Ladies and gentlemen, the best album cover art in Australia for 2010:



 I guess we all know that the Grammy's are hardly the barometer of true value in the American music scene, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that Australia's ARIA Awards are about as critically relevant as Nickelback. But then like that awful band, a lot of people who don't really engage with music all that much assume they must be doing something right. Thus the charade perpetuates.

Before we look at this years nominees, there's a few changes to the ARIA Awards this year. There are three new peer voted categories in BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST, [formerly Breakthrough Single and Album] BEST HARD ROCK / HEAVY METAL ALBUM and BEST ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM. Importantly, this new ADULT ALTERNATIVE category is separate to the usual ADULT CONTEMPORARY category, in that we still need to be able to differentiate between mature people using acoustic guitars and Paul Kelly.

Perhaps most contentiously, there are four new categories with the dubious honour of being VOTED BY YOU. (Yes, just like televisions' night of nights, the Logies.) Or as the ARIA press release puts it, voted for by "music lovers". The irony being of course, that music lovers are the people least likely to vote in awards shows. These new awards are MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN SINGLE, MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ALBUM and MOST POPULAR INTERNATIONAL ARTIST - all of which are based on the top selling singles and albums within the eligibility period (Friday, 28 August, 2009, to Saturday, 21 August, 2010 inclusive). The last new entry is, MOST POPULAR AUSTRALIAN ARTIST (but which can only come from the finalists in 26 categories of this year’s ARIA Awards). Meaning that if you're a part of Angus and Julia Stone's street team/love having Black Eyed Peas songs as your ringtones, there's now a very real chance to have your say in denting Australia's music landscape from within.

Elsewhere:

The Temper Trap have five nominations linked to their debut album Conditions, released in June of 2009. They were nominated for four ARIA awards in 2009. Same album, second go.
Empire of the Sun have been nominated in the 2010 category for Most Popular Album, for 2008's Walking On A Dream. (To appear in this category you only need to be "one of the top selling" artists within the eligibility period. Rather than having to, y'know, release a record.) EOTS are also nominated for Single Of the Year for 'Half Mast', a remix of the song from Walking On A Dream.
Electronic rock/nu-metal band Pendulum have been nominated in the Best Dance category.

On firmer ground, Tame Impala have five nominations for Innerspeaker, Cloud Control two for Bliss Release (including 'Best Rock Album' - ?), Eddy Current Suppression Ring two for Rush To Relax, and then six nominations each go to Sia (We Are Born), Washington (I Believe You Liar) and Angus & Julia Stone (Down the Way). Still, all this is obscuring the fact that Rod Stewart and Susan Boyle are vying for Most Popular International Act.

2010 ARIA AWARD FINALISTS:

Album of the Year

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)
Sia - We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)
Washington - I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

Single of the Year

Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane (Original Matters/EMI)
Birds of Tokyo – Plans (EMI)
Sia - Clap Your Hands (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
The Temper Trap - Love Lost (Liberation Music)
Washington - How To Tame Lions (Mercury/UMA)

Best Female Artist

Clare Bowditch - Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)
Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite (Mushroom Records/Warner Music)
Lisa Mitchell - Oh! Hark! (Warner Music Australia)
Sia - We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
Washington - I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

Best Male Artist

Dan Kelly - Dan Kelly's Dream (Shock)
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can (MGM)
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That (Sony Music)
John Butler - April Uprising (Jarrah Records/MGM)
Paul Dempsey - Fast Friends (EMI)

Best Group

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)
Powderfinger - Golden Rule (UMA)
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)
The Temper Trap - Love Lost (Liberation Music)

Best Independent Release

Art vs Science - Magic Fountain (Green/MGM)
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can (MGM)
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush to Relax (Suppression Records/Shock)
John Butler Trio - April Uprising (Jarrah Records/MGM)
Sia - We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Best Adult Alternative Album

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Basement Birds - Basement Birds (Basement Birds)
Clare Bowditch - Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)
The Cat Empire – Cinema (EMI)
Washington - I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)
Whitley - Go Forth, Find Mammoth (Dew Process/Universal Music)

Best Adult Contemporary Album

Angie Hart - Eat My Shadow (ABC Music)
Crowded House – Intriguer (UMA)
Jimmy Barnes - The Rhythm and the Blues (Liberation Music)
Lisa Miller - Car Tape 2 (Raoul/Other Tongues)
Perry Keyes - Johnny Ray's Downtown (Laughing Outlaw/Inertia)

Best Blues & Roots Album

Ash Grunwald - Hot Mama Vibes (Delta Groove/Shock)
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can (MGM)
Jeff Lang – Chimeradour (ABC Music)
John Butler Trio - April Uprising (Jarrah Records/MGM)
The Wilson Pickers - Shake It Down (ABC Music)

Best Children’s Album

Greta Bradman - Forest Of Dreams: Classical Lullabies To Get Lost In (Sony Music)
Jay Laga'aia - I Can Play Anything (ABC Music)
Justine Clarke - Great Big World (ABC Music)
Little Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill and the Little Hillbillies - Little Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill and the Little Hillbillies (Liberation Music)
The Wiggles - Let's Eat! (ABC Music)

Best Classical Album

Alexander Tsiboulski - Australian Guitar Music (Naxos/Select Audio-Visual Distribution)
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra & Paul Dyer - Tapas - Tastes Of The Baroque (ABC Classics)
Li- Wei Qin – Beethoven Cello Sonatas (Decca/UMA)
David Hobson - Enchanted Way (ABC Classics)
Geoffrey Lancaster - Haydn: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 1 (Tall Poppies Records)
Richard Tognetti, Christopher Moore, Australian Chamber Orchestra - Mozart Violin Concertos (BIS Records/Select Audio-Visual Distribution)
Teddy Tahu Rhodes - Bach Arias (ABC Classics)

Best Jazz Album

Dick & Christa Hughes - Twenty First Century Blues (ABC Music)
James Morrison & The Idea Of North - Feels Like Spring (ABC Jazz)
Joe Chindamo - Another Place Some Other Time (Jazzhead/MGM)
Joseph Tawadros - The Hour of Separation (Independent/Planet)
The Necks - Silverwater (Fish of Milk/Shock)

Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show/Album

Burkhard Dallwitz - Underbelly - Original Television Soundtrack (Sony Music)
Christopher Gordon & Various Artists - Mao's Last Dancer (Sony Music)
triple j's Tribute To Paul Kelly (ABC Music)
Various Artists - Bran Nue Dae (Sony Music)
Various Artists featuring Luke Steele, Empire of the Sun & The Middle East Accidents Happen (Sandcastle Music/MGM)

Best World Music Album

Archie Roach - Music Deli Presents Archie Roach - (1988/ABC Music)
Joseph Tawadros - The Prophet: Music Inspired By The Poetry of Kahlil Gibran (Planet/Independent)
Mamadou Diabate, Bobby Singh & Jeff Lang - Djan Djan (ABC Music)
The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra- Do Anything Go Anywhere (The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra/MGM)
Xavier Rudd - Koonyum (Sun Salt/X)

Best Comedy Release

Andrew Hanson, Chris Taylor & Craig Shuftan - The Blow Parade (ABC Music)
Arj Barker -Arj Barker Forever (Beyond Home Entertainment, Punchline Comedy)
Heath Franklin - Heath Franklin's Chopper: Make Deadsh*ts History (Beyond Home Entertainment, Punchline Comedy)
Jimeoin - Jimeoin on Ice Live (Beyond Home Entertainment, Punchline Comedy)
The Bedroom Philosopher - Songs from the 86 Tram (Nanpop Records/Shock)

Best Country Album

Adam Harvey - Both Sides Now (Sony Music)
Catherine Britt - Catherine Britt (ABC Music)
Jason Walker - Ceiling Sun Letters (Laughing Outlaw/Inertia)
Lee Kernaghan - Planet Country (ABC Music)
The McClymonts - Wrapped Up Good (UMA)

Best Dance Release

Art vs Science - Magic Fountain (Green/MGM)
Miami Horror – Sometimes (EMI)
Midnight Juggernauts - The Crystal Axis (Siberia/Inertia)
Pendulum – Immersion (Warner Bros UK)
Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup - We No Speak Americano (Sweat it Out/Central Station Records)

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album

Airbourne - No Guts, No Glory (EMI)
Dead Letter Circus - This is the Warning (Warner Music Australia)
Parkway Drive - Deep Blue (Resist Records/Shock)
The Amity Affliction - Youngbloods (Boomtown/Shock)
Violent Soho - Violent Soho (Liberation Music)

Best Music DVD

Birds of Tokyo - The Broken Strings Tour DVD (MGM)
Bliss N Eso- Flying Colours Live (Illusive Sounds)
Josh Pyke - The Lighthouse (Ivy League)
Various - Sound Relief (Liberation Music)
Various - Before Too Long: triple j's Tribute to Paul Kelly (ABC Music)

Best Pop Release

Bluejuice - Head of the Hawk (Dew Process/Universal Music)
Empire of the Sun - Half Mast (EMI)
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That (Sony Music)
Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite (Warner Music Australia)
Sia - We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Best Rock Album

Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)
Cloud Control - Bliss Release (Ivy League Records/Universal)
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush to Relax (Suppression Records/Shock)
Powderfinger - Golden Rule (UMA)
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)

Best Urban Album

Bliss N Eso - Running on Air (Illusive Sounds)
Lowrider - Round the World (Illusive Sounds)
M-Phazes - Good Gracious (Obese Records)
Space Invadas - Soul-Fi (Invada/Inertia)
Urthboy – Spitshine (Elefant Traks/Inertia)

Breakthrough Artist

Amy Meredith – Restless (Sony Music)
Cloud Control - Bliss Release (Ivy League Records/Universal)
Philadelphia Grand Jury - Hope is for Hopers (Normal People Making Music/Boomtown/Shock)
Tame Impala- Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)
Washington - I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

2010 ARIA ARTISAN AWARD NOMINEES - WINNERS IN BOLD

Best Video

Alex Roberts - Art vs Science, Magic Fountain (Green/MGM)
KROZM (Chris Hill, Ewan MacLeod, Lachlan Dickie) - Sarah Blasko, Bird On A Wire (Dew Process/Universal Music)
Head Pictures – Powderfinger, All Of the Dreamers (UMA)
Kiku Ohe - Angus & Julia Stone, Big Jet Plane (Original Matters/EMI)
Kris Moyes - Sia, Clap Your Hands (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Engineer of the Year

Jeff McCormack - Adam Harvey, Both Sides Now (Sony Music)
John Castle – Washington, I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)
Rick Will – Grinspoon, Six To Midnight (UMA)
Victor Van Vugt - Clare Bowditch, Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)
Wayne Connolly - Paul Dempsey, Fast Friends (EMI)

Producer of the Year

Angus & Julia Stone - Angus & Julia Stone, Black Crow, For You, Santa Monica Dream, Yellow Brick Road, Walk It Off, Hush (Original Matters)
Charles Fisher & Hoodoo Gurus, Purity Of Essence (Sony Music)
Forrester Savel - Dead Letter Circus, This is the Warning (Warner Music Australia)
Lisa Miller and Shane O'Mara - Lisa Miller, Car Tape 2 (Raoul/Other)
Scott Horscroft & Adam Spark - Birds Of Tokyo, Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)

Best Cover Art

Angus & Julia Stone - Angus & Julia Stone, Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Cameron Gray & Scott Smith - Dead Letter Circus, This is the Warning (Warner Music Australia)
David Homer & Aaron Hayward, Debaser - Birds Of Tokyo, Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)
Debaser - Bluejuice, Head of the Hawk (Dew Process/Universal Music)
Leif Podhajsky - Tame Impala, Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)

2010 ARIA AWARD PUBLIC VOTED NOMINEES

V Energy Drink proudly presents the first ever ARIA Popular Voted Awards

Most Popular Australia Album

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
Guy Sebastian- Like It Like That
Jimmy Barnes - The Rhythm and the Blues
John Butler Trio - April Uprising
Kate Miller-Heidke -Curiouser
Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Stan Walker - Introducing
The Temper Trap - Conditions
Vanessa Amorosi - Hazardous

Most Popular Australian Single

Brian McFadden -Just Say So
Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
Guy Sebastian - Art of Love (featuring Jordin Sparks)
Kate Miller-Heidke - The Last Day on Earth
Stan Walker - Black Box
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
Vanessa Amorosi - This is Who I am
Vanessa Amorosi - Mr. Mysterious
Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup- We Speak No Americano

Most Popular International Artist

Beyoncé
Black Eyed Peas
David Guetta
Eminem
Jason Derulo
Katy Perry
Ke$ha
Lady Gaga
Michael Bublé
Mumford & Sons
Owl City
Rod Stewart
Susan Boyle
Taylor Swift
Train

2010 ARIA AWARDS - DATES:

WEDNESDAY, 27 OCTOBER, 2010
ARIA HALL OF FAME
HORDERN PAVILION
Broadcast by SBS Television’s RocKwiz on Saturday, 30 October at 9.20pm.

FROM MONDAY, 1 NOVEMBER, 2010
Stand by for a unique roll out of the winners in the 16 genre Award categories

SUNDAY, 7 NOVEMBER, 2010
2010 ARIA AWARDS
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Broadcast on Network Ten at 8.30pm on Sunday, 7 November 'MTV at the ARIA
Red Carpet' will air on MTV on Sunday, 7 November at 6.30pm

www.ariaawards.com.au

PS: Rod Stewart and Susan Boyle are nominated in the Most Popular International Act.