APRA Music Awards winners revealed, including The Kid LAROI, Midnight Oil & Kevin Parker

The APRA Music Awards returned in person this evening, with a number of Aussie acts taking home coveted awards.

APRA members voted Rob Hirst, Joel Davison and Bunna Lawrie’s song ‘Gadigal Land’ as the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year. The song was Midnight Oil’s first single in 17 years and is part of The Makarrata Project – a themed mini-album of collaborations with Indigenous artists, including Davison.

Kevin Parker, meanwhile, was awarded Songwriter of the Year for The Slow Rush, the fourth studio album by Tame Impala, for which he wrote, produced, recorded and mixed all songs solo.

Charlton Howard, better known as emerging superstar The Kid LAROI, won Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year.

He said the win was ‘crazy’.

“Thank you so much APRA for the Breakthrough Songwriter Award. There’s a couple of people I’d like to thank. First and foremost Denis Handlin, thank you for everything. Thank you to Petrina, thank you Sony ATV, thank you Grade A and the whole management team Pete, Bibby and George, thank you Ron Perry and the whole Columbia team. And last but not least, my fans from Australia. I love you very, very much and can’t wait to come back. I’ll see you soon,” he said.

Last year’s winner of the same award, Tones and I, this year took home a double for ‘Never Seen The Rain’. The track from her hugely successful EP The Kids Are Coming won Most Performed Pop Work and Most Performed Australian Work.

Internationally, Dean Lewis and Jon Hume’s ‘Be Alright’ was the Most Performed Australian Work Overseas, and Dua Lipa along with co-writers Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick and Emily Schwartz won Most Performed International Work for ‘Don’t Start Now’.

Country Music trailblazer Joy McKean won the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music. The 2020 awards went to the late Helen Reddy.

WINNERS OF THE 2021 APRA MUSIC AWARDS

Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Title: ‘Gadigal Land’
Artist: Midnight Oil ft Dan Sultan, Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs & Bunna Lawrie
Writers: Rob Hirst* / Joel Davison / Bunna Lawrie^
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing* / Universal Music Publishing^

Songwriter of the Year
Kevin Parker
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Charlton Howard pka The Kid LAROI
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing

2021 Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Joy McKean

2020 Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Helen Reddy

Most Performed Australian Work
Title: ‘Never Seen The Rain’
Artist: Tones And I
Writer: Toni Watson
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing

Most Performed Alternative Work
Title: ‘Live in Life’
Artist: The Rubens
Writers: Scott Baldwin / Elliott Margin / Sam Margin / Zaac Margin / William Zeglis
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music

Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Title: ‘Over Drinking Over You’
Artist: Busby Marou
Writers: Thomas Busby* / Jeremy Marou* / Ivy Adara+ / Jon Hume^ / Lindsey Jackson^
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing*/ Kobalt Music Publishing+ / Native Tongue Music Publishing^

Most Performed Country Work
Title: ‘Diamonds’
Artist: Morgan Evans
Writers: Morgan Evans / Evan Bogart* / Chris de Stefano^
Publishers: Warner Chappell Music / Kobalt Music Publishing* / Sony Music Publishing^

Most Performed Dance Work
Title: ‘Rushing Back’
Artist: Flume feat. Vera Blue
Writers: Harley Streten / Celia Pavey* / Eric Dubowsky^ / Sophie Cates+
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic / Universal Music Publishing* / Kobalt Music Publishing^ / Sony Music Publishing+

Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work
Title: ‘Misunderstood’
Artist: Youngn Lipz
Writer: Filipo Faaoloii

Most Performed R&B / Soul Work
Title: ‘Rain’
Artist: The Teskey Brothers
Writers: Josh Teskey / Sam Teskey / Liam Gough / Brendan Love
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music

Most Performed Pop Work
Title: ‘Never Seen The Rain’
Artist: Tones And I
Writer: Toni Watson
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing

Most Performed Rock Work
Title: ‘Getting The Band Back Together’
Artist: Cold Chisel
Writer: Don Walker
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing

Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
Title: ‘Be Alright’
Artist: Dean Lewis
Writers: Dean Lewis / Jon Hume*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Specific Music / Sony Music Publishing*

Most Performed International Work
Title: ‘Don’t Start Now’
Artist: Dua Lipa
Writers: Dua Lipa / Caroline Ailin* / Ian Kirkpatrick^ / Emily Schwartz+
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / BMG Rights Management* / Warner Chappell Music^ / Kobalt Music Publishing+