ARIA Launches Weekly ‘AMPLIFIED’ Australian Music Spotlight

Australians will get more local music in their diet through a new, weekly TV and online spotlight.

ARIA AMPLIFIED is a two-and-a-half-minute music news update, which will premiere Tuesday, Aug. 13 on ARIA’s social media channels, and feature the same day on Nine’s TODAY.

Author and broadcaster Bridget Hustwaite will host the new update, which is presented by American Express, backed by the Australian government through Music Australia, and produced by Roving Enterprises, the Melbourne-based production company behind recent editions of the annual ARIA Awards.

AMPLIFIED is unveiled today (Aug. 7) following an online member and industry briefing, and was drawn-up to help crack the discovery problem for homegrown acts, many of whom are unable to find a voice among the 100 million songs – and counting – that are available on the main streaming platforms.

“ARIA’s mission is simple: to connect people with Australian music,” says the trade body’s CEO Annabelle Herd. “But fans of Australian music have a problem: knowing where to turn for a cool, credible and up-to-date voice for homegrown music and pop culture.”

The weekly music nugget is “a way to plug Australian music directly into the online conversation and capture the imagination of culture junkies and media darlings alike,” she enthuses.

Thanks to its potentially global reach on digital channels, “this isn’t simply creating a show for Aus music fans to keep up with their favourite artists,” Herd continues, “this is a place for a growing community to celebrate the global success of Aussie musicians leading culture from LA to Lorne and Sydney to Seoul.”

Music is one of AMEX’s customers’ “key passions,” says the financial services specialist’s VP of brand, marketing and member experience, Naysla Edwards, “so we’re constantly looking for ways to connect them to unforgettable music experiences. Australia’s music scene is world-class and we are honoured to support ARIA AMPLIFIED as a powerful new platform on which it will shine.”

The music snapshot rolls out following the launch last Friday of the inaugural ARIA Australian #1 Awards, respectively won by The Kid Laroi’s single “Girls” and Lime Cordiale’s third album Enough Of The Sweet Talk, the first homegrown No. 1 on the ARIA Chart in 10 months.

“The opportunity to invest in an initiative that unites our industry by collectively sharing and promoting Australian success stories every week was a no brainer for Music Australia,” says the organisation’s director Millie Millgate, “and we are excited to partner with ARIA to bring Roving Enterprises vision to life.”