Now in its 26th year, the Australian Recording Industry Association’s night of nights, the ARIA awards, recently announced its list of 2012 nominations.
An exciting mix of both new and established artists with multi-award winning, quick witted Melbourne rapper 360 leading the way with 6 nominations; including Album Of The Year and Best Urban Album nods for Falling & Flying (which gets the Tone Deaf review here).
The ceremony, set to take place in Sydney on Thursday the 29th of November, will also feature performances from a stella lineup of including The Jezabels, 360, Hilltop Hoods and The Temper Trap, but the music industry body has now announced that it’s an international star who will be headlining.
Celebrated American country-upstart turned pop star, Taylor Swift, is now confirmed to perform at this year’s annual ARIA awards.
With the event only six weeks away, the announcement of Swift’s performance may comes as a shock to some, while ARIA CEO Dan Rosen states his excitement: “Taylor Swift is a genuine superstar on the international stage… we welcome Taylor and look forward to having her join an amazing lineup of Australian performers on our industry’s biggest night.”
With Swift’s latest single ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ reaching double platinum in Australia and selling over 623,000 digital downloads worldwide in it’s first week of release, it’s hard to deny the pop star’s hold over the Australian public.
The popular singer’s performance is certainly a drawcard, but there are obvious concerns that her star may overshadow the point of the evening – to celebrate the Australian music industry.
With an impressive list of established Australian artists performing on the night it’s questionable whether Swift has even heard some of the acts she’ll be sharing a stage with.
Australia’s interest in the American music industry could even result in 360 recreating the infamous Kanye West interruption at the 2005 Grammys. Perhaps the Aussie MC could interrupt Swift claiming “I’m really happy for you and imma let you finish.. but Robbie Williams’ 2009 appearance was the best international ARIA performance of all time!”
This year’s awards will take place in Sydney on Thursday the 29th of November and will again give Australian music fans the chance to choose with four publicly voted awards, including Song Of The Year, Best International Artist, Best Australian Live Act, and Best Video.
With this year’s award ceremony set to break new grounds it will be interesting to see whether an American pop-star’s presence will lift the annual award ceremony back onto it’s feet, let alone whether or not the American artist is a tasteful choice for the ceremony is also something the general public may come out to question.
As previously reported, the announcement of Swift’s appearance comes as part of the awards undergoing a major revamp, turning what was a single, televised event into a week-long series of ARIA-backed events in and around the Sydney CBD with “up and coming artists who we believe to be fitting for ARIA nominations in the future.”
While the full ARIA week program is yet to be unveiled, industry conferences are also planned for musicians and those aspiring to join the industry, including the recently announced addition of the Electronic Music Conference to the Australian music calendar.
You can view the full list of nominations for this year’s 2012 ARIA awards below.
Album of the Year
360 – Falling & Flying (Soulmate/EMI)
Gotye – Making Mirrors (Samples ‘n’ Seconds Records / Eleven: A Music Company/Universal Music Australia)
Missy Higgins – The Ol’ Razzle Dazze (Eleven: A Music Company / Universal Music Australia)
The Jezabels – Prisoner (The Jezabels / MGM)
The Temper Trap – The Temper Trap (Liberation Music)
Best Male Artist
360 – Falling & Flying (Soulmate / EMI)
Angus Stone – Broken Brights (Capitol / EMI)
Gotye – Making Mirrors (Samples ‘n’ Seconds Records / Eleven: A Music Company/Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Battle Scars (Sony Music)
Keith Urban – For You (Capitol / EMI)
Matt Corby – Into The Flame (Mercury / UMA)
Best Female Artist
Jessica Mauboy – Gotcha (Sony Music)
Kimbra – Vows (Warner Music Australia)
Lanie Lane – To The Horse (Ivy League Records)
Missy Higgins – The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle (Eleven: A Music Company / Universal Music Australia)
Washington – Insomnia (Mercury / UMA)
Best Group
Boy & Bear – Big Man (Island/UMA)
Cold Chisel – No Plans (Warner Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – Drinking From The Sun (Island/UMA)
The Jezabels – Prisoner (The Jezabels / MGM)
The Temper Trap – The Temper Trap (Liberation Music)
Breakthrough Artist – Release
360 – Falling & Flying (Soulmate / EMI)
Alpine – A Is For Alpine (Ivy League Records)
Lanie Lane – To The Horses (Ivy League Records)
Matt Corby – Brother (Mercury / UMA)
San Cisco – Awkward (Island City Records / MGM)
Best Independent Release
Dappled Cities – Lake Air (Hub The Label / Inertia)
Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp – Songs of the Southern Skies (Kin Music)
San Cisco – Awkward (Island City Records / MGM)
The Bamboos – Medicine Man (Inertia Recordings)
The Jezabels – Prisoner (The Jezabels / MGM)
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Darren Hayes – Secret Codes And Battleships (Mercury / UMA)
Husky – Forever So (Liberation Music)
Josh Pyke – Only Sparrows (Ivy League Records)
Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp – Songs of the Southern Skies (Kin Music)
Missy Higgins – The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle (Eleven: A Music Company / Universal Music Australia)
Best Blues & Roots Album
Angus Stone – Broken Brights (Capitol / EMI)
Jeff Lang – Carried In Mind (ABC Music)
Lanie Lane – To The Horses (Ivy League Records)
Mia Dyson – The Moment (Black Door Records / MGM)
Paul Green & The Other Colours – Behind The Stars (ABC Music)
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
Buried In Verona – Notorious (UNFD / Warner)
DZ Deathrays – Bloodstreams (I OH YOU/Illusive Sounds)
Frenzal Rhomb – Smoko at the Pet Food Factory (How much did I fucking pay for this records?)
House Vs Hurricane – Crooked Teeth (UNFD / Warner)
Sleepmakeswaves – …and so we destroyed everything (Birds Robe Records / GREEN)
Best Pop Release
Gotye – Making Mirrors (Samples ‘n’ Seconds Records / Eleven: A Music Company/Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Battle Scars (Sony Music)
Jessica Mauboy – Gotcha (Sony Music)
Kimbra – Vows (Warner Music Australia)
San Cisco – Awkward (Island City Records / MGM)
Best Rock Album
Children Collide – Monument (UMA)
Cold Chisel – No Plans (Warner Music Australia)
Oh Mercy – Deep Heat (EMI)
The Jezabels – Prisoner (The Jezabels / MGM)
The Temper Trap – The Temper Trap (Liberation Music)
Best Urban Album
360 – Falling & Flying (Soulmate / EMI)
Hilltop Hoods – Drinking From The Sun (Golden Era/Island/UMA)
Katalyst – Deep Impressions (Invada / Remote Control Records)
The Bamboos – Medicine Man (Inertia Recordings)
The Herd – Future Shade (Elefant Traks / Inertia)
Best Children’s Album
Bananas In Pyjamas – Playtime (ABC Music)
dirtgirlworld – dirtgirl rocks the planet (kidindy)
Hi-5 – Sing It Loud (Sony Music)
Rhys Muldoon – I’m Not Singing (ABC Music)
The Wiggles – Surfer Jeff (ABC Music)
Best Comedy Release
Anthony Salame – Is This thing On? (Punchline Comedy)
Arj Barker – Joy Harvest (Punchline Comedy)
Buddy Goode – Unappropriate (ABC Music)
Sammy J – Skinny Man, Modern World (Words And Music Entertainment/Buxstock)
The Beards – Having A Beard Is The New Not Having A Beard (MGM)
Best Country Album
Beccy Cole – Songs and Pictures (Sony Music)
Catherine Britt – Always Never Enough (ABC Music)
McAlister Kemp – Country Proud (ABC Music)
The McClymonts – Two Worlds Collide (UMA)
Troy Cassar-Daley – Home (Liberation Music)
Best Dance Release
Havana Brown – When The Lights Go Out (Island/UMA)
Hermitude – Hyperparadise (Elefant Traks / Inertia)
Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl feat. Georgi Kay – In My Mind (Neon Records)
Knife Party – Rage Valley (Earstorm / Neon Records / Warner Music Australia)
Sneaky Sound System – From Here To Anywhere (Modular Recordings)
