Entirely predictable, but the ARIA Awards held in Sydney last night were the usual car crash we’ve come to expect from them – even by their usual low standards. The presenters were mostly comprised of D-Grade celebrities and industry hangers on who did their best to impersonate rabbits in headlights, while the complete lack of production values and awful cuts to presenters made high school plays look quality in comparison.
The award winners were all disappointingly sober and indeed Tim Rogers of You Am I summed up the feelings of many when he said ‘What are we doing here?’ Further lowlights of the night included INXS murdering their classic ‘Just Keep Walking’ which even Dan Sultan doing his best on vocals couldn’t save, while Powderfinger seem to refuse to bugger off and retire, bagging several more awards as their farewell tour threatens to do a John Farnham and retire several times.
ARIA further embarrassed itself with a pathetic tribute by Marcia Hines to the late James Freud of Models who tragically passed away last week. SIA provided light relief by suggesting that an ARIA award was something you could stick up your bum, with the great irony is that the awards may now be going somewhere the sun don’t shine. It’s quite possible that this may be the last year of the ARIA awards.
ARIA is funded by the big four Australian record companies who are all going down the financial gurgler and the awards shows depend on sponsorship to take place. After last night’s debacle, most marketing managers would now want to keep their brands right away from ARIA and the laughing stock the Awards show has made them.
Check out the full list of ‘2010 Aria Award’ winners below…
‘Most Popular Australian Single’ – The Temper Trap
‘Most Popular Australian Artist’ – Powderfinger
‘Break Though Artist’ – Washington
‘Best Independent Release’ – Sia
‘Best Group’ – The Temper Trap
‘Most Popular Australian Album’ – Powderfinger
‘Best Male Artist’ – Dan Sultan
‘Best International Artist – Mumford and Sons
‘Best Female Artist’ – Washington
‘Single of the Year’ – Angus & Julia Stone
‘Album of the Year’ – Angus & Julia Stone
