EMPIRE OF THE SUN have cleaned up in the
major categories at the 2009 ARIA Awards which were announced at Sydney's Acer
Arena on 26 November, 2009. The Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore project capped
off an incredible year of worldwide chart success and critically acclaimed live
appearances by taking home an impressive four ARIA Awards from the 2009 ceremony.
They swept the main categories with their instant classic debut album WALKING
ON A DREAM which took out the Awards for BEST POP RELEASE, BEST GROUP and the
coveted title of ALBUM OF THE YEAR. The effervescent single of the same name garnered
the prestigious SINGLE OF THE YEAR. Already awarded BEST VIDEO (Josh Logue for
Mathematics), BEST COVER ART (Aaron Hayward & David Homer - Debaser) and PRODUCER
OF THE YEAR (with Donnie Sloan and Peter Mayes) at the ARIA Artisan Awards, EMPIRE
OF THE SUN's phenomenal success has shown the true creative prowess of these princes
of pop!
Multi-instrumentalist LADYHAWKE (aka Pip Brown) has been catapulted
into the spotlight in the past year and tonight won the ARIA for BREAKTHROUGH
ARTIST ALBUM for the moody electro-pop of her self-titled debut album, and followed
up with the ARIA Award for BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST SINGLE for the driving dance anthem
MY DELIRIUM. Praised for separating "the synths from the sequins" (NME)
Ladyhawke has created an 80s pop sound that goes beyond stylings of fashion and
fame, and carries its success on the back of striking song writing.
The
second dual winner at the 2009 ARIA Awards, AC/DC received the honour for BEST
ROCK ALBUM for their sixteenth studio album BLACK ICE, which was also awarded
the triangular trophy for HIGHEST SELLING ALBUM. Black Ice was the band's first
album after an eight year absence, and saw them again crack the number one spot
on charts around the world, proving this iconic Australian rock'n'roll band is
still very much larger than life.
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Australian Idol runner up JESSICA MAUBOY snapped
up her very first ARIA for HIGHEST SELLING SINGLE for the track RUNNING BACK,
featuring Flo Rida and taken from her platinum selling debut album Been Waiting.
The ARIA for BEST MALE ARTIST went to R&B singer-songwriter DANIEL
MERRIWEATHER for his debut album LOVE & WAR, on which he collaborated with
Mark Ronson and achieved the astonishing feat of entering the UK Album charts
at number two. A previous ARIA Award winner in 2005 (Best Urban Release for She's
Got Me), Merriweather's second career ARIA Award recognises his immense creative
talent and distinctive take on beats and bluesy soul.
Sydney-based songstress
SARAH BLASKO's album, AS DAY FOLLOWS NIGHT, earned her the 2009 ARIA for BEST
FEMALE ARTIST. Produced by Björn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John) and described
as "equal parts whimsy and heartbreak" (Triple J), Blasko's third long
player sees her progress to a new pinnacle of maturity, innovation and synthesis
in her song writing career.
The ARIA Award for BEST URBAN RELEASE went
to acclaimed South Australian trio, the HILLTOP HOODS for their 5th studio album
STATE OF THE ART, which also garnered member DJ Debris the ARIA Artisan Award
for ENGINEER OF THE YEAR. The Hoods have a solid history of success in this category
with previous wins in 2006 (The Hard Road) and 2007 (The Hard Road Restrung).
The incredibly successful 2008 ARIA Award winning album Apocalypso by THE PRESETS
is still turning over the hits, with their killer, bouncing electro track TALK
LIKE THAT winning the 2009 ARIA for BEST DANCE RELEASE.
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A former ARIA
nominee in 2007 for his debut album King Hokum, the extraordinary C.W. STONEKING
has received his first ARIA Award in the category BEST BLUES & ROOTS ALBUM
for his haunting LP JUNGLE BLUES. With musical influences spanning pre-war blues,
jazz, 1920s calypso and folklore, Stoneking's personal experience looms large
in the works, with Jungle Blues inspired in part by his experience as a survivor
of a shipwreck off Africa's West Coast.
An Award veteran and remarkable
country music talent TROY CASSAR-DALEY received his 4th career ARIA Award honour
of BEST COUNTRY ALBUM for his LP I LOVE THIS PLACE. Co-produced by Rod McCormack,
his album of heartfelt songs delves into a rich history of the Australian bush
and celebrates the lives of those living, learning and loving in the outback.
With 16 number one singles, 14 Golden Guitars, 7 Deadlys (Indigenous artist awards)
and 4 CMAA (Country Music Association of Australia) Entertainer of the Year awards
Cassar-Daley is truly one of the most successful artists this country has produced.
An ARIA Award winner in this category in 2007 for his debut album Memories
and Dust JOSH PYKE has once again emerged victorious, winning BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY
ALBUM for his acclaimed CHIMNEY'S AFIRE, while BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE was awarded
to BERTIE BLACKMAN for the darkly-tinged electro melodies of her third studio
album SECRETS AND LIES, an album which also won Best Breakthrough Artist at the
2009 AIR Awards.
Her music has been featured on hit US television shows
Six Feet Under and Grey's Anatomy, now Adelaide-born artist SIA has been awarded
the ARIA for BEST DVD for her very own debut audio visual effort TV IS MY PARENT,
which includes a live concert recorded in New York 2007, plus music videos along
with behind the scenes videos from her 2008 North American tour.
Meanwhile,
kid's favourite across Australia and the world, THE WIGGLES have won the title
of BEST CHILDREN'S ALBUM with their release THE WIGGLES GO BANANAS! bringing the
group's tally to a massive eight ARIA Awards in this category over their career
history.
And
finally in a year where Australia's kings of comedy HAMISH AND ANDY traveled not
only across airwaves but across countries, they've finished up 2009 by taking
out the category of BEST COMEDY RELEASE with their double album of radio show
highlights featuring pranks, sketches, songs and adventures around the world,
UNESSENTIAL LISTENING.
The 2009 ARIA AWARDS featured live performances
by The Temper Trap, Sarah Blasko, Kate Miller-Heidke, Lisa Mitchell, Empire of
The Sun, Ladyhawke, Hilltop Hoods, Jessica Mauboy, Keith Urban and the one and
only Robbie Williams. Kate Ritchie and Gyton Grantley hosted the Awards and were
joined by special guest presenters: Missy Higgins, Orianthi, Ruby Rose, Powderfinger,
Guy Sebastian, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, and Vanessa Amorosi.
Album of the Year: Empire of the Sun - Walking on
a Dream (Capitol/EMI Music Australia)
Single of the Year: Empire of the Sun
- Walking on a Dream (Capitol/EMI Music Australia)
Breakthrough Artist Album:
Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke (Modular Recordings)
Breakthrough Artist Single: Ladyhawke
- My Delirium (Modular Recordings)
Best Group: Empire of the Sun - Walking
on a Dream (Capitol/EMI Music Australia)
Best Female Artist: Sarah Blasko -
As Day Follows Night (Dew Process)
Best Male Artist: Daniel Merriweather -
Love & War (Universal Music Australia)
Best Rock Album: AC/DC - Black Ice
(Albert Productions/Sony Music Entertainment)
Best Pop Release: Empire of the
Sun - Walking on a Dream (Capitol/EMI Music Australia)
Best Urban Release:
Hilltop Hoods - State of the Art (Golden Era/Universal Music Australia)
Best
Dance Release: The Presets - Talk Like That (Modular Recordings)
Best Blues
& Roots Album: C.W. Stoneking - Jungle Blues (King Hokum Records/Shock)
Best
Country Album: Troy Cassar-Daley - I Love This Place (Liberation Music)
Best
Independent Release: Bertie Blackman - Secrets and Lies (Forum 5/MGM)
Best
Adult Contemporary Album: Josh Pyke - Chimney's Afire (Ivy League Records)
Best
DVD: Sia - TV is my Parent (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
Best Children's Album: The
Wiggles - The Wiggles Go Bananas! (ABC Music)
Best Comedy Release: Hamish and
Andy - Unessential Listening (Roadshow Music/Sony Music Entertainment)
Highest
Selling Single: Jessica Mauboy - Running Back (Sony)
Highest Selling Album:
AC/DC - Black Ice (Albert Productions/Sony Music Entertainment)
Best Cover Art: Aaron Hayward & David
Homer - Debaser - Empire Of The Sun, Walking On A Dream (Capitol/EMI Music Australia)
Best
Video: Josh Logue for Mathematics - Empire Of The Sun, Walking On A Dream (Capitol/EMI
Music Australia)
Engineer of the Year - * Note two equal winners *: DJ Debris
- Hilltop Hoods, State Of The Art (Golden Era/Universal Music Australia), Greg
Wales - You Am I, Dilettantes (Virgin/EMI Music Australia)
Producer of the
Year: Empire Of The Sun and Donnie Sloan with Peter Mayes - Empire Of The Sun,
Walking on A Dream (Capitol/EMI Music Australia)
Best Classical Album: Australian Brandenburg Orchestra/Paul
Dyer - Handel: Concerti Grossi Opus 6 (ABC Classics/Universal Music Australia)
Best
Jazz Album: Katie Noonan - Blackbird (Sony Music Entertainment)
Best Original
Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album: Soundtrack - Balibo (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Best
World Music Album: Seaman Dan - Sailing Home (Steady Steady Music/MGM)
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