Full list of nominees revealed for the 2020 Virtual APRA Music Awards
Livestreams have become a dime a dozen lately, but here’s one you can’t miss.
Tones And I and her record-breaking earworm ‘Dancy Monkey’ lead next month’s Virtual APRA Music Awards with four nominations, as the annual honours move online.
The global chart-topping hit is up for Most Performed Australian Work, Most Performed Pop Work and the holy grail of songwriter awards, APRA Song of the Year.
Other artists in the running for the peer-voted gong are Thelma Plum with ‘Better in Blak’, Guy Sebastian’s ‘Choir’, ‘I Get Up’ by The Teskey Brothers and 5sos’ ‘Teeth’.
The APRA Songwriter of the Year will be revealed during the virtual awards event.
Tones And I, real name Toni Watson, is also nominated for Breakthrough Songwriter.
“I am so honoured to receive four APRA nominations,” said Watson. “Big thank you to APRA for all the work they do for the music community. Stay safe.”
Ruel, Sampa the Great, Thelma Plum and The Teskey Brothers also eyeing the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year award this year.
For the first time, due to social distancing measures caused by COVID-19, the songwriter awards will be live-streamed for the world to watch.
The event was scheduled for April 28 at the International Convention Centre in Sydney, but will now be streamed May 26 on Hyvio – the Aussie-owned platform for on-demand video content.
APRA AMCOS chief executive, Dean Ormston, singled out the contribution that local songwriters bring to Australia’s economy and culture.
“If ever there was a time to acknowledge the work of songwriters – both those on stage and those who work quietly behind-the-scenes – it is now, which is why we have committed to the 2020 Virtual APRA Music Awards,” he said.
“Our songwriters give us so much – they contribute enormously to our economic and cultural wealth, and in a world of self-isolation, never has the comfort, poignancy, or uplift of a song been more important.
“The nominees provide a ready-made #AussieMade playlist of fantastic music. We look forward to celebrating their success, as part of our support of Australian music.”
Seaforth at APRA’s Nashville awards. Photo by Rachel Deeb.
There are a number of first-time nominees, including Thomas Jordan and Mitchell Thompson of Seaforth fame, and David Novak and John-Henry Pajak of Polish Club.
“JH & I are very pleased to have been nommed for an APRA award,” said Novak.
“If nothing else, it means that we have been successful in shoving our music down the earholes of as many Australian’s as possible whether they like it or not. There is no escape.”
A 2020 nominees playlist can also be streamed and shared on Spotify and Apple Music.
2020 APRA MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES
Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak
Guy Sebastian – Choir
Tones & I – Dance Monkey
The Teskey Brothers – I Get Up
5 Seconds Of Summer – Teeth
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Ruel
Sampa The Great
Thelma Plum
Liam Gough, Brendon Love, Josh Teskey & Sam Teskey, (The Teskey Brothers)
Tones And I
Most Performed Australian Work
Dean Lewis – 7 Minutes
Guy Sebastian – Choir
Tones & I – Dance Monkey
Birds of Tokyo – Good Lord
KIAN – Waiting
Most Performed Alternative Work
The Rubens – God Forgot
Birds Of Tokyo – Good Lord
Matt Corby – Miracle Love
Gretta Ray – Radio Silence
KIAN – Waiting
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Tash Sultana – Blackbird
The Teskey Brothers – I Get Up
John Butler Trio – Just Call
Ziggy Alberts – Laps Around The Sun
Busby Marou – Sound Of Summer
Most Performed Country Work
Lee Kernaghan – Backroad Nation
Maren Morris – Girl
Travis Collins – Happy
Seaforth – Love That
Troy Cassar-Daley – Wouldn’t Change A Thing
Morgan Evans – Young Again
Most Performed Dance Work
Hayden James feat. Running Touch – Better Together
PNAU feat. Kira Divine & Marques Toliver – Solid Gold
Peking Duk feat. Jack River – Sugar
Dom Dolla – Take It
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Treat You Better
Most Performed Pop Work
Dean Lewis – 7 Minutes
Amy Shark – All Loved Up
Guy Sebastian – Choir
Tones & I – Dance Monkey
Katy Perry – Never Really Over
Most Performed Rock Work
Polish Club – Clarity
Ruby Fields – Dinosaurs
Slowly Slowly – Jellyfish
Jimmy Barnes feat. Troy Cassar-Daley – Shutting Down Our Town
The Living End – Otherside
Most Performed Urban Work
Butter – Triple One
Baker Boy – Cool As Hell
Hilltop Hoods feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal – Exit Sign
Hilltop Hoods – Leave Me Lonely
Illy – Then What
Most Performed International Work
Marshmello feat. Bastille – Happier
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
Calvin Harris & Sam Smith – Promises
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Post Malone & Swae Lee – Sunflower