The Sydney indie rock group Gang of Youths have been nominated in eight categories for the 2017 Australian Recording Industry Association (Aria) awards, with Paul Kelly shortlisted for seven awards, and already winning two, for his album Life is Fine.
AB Original – the Indigenous hip-hop duo featuring actor, writer and MC Adam Briggs and Aria-winning producer Trials – were nominated in six categories, as were Amy Shark, Illy and Jessica Mauboy. Dean Lewis and Sia were shortlisted for five awards.
Gang of Youths – led by charismatic frontman David Le’aupepe – relocated to the UK earlier this year after releasing their second record Go Farther in Lightness, a 16-track double album which has dominated Triple J playlists and peaked at #1 on the Aria charts.
The band, who are currently touring Europe, will vie for best group, best rock album, best Australian live act and the coveted album of the year award, which they will compete for against Amy Shark’s Night Thinker, AB Original’s Reclaim Australia, Illy’s Two Degrees and Paul Kelly’s Life is Fine.
The nominations were announced on Tuesday morning by Richard Wilkins at an event at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where the winners of the artisan and fine arts categories were revealed.
Great morning at #ARIAs nominations for Paul. Best male, best album, best Adult contemporary nominations. Team PK
— Paul Kelly (@paulkelly) October 9, 2017
So now I gotta pick an outfit for the #ARIAs I guess? 1, 2 or 3? pic.twitter.com/L5bOjr7jRc
— Senator Briggs (@Briggs) October 9, 2017
Both Paul Kelly and Gang of Youths were nominated in all three artisan award categories. Kelly’s Life is Fine won for best engineer (Steven Schram) and best cover art (Peter Salmon-Lomas), and Gang of Youths won for best producer (Gang of Youths and Adrian Breakspear).
In the fine arts categories, the late satirist John Clarke won best comedy release for Clarke’s Classics; Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp won best world music album for Songs of the Latin Skies; Ali’s Wedding won best original soundtrack; James Morrison won best jazz album for the Great American Songbook; and Slava Grigoryan won best classical album for Bach: Cello Suites Volume 1.
John Clarke awarded best comedy release posthumously, accepted by his wife and daughter #arias pic.twitter.com/Owq1DeeDp9
— Emily Ritchie (@emritchiejourno) October 9, 2017
The main awards will be held on Tuesday 28 November in Sydney, and broadcast on Channel Nine. Flume – who was nominated for 11 categories last year, and won in eight – has been announced as a presenter.
2017 Aria award nominations
Album of the year (presented by Apple Music)
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness
Illy – Two Degrees
Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine
Best male artist
DD Dumbo – Utopia Defeated
Dan Sultan – Killer
Illy – Two Degrees
Paul Kelly – Life Is Fine
Vance Joy – Lay It On Me
Best female artist
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Jessica Mauboy – The Secret Daughter (Songs from the Original TV Series)
Julia Jacklin – Don’t Let The Kids Win
Meg Mac – Low Blows
Sia – The Greatest featuring Kendrick Lamar
Best dance release
Dom Dolla & Torren Foot – Be Randy
Jagwar Ma – Every Now & Then
Peking Duk – Stranger (featuring Elliphant)
Pnau – Chameleon
The Kite String Tangle – The Kite String Tangle
Best group
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Gang of Youths – Go Farther in Lightness
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
Peking Duk – Stranger (featuring Elliphant)
Breakthrough artist
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Dean Lewis – Waves
Tash Sultana – Notion
Tkay Maidza – TKAY
Best pop release
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Dean Lewis – Waves
Jessica Mauboy – Fallin’
Sia – The Greatest (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Vera Blue – Perennial
Best urban album
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Illy – Two Degrees
REMI – Divas & Demons
Thundamentals – Everyone we Know
Tkay Maidza – TKAY
Best independent release
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Dan Sultan – Killer
Sia – The Greatest (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Tash Sultana – Notion
Vance Joy – Lay it on Me
Best rock album
Dan Sultan – Killer
Dune Rats – The Kids Will Know it’s Bullshit
Gang of Youths – Go Farther in Lightness
Polish Club – Alrighty Alrighty
The Preatures – Girlhood
Best adult contemporary album
Bernard Fanning – Brutal Dawn
DD Dumbo – Utopia Defeated
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
Paul Kelly – Life is Fine
Pete Murray – Camacho
Best country album
Kasey Chambers – Dragonfly
Lee Kernaghan – The 25th Anniversary Album
O’Shea – 61-615
Shane Nicholson – Love And Blood
The McClymonts – Endless
Best hard rock/heavy metal album
Airbourne – Breaking Outta Hell
Frenzal Rhomb – Hi-Vis High Tea
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Murder Of The Universe
Northlane – Mesmer
Sleepmakeswaves – Made of Breath Only
Best blues & roots album
All Our Exes Live in Texas – When We Fall
Archie Roach – Let Love Rule
Busby Marou – Postcards From The Shell House
Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen – Death’s Dateless Night
Tash Sultana – Notion
Best children’s album
Jimmy Barnes – Och Aye the G’Nu!
Lah-Lah – Having Fun!
Peter Combe – Live It Up
The Idea of North, Lior & Elena Kats-Chernin – A Piece of Quiet [The Hush Collection, Vol 16]
The Wiggles – The Wiggles Duets
Best video (public voted)
Amy Shark – Drive You Mad
Bliss N Eso – Moments (featuring Gavin James)
Client Liaison – A Foreign Affair
Client Liaison – Off White Limousine
Dean Lewis – Waves
Gang Of Youths – The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows
Illy – You Say When (featuring Marko Penn)
Jessica Mauboy – Fallin’
Kirin J Callinan – S.A.D
Sia – The Greatest (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Best Australian live act (public voted)
Client Liaison
Flume
Gang Of Youths
Illy
Jessica Mauboy
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Peking Duk
Tash Sultana
Violent Soho
Song of the year (public voted, presented by Apple Music)
Amy Shark – Adore
Bliss N Eso – Moments (featuring Gavin James)
Dean Lewis – Waves
Guy Sebastian – Set In Stone
Illy – Catch 22 (feat. Anne-Marie)
Jessica Mauboy – Fallin’
Peking Duk –Stranger (featuring Elliphant)
Pnau – Chameleon
Sia – The Greatest (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Starley – Call On Me (Ryan Riback Remix)
Best international artist
Adele – 25
Bruno Mars – 24K Magic
Ed Sheeran – ÷ and Loose Change
Harry Styles – Harry Styles
KendrickLamar – DAMN and Untitled Unmastered
Lorde – Melodrama
Metallica – Hardwired ... To Self-Destruct
Shawn Mendes – Illuminate
The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome
The Weeknd – Starboy
Music teacher of the year
Julie Layt (Cresent Lagoon state school, Rockhampton QLD)
Stephen Mcewan (Bellarine secondary college, Drysdale VIC)
Renee McCarthy (Woodcroft college, Morphett Vale SA)
Alex Manton (Asquith Girls high school, Asquith NSW)
Fine arts and artisan category award winners:
Producer of the year: Gang of Youths and Adrian Breakspeare for Go Farther in Lightness
Engineer of the year: Steven Schram for Paul Kelly’s Life is Fine
Cover art of the year: Peter Salmon-Lomas for Paul Kelly’s Life is Fine
Best original soundtrack: Ali’s Wedding – by Nigel Westlake & Sydney Symphony Orchestra, With Joseph Tawadros, Slava Grigoryan & Lio- Ali’s Wedding
Best jazz album: The Great American Songbook by James Morrison, BBC Concert Orchestra, Keith Lockhart, Harry Morrison & William Morrison
Best classical album: Slava Grigoryan – Bach: Cello Suites Volume I
Best world music album: Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp – Songs of the Latin Skies
Best comedy album: John Clarke – Clarke’s Classics
