ARIA Awards 2020: Big winners include Tame Impala, SAMPA & Amy Shark

This year’s ARIA Hall of Fame inductee, Archie Roach brought home two ARIA Awards for Best Male Artist and Best Adult Contemporary Release categories for his album Tell Me Why. From his hometown, Warrnambool Roach was joined by ARIA Award winners Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky to perform his 1972 track Took the Children Away.

Amy Shark

Amy Shark won the ARIA award for Best Pop Release for her latest release Everybody Rise and Best Australian Live Act, and opened the show with a performance of Everybody Rise.

Festival favourites Lime Cordiale (pictured) won their first ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist after being nominated for eight ARIA Awards this year and performed of their single Robbery.

Fans were also treated to performances from international superstars Sam Smith, Billie Eilish and Australia’s favourite pop export Sia. Four-time Grammy award winner Sam Smith performed their recent single Diamonds from Abbey Road Studios in London ahead of the highly anticipated release of their third studio album Love Goes.

Five-time Grammy winner Billie Eilish stunned the crowd with her signature vocal abilities with an exclusive performance of her new single Therefore I Am from LA.

Performing from Los Angeles, Sia’s renowned vocals shone through as she performed her latest release Together from her forthcoming album and motion picture Music. The ten-time ARIA Award winner and nine-time Grammy nominee blew audiences away with her spectacular and uplifting performance.

In a powerful tribute to the late feminist trailblazing icon and ARIA Hall of Fame Inductee Helen Reddy, the evening’s triumphant I Am Woman performance remembered Reddy’s groundbreaking 1972 anthem of the same name and celebrated the life and impact of a phenomenal Australian talent. Joining the tribute were some of Australia’s most exceptional female talent, including previous ARIA Award winners Amy Shark, Christine Anu, Delta Goodrem, Emma Watkins, Jessica Mauboy, Kate Ceberano, Marcia Hines, Montaigne, The McClymonts and Tones and I. These women were supported by a choir of more than 30 female which included  Amy Sheppard, Christie Wheelan-Browne, Clare Bowen, Dami Im, Emma Donovan, Erika Heynatz, Fanny Lumsden, GRAACE, Kate Miller-Heidke, Katie Noonan, KLP, Maddy Jane, Missy Higgins, Mo’Ju, Odette, Samantha Jade, Teeny Tiny Stevies, Thandi Phoenix, Wendy Matthew and many more. 

Harry Styles fans delivered for the second time, voting him the recipient of this year’s Best International Artist award, following the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore album Fine Line, which was released late last year. 

This year’s ARIA Award for Best Video presented by YouTube Music went to Guy Sebastian for his video for Standing With You released earlier this year. 

Song of the Year presented by YouTube Music was Aussie band 5 Seconds of Summer for 2 x ARIA Platinum and certified Gold in the US single Teeth. Their 2020 album CALM debuted at the top of the ARIA album charts, making it their fourth consecutive album to debut at number one in Australia. 

Christine Anu announced the winner of the Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award, and Sarah Donnelley from Wilcannia Central School, Wilcannia NSW was the proud recipient. 

2020 ARIA AWARDs WINNERS

Album Of The Year
WINNER: TAME IMPALA
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)

Best Male Artist
WINNER: ARCHIE ROACH
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why (Bloodlines / Mushroom)
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
WINNER: SAMPA THE GREAT
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise (Wonderlick Recording Company / Sony Music)
Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
Sampa The Great – The Return (Ninja Tune / Inertia Music)
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
WINNER: DOM DOLLA
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep (Dew Process / Universal Music Australia)
Dom Dolla – San Frandisco (Sweat It Out / Warner Music)
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
WINNER: TAME IMPALA
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)
The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Forum (Ivy League Records / Mushroom)

Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA
WINNER: LIME CORDIALE
Alex the Astronaut – The Theory of Absolutely Nothing (Minkowski / AWAL Recordings)
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
WINNER: AMY SHARK
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise (Wonderlick Recording Company/Sony Music)
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
WINNER: SAMPA THE GREAT
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)
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love (Columbia / Sony Music)

Best Soul/R&B Release
WINNER: MIIESHA
Genesis Owusu – Don’t Need You (OURNESS / AWAL)
KIAN – Every Hour (EMI Music Australia)
Miiesha – Nyaaringu (EMI Music Australia)
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
WINNER: SAMPA THE GREAT
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)

Best Rock Album
WINNER: TAME IMPALA
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)
Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK (I OH YOU/ Mushroom)

Best Adult Contemporary Album
WINNER: ARCHIE ROACH
Archie Roach – Tell Me Why (Bloodlines / Mushroom)
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
WINNER: FANNY LUMSDEN
Casey Barnes – Town of A Million Dreams (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Fanny Lumsden – Fallow (Cooking Vinyl Australia)
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
WINNER: KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Chunky Shrapnel (Flightless Records)
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
WINNER: THE TESKEY BROTHERS
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)
Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife – You Be The Lightning (Cooking Vinyl Australia)

Best Children’s Album
WINNER: TEENY TINY STEVIES
Diver City – Welcome to Diver City (ABC Music / Universal)
Teeny Tiny Stevies – Thoughtful Songs for Little People (ABC Music / Universal)
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
WINNER: ANNE EDMONDS
Anne Edmonds – What’s Wrong With You? (Guesswork Television)
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
WINNER: GUY SEBASTIAN
Baker Boy – Meditjin feat. JessB (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You (Sony Music)
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
WINNER: AMY SHARK
Amy Shark – Amy Shark Regional Tour (Wonderlick Recording Company/Sony Music)
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
WINNER: 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
5 Seconds Of Summer – Teeth (Interscope / EMI Music Australia)
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
WINNER: HARRY STYLES
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)
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
WINNER: SARAH DONNELLEY – WILCANNIA CENTRAL SCHOOL, WILCANNIA NSW
CJ Shaw – Palmerston District Primary School, Canberra ACT
Kathryn McLennan – Virginia State School, Virginia QLD
Sarah Donnelley – Wilcannia Central School, Wilcannia NSW
Thomas Fienberg – Evans High School, Blacktown, NSW

ARTISAN AWARDS

Best Cover Art
WINNER: ADAM DAL POZZO, MEGAN WASHINGTON AND MICHELLE PITIRIS FOR WASHINGTON
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)

Engineer Of The Year
WINNER: TAME IMPALA
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)
Greg Wales for Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK (I OH YOU / Mushroom)

Producer Of The Year
WINNER: TAME IMPALA
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)

FINE ARTS AWARD

Best Classical Album
WINNER: RICHARD TOGNETTI & ERIN HELYARD
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)
Slava & Sharon Grigoryan -Our Place: Duets For Cello And Guitar (ABC Classic / Universal)

Best Jazz Album
WINNER: PAUL KELLY & PAUL GRABOWSKY
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)

Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
WINNER: CHELSEA CULLEN
Chelsea Cullen – I Am Woman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Sony Masterworks)
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
WINNER: JOSEPH TAWADROS
Grace Barbe – FANM:WOMAN (Afrotropik / MGM)
Joseph Tawadros – Live at the Sydney Opera House (ABC Music / Universal)
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)