Dance-pop star continues where he left off in 2023 at ceremony largely free of last year’s fervent political protest
Royel Otis and Troye Sivan were the big winners of this year’s Arias, scooping seven gongs between them at the country’s top music awards.
Indie rock duo Royel Otis led the 2024 nominations with eight nods and won four of them: best group, best rock album, best engineered release, and best produced release – the latter two with collaborator Chris Collins.
“Oh my God, oh my days,” the duo said in a video message from a moving ferris wheel in Belgium. “Friends, fans, family – God bless you.”
Dance-pop star Sivan took home three awards including the top prize, album of the year, for his 2023 record Something to Give Each Other. He also won best solo artist for the second year running as well as best pop release.
“This album has completely changed my life,” Sivan gushed as he accepted the award at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. “It was inspired by the moments between lockdowns in Melbourne. I was single and really depressed and lonely, and … I just started to go out and hook up with random people.”
In a speech that drew raucous laughs, Sivan told the story of meeting a beau in a one-night stand and centring the album around that singular experience.
“We had this incredible connection … and I started to realise how many people there are in the world, and how incredible connection of all kinds can feel,” Sivan said. “Go have a one-night stand with someone, you never know what could happen!”
It has been a year of international growth for both Royel Otis and Sivan. The former went viral twice – first for their January cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder on the Dancefloor, then for their April cover of the Cranberries’ Linger – before selling out a string of shows across the US and Europe. The duo this week cancelled the remainder of their US shows in December, citing a “devastating family matter”.
Sivan’s star has continued to ascend since leading the 2023 Arias with four awards. Something to Give Each Other’s lead single, Rush, picked up two nominations at the Grammys in February, and his track Got Me Started is up for another Grammy in 2025.
His Sweat tour – a series of North American stadium shows co-headlining with fellow pop star and frequent collaborator Charli xcx – sold out all its dates and became a viral phenomenon for its ecstatic celebration of raving.
Also winning multiple Arias this year was 3%, the First Nations supergroup comprising Nooky, Dallas Woods and Angus Fields. The trio won best hip-hop/rap release and best cover art for Kill the Dead.
Unlike the fervent political protest of the 2023 Arias, this year’s ceremony was mostly subdued – dotted with a few memorable moments.
Filipino-Muruwari rapper Dobby, who won best world music album for Warrangu: River Story, used his speech to question the title of the category.
“World music – Radical Son, Christine Anu and Dobby, all speaking Indigenous languages: if anything, we should be the most Australian acts on this roster,” he said. “Hell, we should even be country music!”
The breakthrough artist award went to Canberra rock band Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, who said they started the band when they were 15 after watching “School of Rock at a sleepover”.
Missy Higgins won best Australian live act – a publicly voted award – after a year-long tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of her record The Sound of White. She was also inducted into the Aria hall of fame, marking the occasion with a performance that closed the show.
Song of the year – also publicly voted – went to two-time Aria winner G Flip for their track The Worst Person Alive.
Other past nominees and winners who took home prizes included Tkay Maidza, who won best soul/R&B release for Sweet Justice; Angie McMahon, who won best independent release for Light, Dark, Light Again; Emily Wurramara, who won best adult contemporary album for Nara; and Dom Dolla, who won best dance/electronic release for Saving Up.
Five-time Aria winner Troy Cassar-Daley added another one to his collection with best country album for Between the Fires.
Mia Dyson won for blues and roots, Speed won for hard rock or heavy metal, and Bluey won best children’s album.
By public vote, Taylor Swift won in the international artist category for fourth time – and the second year in a row.
“You guys have been more than generous with me,” she said in a video message.