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