Nominees accounced for 2005 APRA Music Awards
Australia’s Songwriting Success Stories Lead Nominations for Awards
In a field that features some of the most prominent music artists of the past year, two young songwriters, who have both had phenomenal success at either side of the musical bookend, have led the nominations for the 2005 APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Music Awards.
Twenty one year old MISSY HIGGINS has been nominated with not one but two acknowledgements in the prestigious SONG OF THE YEAR category. She is nominated for her songs Scar and Ten Days. With a unique voice that has struck a chord among her peers, the hugely popular Missy Higgins becomes the youngest woman in the history of the APRA Music Awards to have two songs nominated in the coveted ‘Song of the Year’ category.
The JET juggernaut continues with the band receiving four nominations for this year’s APRA Music Awards. They are again nominated in the SONG OF THE YEAR category with their pop ballad Look What You’ve Done as well as being nominated in two performance based categories – MOST PERFORMED AUSTRALIAN WORK (Look What You’ve Done) and MOST PERFORMED AUSTRALIAN WORK OVERSEAS (Are You Gonna Be My Girl and Cold Hard Bitch).
Perth pop outfit ESKIMO JOE have received their first ever APRA nomination with From The Sea from their widely acclaimed album A Song Is A City. Established songwriters THE DISSOCIATIVES are the final act to be nominated for SONG OF THE YEAR with their Young Man Old Man (You Aint Better Than the Rest). This nomination makes this the fourth time that Daniel Johns has been nominated in this category.
The APRA Song of the Year’ is voted upon by around 15,000 songwriters making it the biggest peer voted music award in Australia. All eligible songs must be written by an APRA member and released in the preceding calendar year for consideration. APRA can report that overall voting numbers for ‘Song of the Year’ has increased by over 30% and that on – line voting has increased by at least 90% making this the biggest voter turnout in the history of the awards.
In the MOST PERFORMED COUNTRY category, previous Song of the Year winner KASEY CHAMBERS has been nominated twice with songs Hollywood and Like A River from her most recent album Wayward Angel. Joining her in this category is Golden Guitar winner MELINDA SCHNEIDER with Real People and with a song penned by SHANE HOWARD, TROY CASSAR DALEY’S (Factory Man). The great, late SLIM DUSTY is nominated for Answer To Billy. The song, by JOHN DOHLING, (the writer who gave us Billy, the No-good Truckin’ Man) tells another side of the story of ‘Billy’ a tribute to The Ghan, which recently completed its inaugural rail journey from Adelaide to Darwin.
The MOST PERFORMED AUSTRALIAN WORK category is shaping up to be the battle of the titans with nominees including heavyweight artists DELTA GOODREM with Predictable (Delta was also the 2004 APRA Breakthrough Songwriter Award winner), JET with Look What You’ve Done, PETE MURRAY with So Beautiful and GUY SEBASTIAN with All I Need Is You. And proving that a great song is like a fine wine, the GARRY FROST / FRANCES SWAN penned anthem What About Me has officially stood the test of time. The now classic song was originally a huge hit in 1982 (performed by Moving Pictures) and had a renaissance in 2004 when recorded by SHANNON NOLL.
JET have translated their international success into two nominations in the MOST PERFORMED AUSTRALIAN WORK OVERSEAS category. They are nominated for Are You Gonna Be My Girl and Cold Hard Bitch and join evergreen works Love Is in the Air (VANDA AND YOUNG), Down Under (MEN AT WORK). Also nominated in this category is Truly, Madly Deeply by SAVAGE GARDEN who are multiple winners in this category.
In the MOST PERFORMED JAZZ category avant trio THE NECKS are nominated with Drive By, while the prolific CHRISTOPHER ABRAHAMS is nominated for his composition Christmas Island. Bruce Haymes and Jeff Raglus (otherwise known as FOGG) – a trumpeter and keyboards player respectively – make APRA history by becoming the first jazz outfit to have 3 nominations in this category. They are nominated for Mighty Fly, Rocket To The Moon and Trip Me Up.
American songwriters dominate the category of MOST PERFORMED FOREIGN WORK. The nominees include HOOBASTANK with their popular power ballad Reason as well as two songs by MAROON 5 (This Love and She Will) and Here Without You by 3 DOORS DOWN. The feisty singer / songwriter ANASTACIA is also nominated with her call to arms Left Outside Alone.
The prestigious awards for SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR and TED ALBERT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO AUSTRALIAN MUSIC are decided by APRA’s Board of Writers and Publisher Directors and will be announced at the 2005 APRA Music Awards.
The BREAKTHROUGH AWARD, which recognises emerging songwriter talent, is also decided by APRA’s Board of Writer and Publisher Directors.
In what is the most important event for songwriters on the Australian music industry calendar, the 2005 APRA Music Awards ceremony will be hosted by the incomparable Jonathan Biggins and will feature live performances and special guest presenters.
