With the ARIA awards 2012 ceremony just weeks away, and the likes of Taylor Swift, Hilltop Hoods, and The Temper Trap preparing for their live performances for the night, ARIA have announced its newest inductee to be crowned at the Australian music industry’s night of nights.
Joining the ranks of Midnight Oil, John Farnham, and last year’s inductees Kylie Minogue and The Wiggles; eight-time ARIA award winners Yothu Yindi will be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on the night, which will also coincide with the 20th anniversary of their famous 1992 hit, ‘Treaty”, which was written with the help of one Paul Kelly.
Formed in 1986, Yothu Yindi crossed the cultural divide by blending musical aspects of both indigenous and non-indigenous cultures. In doing so, the creative juices that flowed between all members created a sound that was truly unique and one that has had a lasting impact on both the musical and political landscape in Australia and around the world.
No strangers to the awards night, the Northern indigenous rock group have previously claimed eight ARIA titles from a total of 14 nominations. Yothu Yindi have released 6 albums in total; starting with their debut album Homeland Movement in 1989, and the album that featured their breakthrough single ‘Treaty’, 1991’s Tribal Voice, with their most recent being Garma, which was released back in 2000.“There was almost a need in Australia at that time for a band like Yothu Yindi and a song like ‘Treaty’ to express what a lot of people were feeling…”
In a report from News Ltd, ARIA CEO Dan Rosen said it was timely to honour the band on the 20th anniversary of Treaty winning Song Of The Year and despite suffering from End Stage Renal Disease, frontman Mandawuy Yunupingu would attend, along with the entire band.
“There was almost a need in Australia at that time for a band like Yothu Yindi and a song like ‘Treaty’ to express what a lot of people were feeling and push that out not only in this country but around the world,” said Rosen. “I hope their induction can bring some of the issues that haven’t been resolved back to the table.”
To help celebrate their induction, Yothu Yindi are also released a brand new compilation spanning their 27-year history called Healing Stone: The Best Of Yothu Yindi, which includes the title track, the group’s first new song in 12 years, and co-written by Mandawuy Yunupingu and INXS’ Andrew Farriss.
This year’s ARIA Awards cap off an impressive year for the Australian Recording Industry. Since last year’s ceremony, there have been six Australian Singles and eight Australian albums at #1, and Australian artists have spent a combined total of 19 weeks at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart and 16 weeks on the ARIA Album Chart.
This year’s nominations are an exciting mix of both new and established artists with multi-award winning Melbourne rapper 360 leading the way with 6 nominations including Album Of The Year and Best Urban Album nominations for Falling & Flying. Not far off the pace with 5 nominations of their own are The Jezabels, who continue to conquer both locally and overseas, and of course – Gotye, capping off a huge year for the multi-talente musician who exploded onto the world’s stage following the contagious success of his catchy single ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’.
Australian music fans can also look forward to ARIA’s recently announced music week, which runs in the lead-up to the award ceremony from November 25 – 28 in Sydney. The ARIA week will play host to a number of special gigs, events, and conferences that the public can participate in across a broad spectrum of genres and subjects.
The ARIA Awards will be televised on Go! on November 29 from the Sydney Entertainment Centre where Taylor Swift will share a stage with Jessica Mauboy, 360, Hilltop Hoods, The Temper Trap and more.
