Everyone is entitled to my opinion...
Well, it is pretty much over…
2009 is almost at an end, all the Christmas releases are out, a million acts are about to tour the country through Summer and the ARIA Awards are over for another year.
Perhaps they are completely over?
As expected, Channel 9 did a pretty lame arse awards ceremony this year. Rumours were circulating that the production budget had been cut by 50% and boy did it show. Keith Urban’s band couldn’t even afford decent clothes! And obviously paying to have Robbie Williams appear meant that the rest of the presenters had to come from the Channel 9 stable, which only made the whole affair look and feel more like a cross promotional exercise than the music industry’s night of nights. It was so bad I was expecting Kerrie-Anne Kennelly to present best Alternative Album.
At the end of the day, the 2009 ARIA Awards just didn’t rate in any real, meaningful sense. Only 700,000 watched the broadcast, which is about 300,000 less than what Channel 10 used to get. So, before I re-cap my award predictions for 2009, my major prediction for next year is that there will be no live broadcast of the 2010 ARIA Awards. It will be just like the Golden Stave, except the labels will be able to auction off their artists that fail to score an award.
Everybody wins!
Speaking Of Winners…
Back in October when the ARIA nominees were announced, I ran a Fog Blog with my predictions for the winners. I think I did OK, apart from totally stuffing up on Breakthrough Artist Single and Album… bloody Ladyhawke!
Album Of Year
Should Win: Sarah Blasko
Will Win: Empire Of The Sun
Actual Winners: Empire Of The Sun
Single Of the Year
Should Win: Kate Miller Heidke
Will Win: Empire Of The Sun
Actual Winners: Empire Of The Sun
Best Male Artist
Should Win: Josh Pyke
Will Win: Josh Pyke
Actual Winner: Daniel Merriweather
Best Female Artist
Should Win: Sarah Blasko
Will Win: Ladyhawke – definitely going out on a limb here…
Actual Winner: Sarah Blasko… um… sorry Sarah…
Best Pop Release
Should Win: Jessica Mauboy
Will Win: Empire Of The Sun
Actual Winners: Empire Of The Sun
Best Rock Album
Should Win: AC/DC
Will Win: AC/DC
Actual Winners: AC/DC
Breakthrough Artist Album
Should Win: The Temper Trap
Will Win: The Temper Trap
Actual Winner: Ladyhawke
Breakthrough Artist Single
Should Win: Bluejuice – sentimental favourites here…
Will Win: Jessica Mauboy
Actual Winner: Ladyhawke
It was good to see Bertie Blackman score Best Independent release as she has worked really hard this year and congrats to Josh Pyke for winning Best Adult Contemporary release and then making the most polite yet comprehensive acceptance speech I think I’ve heard at an ARIA Awards. And even though I only picked four out of my eight predictions, I did manage to pick Album and Single of the Year.
So there.
