
Amy Shark leads ARIA Award nominees
WOMEN who roared across the pop and alternative airwaves and commanded our stages this year, lead by Amy Shark, Courtney Barnett and Tash Sultana, have dominated the 2018 ARIA awards nominations.
The dreaming stories on the historic final album Djarimirri by Gurrumul also struck a chord with the music industry with seven nominations.
The record, the first indigenous language album to debut at No. 1, opened this year's honour roll, winning Best World Music and Cover Art at the nominations ceremony in Sydney yesterday.
Shark, whose debut record Love Monster was adored by tens of thousands of fans who fell in love with altpop anthems including I Said Hi tops the leaderboard this year with nine nominations, followed by grunge queen Barnett with eight.
Another much-anticipated and strong debut Flow State, from multi-instrumentalist wiz Sultana will contest six awards at the ceremony on November 28 at The Star in Sydney.

The dominance of dance pop on our charts this year is also reflected in the 2018 roll call with PNAU picking up seven nominations for their fifth album Changa, whose singles Chameleon and Go Bang maintained a presence in the top 50 for most of the year.
Their fellow electro pop stars Peking Duk weren't far behind them with five nominations as was Dean Lewis whose bloke breakup anthem Be Alright not only spent five weeks at No. 1 but is starting to blow up internationally with more than 175 million streams.
One of the big surprises of the awards, and a reflection of the times with more artists choosing to own their work and get major labels to release it, was spotting Angus and Julia Stone in Best Independent Release, among their three nominations.
While the brother and sister duo have long been signed to EMI, they set up their own label for their latest record Snow, funding the recording and marketing of the album from their pockets.

Another two artists who have performed strongly on the international airwaves in the past year, 5 Seconds of Summer and Troye Sivan, were also recognised for their achievements with Youngblood and Bloom respectively up for four awards.
The strength and diversity of new blood emerging shaking up the Australian airwaves was evident in the Breakthrough Artist nominations with 16-year-old soul star Ruel joining Alex Lahey, Jack River, Odette and Mojo Juju in the female-dominated field.
Shark's team opened their 2018 ARIA Awards account early at the nominations event with Dann Hume and M-Phazes named Producers of the Year for their work on her smash hit I Said Hi.

Barnett also had a win with her studio collaborator Burke Reid named Engineer of the Year.
There was also a bittersweet victory for the axed ABC show Tonightly, with Bridie and Wyatt taking out Best Comedy Release with Sex Pest.
Keith Urban will host the 2018 ARIA Awards broadcast on Nine.
Apple Music Album Of The Year
Amy Shark - Love Monster
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
Gurrumul - Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)
Pnau - Changa
Troye Sivan - Bloom
Best Male Artist
Dan Sultan - Killer Under A Blood Moon
Dean Lewis - Be Alright
Gurrumul - Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)
Troye Sivan - Bloom
Vance Joy - Nation Of Two

Best Female Artist
Alison Wonderland - Awake
Amy Shark - Love Monster
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
Sia - Flames
Tash Sultana - Flow State
Best Dance Release
Alison Wonderland - Awake
Fisher - Losing It
Peking Duk - Fire
Pnau - Go Bang
RÜFÜS DU SOL - No Place

Best Group
5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
DMA's - For Now
Peking Duk - Fire
Pnau - Go Bang
RÜFÜS DU SOL - No Place
Breakthrough Artist
Alex Lahey - I Love You Like A Brother
Jack River - Sugar Mountain
Mojo Juju - Native Tongue
Odette - To A Stranger
Ruel - Dazed & Confused
Best Pop Release
5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
Amy Shark - Love Monster
Dean Lewis - Be Alright
Jack River - Sugar Mountain
Troye Sivan - Bloom

Best Urban Album
360 - Vintage Modern
Esoterik - My Astral Plane
Hilltop Hoods - Clark Griswold (feat. Adrian Eagle)
Kerser - Engraved In The Game
Best Independent Album
Angus & Julia Stone - Snow
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
DMA'S - For Now
Gurrumul - Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)
Pnau - Go Bang

Best Rock Album
Camp Cope - How To Socialise & Make Friends
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
DMA'S - For Now
Luca Brasi - Stay
Middle Kids - Lost Friends
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
Dan Sultan - Killer Under A Blood Moon
Missy Higgins - Solastalgia
Odette - To A Stranger
Vance Joy - Nation Of Two

Best Country Album
Adam Eckersley & Brooke McClymont - Adam & Brooke
Fanny Lumsden - Real Class Act
Kasey Chambers & The Fireside Disciples - Campfire
The Wolfe Brothers - Country Heart
Travis Collins - Brave & The Broken
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
DZ Deathrays - Bloody Lovely
King Parrot - Ugly Produce
Parkway Drive - Reverence
Polaris - The Mortal Coil
West Thebarton - Different Beings Being Different

Best Blues & Roots Album
Angus & Julia Stone - Snow
Emily Wurramara - Milyakburra
Mama Kin Spender - Golden Magnetic
Ruby Boots - Don't Talk About It
Tash Sultana - Flow State
Best Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
Evelyn Ida Morris - Acute Misfortune (Original Soundtrack)
Jessica Mauboy - The Secret Daughter Season Two (Songs for the Original 7 Series) (
Jimmy Barnes - Working Class Boy: The Soundtracks
LIARS - 1/1 (Original Soundtrack)
Various Artists - Muriel's Wedding: The Musical (The Original Cast Recording)

Best Children's Album
Justine Clarke - The Justine Clarke Show!
Lah-Lah - 10th Birthday Party
Sam Moran - Santa's Coming!
Teeny Tiny Stevies - Helpful Songs For Little People
The Wiggles - Wiggle Pop!
PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS
Apple Music Song Of The Year
5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
Amy Shark - I Said Hi
Angus & Julia Stone - Chateau
Conrad Sewell - Healing Hands
Dean Lewis - Be Alright
Peking Duk - Fire/Reprisal
Pnau - Go Bang
Sheppard - Coming Home
Troye Sivan - My My My! (EMI)
Vance Joy - Lay It On Me

Best Video
Amy Shark - I Said Hi
Client Liaison - Survival In The City
Courtney Barnett - Need A Little Time
Dean Lewis - Be Alright
Gang Of Youths - The Heart Is A Muscle
Mojo Juju - Native Tongue
Peking Duk - Fire
Pnau - Go Bang
Tash Sultana - Salvation
The Presets - Do What You Want
Best Australian Live Act
5 Seconds Of Summer - Meet You There Tour
Amy Shark - Love Monster Tour
Client Liaison - Expo Liaison
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel National Tour
Dean Lewis - 2017 National Tour
Gang Of Youths - 2017 National Tour
Paul Kelly - Life Is Fine Tour 2017
Peking Duk - The Wasted Tour
Pnau - Pnau Changa Australian Tour
Tash Sultana - Homecoming Tour

Best International Artist
Camila Cabello - Camila
Drake - Scorpion & More Life
Ed Sheeran - ÷
Eminem - Revival & Kamikaze
Imagine Dragons - Evolve
Khalid - American Teen
P! nk - Beautiful Trauma
Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys & Stoney
Sam Smith - The Thrill Of It All
Taylor Swift - Reputation