With just seven weeks to go, the countdown is on for the 2018 ARIA Awards with Apple Music. At the nominations event held earlier at The Art Gallery of New South Wales, ARIA announced the nominees in all categories, with the winners to be revealed at The Star Event Centre, Sydney on Wednesday, 28th November 2018. The Awards Ceremony will be broadcast around Australia on the Nine Network, hosted by Keith Urban.

Highlights of the ceremony included Gurrumul posthumously winning two ARIA Awards for Best World Music Album and Best Cover Art, along with receiving seven nominations. His album “Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)” debuted at #1 on the ARIA Charts, making Australian chart history by becoming the first Indigenous language album to debut at #1.

It was also an exciting day for Gold Coast’s Amy Shark, leading the nominations tally with nine. The singer-songwriter has been nominated for Apple Music Album Of The Year, Best Australian Live Act, Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release, Best Video, Apple Music Song Of The Year, Producer Of The Year, Engineer Of The Year and Best Cover Art. The two time ARIA Award winner has had huge success with her 2x Platinum single “I Said Hi” and her critically acclaimed debut album “Love Monster”, which came in at #1 on the ARIA Album Charts.  

Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett follows closely behind with eight nominations for her second studio album “Tell Me How You Really Feel.” Released by her own independent label Milk! Records, it reached #2 on the ARIA Charts and since the release, Barnett has toured her record globally and graced the stages of The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Seth Meyers and CBS Saturday Morning.

Celebrated Australian dance trio Pnau were nominated for seven ARIAs for their fifth studio album “Changa”. The album features 4x Platinum single “Chameleon”, plus “Go Bang” which was a Top 10 ARIA single.

Gearing up to head out on a headline US tour, Tash Sultana has commanded world attention with the release of the highly-anticipated debut album “Flow State.” Nominated for six Awards, the ARIA #2 charting album also cracked the top 10 in the Billboard Top Albums Chart at #8 and an impressive #3 on the Billboard Independent Album Chart.

Dean Lewis has today picked up five nominations for this year’s ARIA Awards. The Sydney artist’s 3x Platinum single “Be Alright” spent five consecutive weeks at #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart and is currently in it’s eighth week at #1 on the Australian airplay charts. The track has also scored major global radio and playlist support, having been streamed over 175 million times.  

Also securing five nominations are 2017’s Apple Music Song Of The Year winners Peking Duk. Nominated for this Award again this year, as well as Best Australian Live Act, Best Dance Release, Best Video and Best Group, their track “Fire” reached Platinum status with over 20 million streams in Australia.

5 Seconds Of Summer and Troye Sivan have both scored four nominations for this year’s ARIAs. 5 Seconds Of Summer’s track “Youngblood” peaked at #1 on the ARIA Charts, spending eight consecutive weeks at the top. Their album “Youngblood” also reached the top of the ARIA Albums Chart. Troye Sivan’s sophomore album “Bloom” peaked at #3, making it Sivan’s highest-charting studio album in his home country.

Today, ARIA welcomes Apple Music back for the 2018 ARIA Awards and confirms their support across two of the event’s most highly-anticipated categories, Song Of The Year and Album Of The Year.

With Apple Music, ARIA is giving fans the power to determine the winner of the coveted Song Of The Year award. From today until 21 November, fans can cast their vote by simply listening to their favourite song on Apple Music.*

Check out all the nominees for Apple Music Song Of The Year HERE.