Courtney Barnett, Hermitude, Tame Impala Lead 2015 ARIA Award Nominations

Aussie songstress Courtney Barnett looks set to dominate this year’s ARIA Awards with the musician and producer scoring a grand total of eight nominations today, as well as picking up a Fine Arts and Artisan award.

Barnett secured her first win already at today’s ARIA event, taking away the award for Best Cover Art for the artwork on her debut album Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, which she drew herself.

On top of that, she’s also in the running for Album Of The Year, Best Female Artist, Best Independent Release, Best Rock Album, Breakthrough Artist and has been nominated in the the publicly voted categories for Best Australian Live Act and Best Video for her song, Pedestrian At Best.

Following behind in a close second for the most nods are Hermitude who nabbed seven ARIA Award nominations with their album Dark Night Sweet Light. They’re also up for Album Of The Year, Best Group, Best Independent Release as well as the publicly voted categories for Best Australian Live Act and Best Video for Through The Roof.

Other acts up for the prestigious Album Of The Year title are Flight Facilities for Down To Earth, Vance Joy for Dream Your Life Away and of course Tame Impala with Currents.

On the subject of Tame, frontman frontman Kevin Parker also nabbed two early awards today, scoring the gongs for both Engineer of the Year and Producer Of The Year for his band’s latest effort, Currents.

Courtney Barnett has some tough competition in the Best Female Artist category, which also features Sia, Meg Mac, Megan Washington and Jessica Mauboy. While acts nominated for Best Male Artist include Tom Iansek’s #1 Dads, Daniel Johns, Vance Joy, Jarryd James and Guy Sebastian.

Other acts duking it out for Best Rock Album are Dead Letter Circus with Aesthesis , Gang of Youths with The Positions , and The Preatures’ Blue Planet Eyes, while Born Lion, In Hearts Wake, King Parrot, Northlane and Thy Art Is Murder are all in the running for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album.

Once again, this year’s nominees demonstrated the strength of Australia’s independent labels, as acts like Courtney Barnett, Hermitude, Jarryd James, Vance Joy and Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions have not only been recognised in the Best Independent Release category, but they’re each up for multiple gongs.

There are also four publicly voted award categories – Song Of The Year, Best International Act, Best Australian Live Act and Best Video – plus this year Twitter will be giving fans the opportunity to vote exclusively in the Best Australian Live Act category.

The 2014 ARIA Awards were dominated by Adelaide singer-songwriter Sia and Melbourne producer extraordinaire Chet Faker.

The 2015 ARIA Awards take place on Thursday, 26th November. See all the nominations, the Fine Arts and Artisan winners and relive last year’s winners in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2014 ARIA Award Winners

2015 ARIA Award Nominations

Telstra Album Of The Year

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records/Remote Control)

Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Future Classic)

Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks)

Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia)

Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)

Best Adult Contemporary Album

John Farnham & Olivia Newton-John – Two Strong Hearts (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Megan Washington – There There (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Oh Mercy – When We Talk About Love (EMI)

Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions (Gawd Aggie Recordings / Universal Music Australia)

Szymon –Tigersapp (EMI / Eloper Music)

Best Blues And Roots Album

C.W. Stoneking – Gon’ Boogaloo (King Hokum Records / Caroline Australia)

Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams (Caroline Australia)

The Black Sorrows – Endless Sleep (Head Records)

The Waifs – Beautiful You (Jarrah Records / MGM)

Tim Rogers & The Bamboos – The Rules of Attraction (Warner Music Australia)

Best Children’s Album

Giggle and Hoot – Hootastic Tunes (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Play School – Favourite Things – Songs and Nursery Rhymes from Play School (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Rhys Muldoon – Perfect Is The Enemy Of Good (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Sam Moran – Play Along With Sam: BOO! (6 Degrees Records / MGM)

The Wiggles – Rock & Roll Preschool (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Best Comedy Release

Bondi Hipsters – Fuhck The Bahnks (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Buddy Goode – Songs To Ruin Every Occasion (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Matt Okine – Live at the Enmore Theatre (Century Entertainment)

Ronny Chieng – Chieng Reaction (Century Entertainment)

Sammy J & Randy – Live (Head Records)

Best Country Album

Catherine Britt – Boneshaker (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The Anzacs (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Mustered Courage – White Lies and Melodies (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Shane Nicholson – Hell Breaks Loose (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Troy Cassar-Daley – Freedom Ride (Liberation Music)

Best Dance Release

Alison Wonderland – Run (EMI)

Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Future Classic)

Hayden James – Something About You (Future Classic)

Peking Duk – Take Me Over feat. SAFIA (Vicious Bitch / Universal Music Australia)

Rüfüs – You Were Right (Sweat It Out / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Best Female Artist

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)

Jessica Mauboy – Can I Get A Moment? (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Meg Mac – MEGMAC EP (littleBIGMAN / Inertia)

Megan Washington – There There (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)

Best Group

5 Seconds of Summer – LiveSOS (EMI)

AC/DC – Rock Or Bust (Alberts / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)

Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia)

The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album

Born Lion – Final Words (FOUR|FOUR / Universal Music Australia)

In Hearts Wake – Skydancer (UNFD)

King Parrot – Dead Set (EVP Recordings / Rocket Distribution)

Northlane – Node (UNFD)

Thy Art Is Murder – Holy War (UNFD)

Best Independent Release

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)

Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)

Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)

Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions (Gawd Aggie Recordings)

Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)

Best Male Artist

#1 Dads – Nominal (Pieater / Inertia)

Daniel Johns – Talk (Eleven / EMI)

Guy Sebastian – Tonight Again (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)

Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)

Best Pop Release

Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment / Warner Music Australia)

Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)

Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)

Tame Impala – Let It Happen (Modular / Universal Music Australia)

Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)

Best Rock Album

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)

Dead Letter Circus – Aesthesis (UNFD)

Gang of Youths – The Positions (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia)

The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Best Urban Album

Citizen Kay – Demokracy (Asphalt Records / MGM)

Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Weapon (Flying Buddha / Sony Music Masterworks)

Seth Sentry – Strange New Past (High Score Records / Inertia)

The Meeting Tree – R U A Cop (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Tuka – Life Death Time Eternal (EMI)

Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA

Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment / Warner Music Australia)

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)

Gang of Youths – The Positions (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)

Meg Mac – Never Be (littleBIGMAN / Inertia)

Publicly Voted Awards

Best Australian Live Act

5 Seconds Of Summer – Rock Out With Your Socks Out Tour (EMI)

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit Album Tour (Milk! Records / Remote Control)

Gang of Youths – Gang of Youths National Tour (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light Tour (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)

Hilltop Hoods – Cosby Sweater Australian Tour (Golden Era Records / Universal Music Australia)

Nick Cave – Nick Cave Australian Tour (Bad Seed / Kobalt Label Services)

Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions Tour (Gawd Aggie Recordings / Universal Music Australia)

Sheppard – The Bombs Away Tour (Chugg Music & Empire Of Song / MGM Distribution)

The Preatures – The Cruel Tour (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away Tour (Liberation Music)

Best International Artist

Calvin Harris – Motion (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Ed Sheeran – X (Atlantic UK / Warner Music)

Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways (RCA / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Hozier – Hozier (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

James Bay – Chaos And The Calm (Universal / Universal Music Australia)

Mark Ronson – Uptown Special (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Meghan Trainor – Title (Epic Records / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

One Direction – Four (Syco / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour (Capitol / EMI)

Taylor Swift – 1989 (Big Machine Records / Universal Music Australia)

Best Video

Prad Senanayake for Alison Wonderland – U Don’t Know feat. Wayne Coyne (EMI)

Charlie Ford for Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best (Milk! Records / Remote Control)

Lorin Askill for Daniel Johns – Aerial Love (Eleven / EMI)

Anthony Rose for Delta Goodrem – Wings (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Clemens Habicht for Flume – Some Minds feat. Andrew Wyatt (Future Classic)

Kess Broekman-Dattner for Hermitude – Through The Roof feat. Young Tapz (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)

Duncan Toombs for Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The Anzacs (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Filmery for Shane Nicholson – Secondhand Man (Lost Highway Australia)

Luci Schroder for Vance Joy – Georgia (Liberation Music)

Matt Sharp & Daniel James for The Veronicas – You Ruin Me (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Song Of The Year

Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment / Warner Music Australia)

Grace – You Don’t Own Me feat. G-Eazy (RCA / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Iggy Azalea – Trouble feat. Jennifer Hudson (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)

Marlisa – Stand By You (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Nathaniel – Live Louder (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Peking Duk – Take Me Over feat. SAFIA (Vicious Bitch/Universal Music Australia)

Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)

The Veronicas – You Ruin Me (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Vance Joy – Georgia (Liberation Music)

2015 ARIA Awards – Artisan Award Winners

Engineer of the Year

Virginia Read for Australian Brandenburg Orchestra – Brandenburg Celebrates (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)

Adrian Breakspear and Peter Holz for Gang of Youths – Radioface (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Mitch Kenny for Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)

Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER

Nick Didia for The Waifs – Beautiful You (Jarrah Records / MGM)

Producer Of The Year

Damn Moroda for Daniel Johns – Talk (Eleven / EMI)

Luke Dubber and Angus Stuart for Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)

Garth Porter for Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The Anzacs (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER

Nick Didia for The Waifs – Beautiful You (Jarrah Records / MGM)

Best Cover Art

Courtney Barnett for Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control) – WINNER

Daniel Johns, Aref and Peter Salmon-Lomas for Daniel Johns – Talk (Eleven / EMI)

Timothy Lovett for Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Future Classic)

Bjenny Montero for Pond – Man It Feels Like Space Again (EMI)

Nathan Johnson for Gang of Youths – The Positions (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

2015 ARIA Awards – Fine Arts Award Nominations

Best Classical Album

Amy Dickson – Island Songs (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra – Brandenburg Celebrates (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)

Grigoryan Brothers – This Time (Which Way Music)

Sally Whitwell – I Was Flying (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)

Tamara-Anna Cislowska – Peter Sculthorpe: Complete Works for Solo Piano (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER

Best Jazz Album

Allan Browne Quintet – Ithaca Bound (Jazzhead / MGM Distribution)

Barney McAll – Mooroolbark (ABC Jazz / Universal Music Australia) -WINNER

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Quarters! (Flightless / Remote Control)

Paul Grabowsky – Solo (ABC Jazz / Universal Music Australia)

Sarah McKenzie – We Could Be Lovers (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Album

Ed Kuepper – Last Cab To Darwin – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra / Nigel Westlake – Paper Planes – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Opera Australia – Bliss (Brett Dean / Amanda Holden / Peter Carey) (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)

Various Artists – Beat The Drum – Celebrating 40 Years of triple j (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER

Various Artists – The Water Diviner – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Universal Music Australia)

Best World Music Album

Baby et Lulu – Album Deux (Independent / MGM)

Christine Anu – Island Christmas (Social Family Records / Universal Music Australia / The Orchard)

Genevieve Lacey / James Crabb – Heard This and Thought of You (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)

Joseph Tawadros-Truth Seekers, Lovers and Warriors (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Gurrumul – The Gospel Album (Skinnyfish Music / MGM) – WINNER

Must Read