Kylie Minogue will be honoured at this week’s APRA Awards and to celebrate, some popular Australian artists have paid tribute to the pop music icon.
Minogue will receive the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at the annual ceremony taking place at Melbourne Town Hall on Wednesday, April 30th. To celebrate, names including Missy Higgins, Julian Hamilton of The Presets, Ben Lee, and Cub Sport’s Tim Nelson spoke to Tone Deaf about the honour and Minogue’s importance to Australian music.
JASON DONOVAN
“Having known Kylie as a collaborative partner and then watched her development from a distance for many years, it’s impossible not be in awe of her dedication and focus to her craft. Whether it’s as a songwriter, music artist, pop star, actor or visual conceptualist, she does everything with passion and dedication, embracing the creative process with a razor-sharp attention to detail.
Having begun her career as an actor, Kylie truly understands the collaborative process, treating everyone as equals. Kylie is not just an international creative rocket but a hardworking and authentic Melbourne girl who is proud of her Australian heritage.
Profession aside, she’s a friend, an inspiration and someone I have huge love and respect for. I cannot think of a more worthy recipient of this award. Congratulations Kylie, have a great night.”
KYLIE SACKLEY
Love Music?
Get the latest news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox.
“Kylie Minogue walked so the rest of us Australian music makers could run. She’s an innovator, an inspiration and somebody I will forever look up to in the Australian and global music scene.”
BEN LEE
“Kylie, like all of the greatest pop culture creations, is a mirror.
We look at her and see what we desire, what we fear, and ultimately, what we are.
Is there a greater service to culture than the selfless generosity of offering oneself as a mirror, year after year, decade after decade, era after era?
Kylie, you ARE outstanding.
And as we look at you and consider this moment, we realize so are we.”
GRETTA RAY
“Exploring the bright and emboldening world of making and performing pop music was something that would have felt overly daunting to me as an Australian artist, if it were not for the shining north star that is Kylie Minogue. Over the course of her iconic career, she has paved the path for aspiring pop artists who are eager to embrace their artistry with a similar sense of confidence, colour and flare, who want to dream big and joyously take up space.
From a young age, Kylie Minogue’s music awakened a sense of longing and purpose within me, to fully own my love for performing and dare to envision myself under bright lights on big stages. A massive influence of mine from the jump, she has inspired me to be courageous in my creativity, and for that I owe so much to her. I continue to learn from her every move.”
PANIA
“Kylie, you are an icon and have inspired so many women to be bold and brave and push both fashion and musical boundaries. When I was asked to cover an Australian song for triple j’s like a version, there was nobody else I wanted to cover. U are the moment. Congratulations on this award and keep paving the way for women like me xx “
ANTHONY FIELD, OG BLUE WIGGLE, AND ALL THE WIGGLES
“A huge, wiggly congratulations to you, Kylie (our fabulous honorary Pink Wiggle) on being named this year’s recipient of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music. What an incredible and well-deserved honour! Your talent, your heart, your sparkle, light up stages across the globe and have left an unforgettable mark on music, not just in Australia but around the world.
From dazzling us with your unstoppable artistry to bedazzling your own skivvy (yes, so iconic), you’ve brought that special Kylie-magic to everything you do. Your kindness and energy have inspired generations and made the world a brighter place. We’re so proud to celebrate you – not just as an icon, but as a truly beautiful human. Congratulations Kylie. Forever a very special Wiggle”.
MISSY HIGGINS
“Kylie is such an inspiration to us Gen X and Y female musicians because she’s had so much longevity in the industry. She continues to tour consistently and remain exciting and relevant. I wanted to cover “Confide In Me” not only because it’s an incredible song but also because Kylie is just such an important figure in the history of Australian music … and she’s still going strong.”
JULIAN HAMILTON
“It has been an immense pleasure curating a performance of Kylie’s work for the awards this year. With so many hits to her name this hasn’t been the easiest of tasks though! We have a fabulous young singer preparing something very special for the night. I think folks will be blown away.”
TIM NELSON
“It goes without saying that Kylie is a treasure, and not just here in Australia… she is a true global icon who has filled countless lives with joy, expression and a sense of belonging, for decades.
I came to know Kylie through watching rage as a small child and seeing the “Did It Again” music video, and just thinking ‘wooooow…’ I started to dream up and envision a career in pop music for myself. I got to grow up watching Kylie evolve as an artist, always innovating and doing it with spark and soul. From Christmases unwrapping her CDs under the tree as a kid in the early 2000s, to “Padam” popping off in my Spotify wrapped, to then watching her descend from the ceiling of the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in a giant laser beam diamond just a couple of months ago, Kylie is a life-long creative force who continues to push boundaries and inspire, all the while nurturing and honouring that inner-spark that you can feel in everything she touches.
Congratulations, Kylie. And thank you for all of the joy and inspiration you’ve given myself and so many others. You’re a legend and the definition of an icon.”
