Sia makes APRA Awards history
The APRA Board of Publisher and Writer Directors have named Adelaide-born artist Sia Furler Songwriter of the Year for three consecutive years.
Crowned at last night’s 2015 APRA Music Awards in Sydney, Sia, alongside co-writer Jesse Shatkin also took out the peer-voted APRA Song of the Year for her Grammy-nominated track Chandelier. The win takes her grand total of APRA Music Awards over the years to six.
Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz prerecorded a speech for Sia, which you can view below.
APRA AMCOS CEO Brett Cottle said, “This is an unprecedented, and very likely, a never-to-be-repeated achievement by one of our most talented songwriters. Sia has been an APRA member since 1996 and was a co-winner of the inaugural Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year Award in 2002. Since then she has become one of the most successful and acclaimed songwriters of her era. We’re incredibly proud of her achievements and honoured to represent her.”
Hosted by Australian writer, film and television producer, and comedian Brian Nankervis, the Awards also saw Gotye and Kimbra’s ubiquitous track Somebody That I Used To Know take home the award for Most Played Australian Work Overseas. “The continued airplay for this award had been remarkable,” his speech wired from New York said.
Taking out Urban Work of the Year was Illy and M-Phazes' Platinum-selling track Tightrope. During his acceptance speech M-Phazes (aka Mark Landon) said: “We've been working together for a while so to bear some fruits for this thing is a nice feeling.”
Brisbane’s latest export Sheppard took out two APRAs with their track Geronimo for Most Played Australian Work and Pop Work of the Year. Michael Chugg, who inked them to his Chugg Music label accepted the award on the band’s behalf alongside their father Greg Sheppard. “Greg put his life savings on the line to support his children, this band,” said Chugg.
“It's worked out to be the best investment I've ever made for reasons you might not appreciate,” added Greg. “Because it's my wife's birthday today and I forgot to get her a present.”
Ted Alberts daughters Emily and Anna surprised Fifa Riccobono, as they presented her with the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.
During Riccobono’s heartfelt acceptance speech she said: “Ted absolutely loved the fact that everything I talked about was my writer, my artist, my song. In the early days I shared the same cockroach-infested hotels as my touring bands, and eventually we worked our way up to 5 star accommodation. We looked out for each other in just the same way as families do.
"Ted had a vision for the company and a wonderful ability for bringing out the best in those that worked with him.”
Each performance on the night, sans Daniel Johns' glorious and unrestrained live premiere of Preach, was a cover of each of the Song of the Year nominees. Lisa Mitchell and the E Street Band’s Jake Clemons took on Sheppard’s Geronimo, while Andy Bull and Thelma Plum performed Dan Sultan’s Kimberley Calling. The highlight however was Jimmy Barnes and Diesel’s spin on Sia and Jesse Shatkin’s Chandelier.
See below for the full winners list:
Songwriter of the Year
Sia Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Australia) Pty Ltd
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Writers: Michael Clifford / Luke Hemmings / Calum Hood / Ashton Irwin (5 Seconds of Summer) Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Australia) P/L
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Fifa Riccobono
Most Played Australian Work
Title: Geronimo Artist: Sheppard Writers: Jason Bovino / Amy Sheppard / George Sheppard Publishers: Mushroom Music Pty Ltd obo Empire of Song (Australia) Pty Ltd
Blues & Roots Work of the Year
Title: Heart Beats Slow Artist: Angus & Julia Stone Writers: Angus Stone / Julia Stone Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Australia) Pty Ltd
Country Work of the Year
Title: Give Her the World Artist: Adam Eckersley Band Writers: Adam Eckersley / Danelle Leverett* (ASCAP) / Jason Reeves* (ASCAP) Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Australia) Pty Ltd*
Dance Work of the Year
Title: Swing (Joel Fletcher Remix) Artist: Joel Fletcher feat. Savage Writers: Joel Fletcher Allan* / Demetrius Savelio / Nathan Holmes / Aaron Ngawhika Publishers: 120 Publishing Pty Ltd* / Universal Music Publishing Pty Ltd
Pop Work of the Year
Title: Geronimo Artist: Sheppard Writers: Jason Bovino / Amy Sheppard / George Sheppard Publishers: Mushroom Music Pty Ltd obo Empire of Song (Australia) Pty Ltd
Rock Work of the Year
Title: Love You Deserve Artist: Stonefield Writers: Amy Findlay / Hannah Findlay / Holly Findlay / Sarah Findlay Publisher: Mushroom Music Pty Ltd
Urban Work of the Year
Title: Tightrope Artist: Illy feat. Scarlett Stevens Writers: Illy / M-Phazes* Publishers: Mushroom Music Pty Ltd obo WAU Publishing / Mushroom Music Pty Ltd*
Most Played Australian Work Overseas
Title: Somebody That I Used To Know Artist: Gotye featuring Kimbra Writers: Wally de Backer / Luiz Bonfa* Publishers: J Albert and Son Pty Ltd / Kobalt Music Publishing Australia / Warner/Chappell Music Australia Pty Ltd*
International Work of the Year
Title: Happy Artist: Pharrell Williams Writer: Pharrell Williams Publishers: Universal/MCA Music Publishing Pty Ltd obo Universal Pictures Music and Sony/ATV Music
Publishing (Australia) Pty Ltd