirley for Cold Chisel – Blood Moon (Cold Chisel / Universal Music Australia)
DNA & Louis Schoorl for Jessica Mauboy – Hilda (Sony Music)
IAMMXO (aka Mohamed Komba) for Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
M-Phazes for Ruel – Free Time (RCA / Sony Music)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (Modular Recordings / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia): WINNER
FINE ARTS AWARD
Best Classical Album
Alicia Crossley – Muse (Move)
David Greco & Erin Helyard – Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin (ABC Classic / Universal)
Jayson Gillham, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Carter – Beethoven Piano Concertos (ABC Classic / Universal)
Richard Tognetti & Erin Helyard – Beethoven & Mozart Violin Sonatas (ABC Classic / Universal): WINNER
Slava & Sharon Grigoryan -Our Place: Duets For Cello And Guitar (ABC Classic / Universal)
Best Jazz Album
Katie Noonan – The Sweetest Taboo (ABC Jazz / Universal)
Luke Howard – All That Is Not Solid (Live At Tempo Rubato, Australia / 2020) (Mercury KX / Universal Music Australia)
Mike Nock; Hamish Stuart; Julien Wilson; Jonathan Zwartz – This World (Lionsharecords / The Planet Company)
Nat Bartsch – Forever More (ABC Jazz / Universal)
Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky – Please Leave Your Light On (GAWD AGGIE / EMI Music Australia): WINNER
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
Chelsea Cullen – I Am Woman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Sony Masterworks):WINNER
Dan Golding – Untitled Goose Game (Original Soundtrack) (House House / Decca Classics Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Grigoryan Brothers – A Boy Called Sailboat (ABC Classic / Universal)
Matteo Zingales & Antony Partos – Mystery Road (Original Score: Seasons 1-2) (ABC Music / Universal)
Sally Seltmann & Darren Seltmann – The Letdown (Music from Seasons 1+2) (ABC Music / Universal)
Best World Music Album
Grace Barbe – FANM:WOMAN (Afrotropik / MGM)
Joseph Tawadros – Live at the Sydney Opera House (ABC Music / Universal):WINNER
Melbourne Ska Orchestra – Live At The Triffid (ABC Music / Universal)
The Crooked Fiddle Band – Another Subtle Atom Bomb (Bird’s Robe Records / MGM)
Xylouris White – The Sisypheans (ABC Music / Universal)
