ARIA Awards replaces Best Female Artist and Best Male Artist categories with Best Artist
Tomorrow's ARIA Awards will break from tradition in more ways than one — not only will it be a digital show for the first time in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but ARIA has eliminated the gender-based best artist categories.
Like the Grammys did a decade ago, and the BRIT Awards will from next year, this year, instead of a Best Female Artist and Best Male Artist, Australian musicians across all genders will be vying for the coveted Best Artist award.
Per The Industry Observer, the change aims to ensure the awards "reflect and embrace equality and the true diversity of the music industry in 2021."
Amy Shark, who will be performing on the night, leads the pack with six ARIA Award nominations. Supplied/ARIA
As a reflection of the two gender-based categories' replacement, the non-discriminatory Best Artist shortlist has been expanded from the former two's five to include 10 artists.
Nominees this year include Amy Shark, Budjerah, Genesis Owusu, Keith Urban, Kylie Minogue, Masked Wolf, Ngaiire, The Kid LAROI, Tones and I and Vance Joy.
ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd told the publication in September that the new category puts all artists "on an equal platform, which is absolutely what we should be doing in 2021."
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Hip-hop newcomer Genesis Owusu also has six nominations, one of which includes Best Artist. Supplied/Bec Parsons
"But also, it means we're not excluding artists that don't identity as male or female," Herd continued.
Featuring performances from The Kid Laroi and RÜFÜS DU SOL — both acts who are currently not in Australia — alongside Australia-bound Amy Shark, Genesis Owusu, Budjerah and Gretta Ray, the 35th annual ARIA Awards will also star presenters Ed Sheeran, Charli XCX, The Wiggles, Ruel, Troye Sivan and Lime Cordiale.
Sheeran will be virtually presenting the Breakthrough Artist Award, which has been renamed after the late Michael Gudinski. The 'Shape of You' singer — who flew in to Melbourne to honour Gudinski at his memorial service earlier this year — will be including a video tribute to his late longtime friend in his presentation of the award.
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The Kid LAROI, who is also nominated for Best Artist, will be performing on the night from Los Angeles. Supplied/ARIA
Today's Brooke Boney will be presenting 16 ARIA Awards in the first part of the broadcast, which starts at 6.30pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 24.
The main event — which goes to air live from Sydney's Taronga Zoo — will be streaming from 7.30pm AEDT on 9Now.
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Amy Shark leads the nominations alongside hip-hop newcomer Genesis Owusu with six each, closely followed by Budjerah, Midnight Oil, Tones and I and Vance Joy, all of whom have been nominated five times.
Matt Corby, Kylie Minogue, Keith Urban, Ball Park Music, Ngaiire, The Kid LAROI and RÜFÜS DU SOL have also been nominated multiple times.
Stream 2021's ARIA Awards from 6.30pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 24 on 9Now.
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