ARIA Awards Member Voting Is Set to Open, With Several Changes

The window is ready to slide open for ARIA members to enter their top ARIA Awards picks.

Members of the trade association can cast entries from Friday (July 29), when they’ll be asked to put forward the music industry’s best and brightest, based on a September-to-September eligibility period.

As the recording industry’s flagship ceremony enters its 36th edition, organisers lock-in a line-up of categories that were first unveiled in 2021, along with several changes.

The tradition continues with the Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist, won for the first time last year by Budjerah, while the gender-based categories are scrapped once again, a progressive move that now sees the awarding of best solo artist, a new title.

The changes continue with the best dance release category, which becomes best dance/electronic release, TMN can reveal.

Meanwhile, the Artisan categories for producing and engineering become release-focused, and titled mix engineer — best mixed album, and producer – best produced album.

One of the more noteworthy inclusions ahead of this year’s party is the obligation for all award entrants, nominees, winners or member that submits an entry to comply with the ARIA Code of Conduct and Behaviour Benchmark.

This note comes with a warning: Don’t bring ARIA or its Awards into “disrepute,” failure to do so could result in disqualification.

In 2022, ARIA will present five publicly voted awards — song of the year, most popular international artist, best Australian live act, best video, Telstra ARIA music teacher award — and another five are judged and voted by the ARIAs Voting Academy, which consists of over 800 representatives from across the music industry.

A further 18 categories are judged and voted on by so-called Judging Schools, which gather representatives experienced with specific music genre.

The ARIA Hall of Fame, the ARIA Icon Award, lifetime achievement and other “special achievement” gongs are awarded at the discretion of the peak association’s board.

As previously reported, the 2022 ARIA Awards is set for Nov. 24, with broadcast deals confirmed with Nine Network domestically, and with YouTube for streaming worldwide.

This time, the ARIAs move to The Hordern Pavilion, following a hybrid version held in 2021 at Taronga Zoo, the feed for which accumulated more than 1.7 million views on YouTube.

Rules, criteria and entry information for the 2022 ARIAs have been distributed via email to members.

Entries remain open for all ARIA members until Aug. 12, 2022.

Scrutineering will take place from Aug. 13 to Sept. 4, then industry voting will happen from Sept. 7-14.