Photos: Yael Stempler / Ashley Mar

Courtney Barnett, Tame Impala Dominate The 2015 ARIA Awards

“Oh my god, I can’t believe Courtney Barnett and Tame Impala cleaned up at the 2015 ARIA Awards!” said no one, ever.

As expected, Barnett and Tame justifiably crushed their competition like King Kong, walking away with more pointy glass trophies than the cinematic monster monkey could carry in both hands.

First up, Melbourne bard Barnett scooped an incredible 4 awards from 8 nominations, adding to her previously-announced ‘Best Cover Art’ gong by bagging the ARIAs for 2015’s ‘Breakthrough Artist’, ‘Best Female Artist’ and’Best Independent Release’ for Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit.

It follows her recent domination of triple j’s frothed over J Award for the same category, pretty much making the evidence of her greatness undeniable. Sorry, haters.

But it wasn’t quite a clean sweep for the singer – she was bested in the ‘Best Rock Album’ category (something rock fans will likely be relieved about!), with that accolade going to Tame Impala (DUHHHHH) who also took home the prize for ‘Best Group’, beating out rock legends AC/DC and mega-poppers 5 Seconds Of Summer and – of course – the big, fat, coveted ‘Album Of The Year’ gong for 2015’s incredible Currents.

A few other artists aside from Courtney Barnett and Tame Impala also won awards at the ARIAs. Vance Joy nabbed the ‘Best Male Artist’ gong, Rüfüs took out ‘Best Dance Release’ for You Were Right, a wheelchair-bound Seth Sentry sort of walked away with a ‘Best Urban Album’ award for Strange New Past, Jarryd James dominated the pop department with Do You Remember and Northlane swept the ‘Hard Rock/Heavy Metal’ category, winning for their new album Node.

Conrad Sewell bagged the ARIA for ‘Song Of The Year’ for his hit Start Again, while Triple J’s Matt Okine won the award for ‘Best Comedy Album’ and used his acceptance speech to decry the lack of recognition for female artists at the ARIA Awards.

Elsewhere, Shane Nicholson bagged the ARIA for ‘Best Country Album’, C.W. Stoneking for ‘Best Blues & Roots’, Oh Mercy for ‘Best Adult Contemporary’ and The Veronicas scored Best Video for You Ruin Me.

Best Australian Live Act went to 5SOS who used the platform to announce a 2016 Australian tour and, in non-Australian artist news, the award for ‘Best International Artist’ went to… One Direction. Sorry Tay.

Tina Arena was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame, and used her acceptance speech to make a powerful plea to commercial radio stations to play more Australian music and ditch ageist programming.

Check out the full list of 2015 ARIA Award Winners, below.

Relive the top 5 performances of the 2015 ARIAs right here.

Watch: Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener

Watch: Tame Impala – Let It Happen

2015 ARIA Award Nominations & Winners

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) – WINNER

Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (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) – WINNER

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

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

Best Australian Live Act

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

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 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) – WINNER

Best Female Artist

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

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 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) – WINNER

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) – WINNER

The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes (Mercury Australia / 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) – WINNER

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) – WINNER

Troy Cassar-Daley – Freedom Ride (Liberation Music)

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) – WINNER

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

Tuka – Life Death Time Eternal (EMI)

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) – WINNER

Thy Art Is Murder – Holy War (UNFD)

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) – WINNER

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)

Best Blues And Roots Album

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

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 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) – WINNER

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 Independent Release

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

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 Pop Release

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

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

Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)

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

Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)

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) – WINNER

The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes (Mercury Australia / 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) – WINNER

Ronny Chieng – Chieng Reaction (Century Entertainment)

Sammy J & Randy – Live (Head Records)

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) – WINNER

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

Song Of The Year

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

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

We are humbled to have won the 2015 ARIA award for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album. This is a rare moment that... Posted by Northlane on Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Thank you so much to you all for your support. Everyone who came to a show this year. My friends, family, everyone imvolved in the album. I Love you. Cheers as Posted by Seth Sentry on Thursday, November 26, 2015

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