The Ninth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1995 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre.[1][2] There had been a 18-month gap since the previous award ceremony which was moved to be "closer to the business end of the music industry's year" and so reflect that year's works.[1][3] Presenters distributed 28 awards from 1060 eligible submissions.[3] Big winners for the year were Silverchair with five awards and Tina Arena with four, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year – both first time they were won by a female.[1][3]
| 1995 ARIA Music Awards | |
|---|---|
| Date | 20 October 1995 |
| Venue | Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Most awards | Silverchair (5) |
| Most nominations | Silverchair (9) |
| Website | ariaawards |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | Network Ten |
In addition to previous categories, the former category Best Pop/Dance Release was split into Best Pop Release and Best Dance Release.[3] Another new category Best World Music Album was also presented for the first time.[1][3] The ARIA Hall of Fame inducted: The Seekers.[1]
Ceremony details
Presenters and performers
The ARIA Awards ceremony was hosted by radio and TV personality Richard Stubbs.[3] Presenters and performers were:
Dubious acceptance speech
Itch-E and Scratch-E won the inaugural award for Best Dance Release.[3] One of the duo, Paul Mac's acceptance speech included:
We'd like to thank all of Sydney's ecstasy dealers, without whom this award would not be possible.[5]
— Paul Mac, 20 October 1995
One of the sponsors of the ceremony was the National Drug Offensive, which withdrew their financial backing. The jargon term, ecstasy, for a psychoactive drug was bleeped for the TV broadcast.[5] In 2005 Mac explained that he did not expect to win and so had no speech prepared.[5]
Awards
Final nominees are shown, in plain, with winners in bold.[6]
ARIA Awards
- Album of the Year
- Single of the Year
- Highest Selling Album
- Highest Selling Single
- Best Group
- Best Female Artist
- Best Male Artist
- Best New Talent
- Silverchair – Frogstomp
- Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth"
- Magic Dirt – Life Was Better
- Max Sharam – A Million Year Girl
- The Truth – "My Heavy Friend"
- Silverchair – Frogstomp
- Breakthrough Artist – Album
- Breakthrough Artist – Single
- Best Dance Release
- Itch-E and Scratch-E – "Sweetness and Light"[nb 2]
- Boxcar – "What Are You So Happy About"
- Quench – "Dreams"
- Renegade Funktrain – "I Wonder"
- The Rockmelons – "Stronger Together"
- Single Gun Theory – Flow, River Of My Soul
- Itch-E and Scratch-E – "Sweetness and Light"[nb 2]
- Best Pop Release
- Tina Arena – "Chains"
- Merril Bainbridge – "Mouth"
- Kulcha – Kulcha
- Mental As Anything – Mr Natural
- Tlot Tlot – "The Girlfriend Song"
- Tina Arena – "Chains"
- Best Country Album
- Troy Cassar-Daley – Beyond the Dancing
- Slim Dusty – Natural High
- Gina Jeffreys – The Flame
- Lee Kernaghan – Country Crowd
- Jane Saunders – Strangers to Your Heart
- Troy Cassar-Daley – Beyond the Dancing
- Best Independent Release
- Best Alternative Release
- Best Indigenous Release
- Christine Anu – Stylin' Up
- Kev Carmody – "On the Wire"
- Ruby Hunter – Thoughts Within
- Tiddas – "Changing Times"
- Yothu Yindi & Neil Finn – "Dots on the Shells"
- Christine Anu – Stylin' Up
- Best Adult Contemporary Album
- Best Comedy Release
- The 12th Man – Wired World of Sports II
- Austen Tayshus – Alive and Schticking
- Jimeoin – Crack
- Kevin Bloody Wilson – Let Loose Live in London
- Scared Weird Little Guys – Scared
- The 12th Man – Wired World of Sports II
Fine Arts Awards
- Best Jazz Album
- Bernie McGann Trio – McGann McGann
- Mark Simmonds Freeboppers – Fire
- The Allan Browne Quartet – Birdcalls
- Australian Art Orchestra – Ringing the Ball Backwards
- Bobby Gebert Trio – Sculpture
- Best Classical Album
- Yvonne Kenny, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Kamirski – Simple Gifts
- Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, David Porcelijn, János Fürst – Powerhouse Three Poems of Byron – Capriccio Nocturnes Unchained Melody
- Duncan Gifford – Debussy Preludes Books I & II
- Slava Grigoryan – Spirit of Spain
- Graham Pushee, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer – Handel: Opera Arias
- Yvonne Kenny, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Kamirski – Simple Gifts
- Best Children's Album
- The Wiggles – Big Red Car
- Adelaide Symphony Orchestra – Dream Child[nb 4]
- Cinderella Acappella – Cinderella Acappella
- Franciscus Henri – I'm Hans Christian Andersen
- Play School – Oomba Baroomba
- The Wiggles – Big Red Car
- Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording
- Cast Recording – The Pirates of Penzance
- Martin Armiger – Fornicon
- Guy Gross – The Priscilla Companion Original Score
- Various – Heartland
- Various – Metal Skin
- Various – Once in a Blue Moon
- Cast Recording – The Pirates of Penzance
- Best World Music Album
- Yungchen Lhamo – Tibetan Prayer
- Bu Baca Diop – Stand
- The Celts – The Rocky Road
- Nomad - Nomad
- Sirocco – The Wetland Suite
- Various – Tribal Heart
- Yungchen Lhamo – Tibetan Prayer
Artisan Awards
- Song of the Year
- Producer of the Year[3][7]
- Tony Cohen for The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog[8]
- Daniel Denholm
- David Bridie
- Paul McKercher
- Phil McKellar
- Tony Cohen for The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog[8]
- Engineer of the Year[3][7]
- Tony Cohen, Paul McKercher for The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog[8]
- Doug Brady
- Cameron Craig
- Mark Forrester
- Craig Porteils
- Doug Roberts
- Tony Cohen, Paul McKercher for The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog[8]
- Best Video
- Keir McFarlane – Kylie Minogue – "Put Yourself in My Place"
- Robbie Douglas-Turner – You Am I – "Jewels & Bullets"
- Bob Ellis – Electric Hippies – "Greedy People"
- Paul Elliott – Max Sharam – "Coma"
- Tony Mahoney – Dave Graney & the Coral Snakes – "I'm Gonna Release Your Soul"
- Keir McFarlane – Kylie Minogue – "Put Yourself in My Place"
- Best Cover Art
- Dominic O'Brien – Max Sharam – A Million Year Girl
- Simon Anderson – Electric Hippies – The Electric Hippies
- Simon Anderson – You Am I – Hi Fi Way
- The Cruel Sea, Kristyna Higgins, Jim Paton – The Cruel Sea – Three Legged Dog
- Reg Mombassa – Mental As Anything – Mr Natural
- Dominic O'Brien – Max Sharam – A Million Year Girl
ARIA Hall of Fame inductee
The Hall of Fame inductee was: