The ARIAs have come under fire again, this time from Mallrat.
The singer called out the 2022 ARIA Awards for being so male-dominated, noting that just a fifth of this year’s nominees are non-male.
“F*ck the ARIAs, when I looked at the list of nominees this morning my initial reaction was to feel personally underestimated and misunderstood by my album being snubbed,” Mallrat, whose real name is Grace Shaw, said in a series of Instagram Stories.
“Then I took a deep breath, then I realised it’s not about me. Approximately [one fifth] of the nominees are non-male. In categories like heavy rock there are no non male artists at all.”
She continued: “So I’m again reminded that the Australian music industry like many industries is dominated by men and in this case men who don’t think an artist is credible unless it’s a nonchalant dude playing guitar/rock music. Fuck you guys, you don’t get it.”
Mallrat released her debut studio album, Butterfly Blue, to strong reviews earlier this year, and would have felt she was in with a good chance of earning a nod for Album of the Year.
With the likes of Amyl and the Sniffers, Baker Boy, and Gang of Youths earning nominations, however, it was always going to be a sternly contested category.
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It’s not the first time the ARIAs have felt heat this year. Tasman Keith recently called the awards’ eligibility system out, citing his own album, A Colour Undone, in his comments.
“A Colour Undone does not meet the voting criteria for Best Hip Hop Release or Album Of The Year,” the rapper wrote. “The criteria is still structured mainly around a system which upweights physical formats and downloads. Not streams.
“My validation doesn’t come from an outdated award platform held up by privileged white record executives who’s entire purpose is to sell our stories while keeping majority of the profits. My mission has always been to occupy all of these spaces and in doing so represent for my community.”
