Flume Rides to APRA Song of the Year

EDM star Flume was among the big winners at the APRA Music Awards on Thursday night (April 27), where he won for song of the year with co-writer Sarah Aarons.

Voted on by APRA members, Flume (real name: Harley Streten) and Aarons scooped the top prize for “Say Nothing” featuring MAY-A, the first-place getter in Triple J’s Hottest 100 countdown for 2022.

Both creators are previous winners for songwriter of the year: Flume won in 2017, Aarons won in 2019.

“Say Nothing” is lifted from the DJ and producer’s third studio album, Palaces.

“We’re shocked by how well this song has done with the Hottest 100 thing and now the APRA song of the year award. It’s really crazy. So thank you so much for voting,” Flume said in a pre-record.

“This song came about during COVID. We were in different places – Sarah was in London, I was in Byron and we were just kind of sending stuff back and forth. This song was done from all corners of the globe, in all different cities and ram shackled together to be something that has obviously connected with people –  we’re really  grateful to make something that does that.”

Meanwhile, songwriter of the year goes to Rüfüs Du Sol, the Grammy Award-winning electronic music duo known to their nearest and dearest as Jonathon George, James Hunt and Tyrone Lindqvist.

The trio doubled up, taking out most performed dance / electronic work for “On My Knees,” lifted from their ARIA Albums Chart-leading 2021 LP Surrender.

Remarkably, these are the first-ever APRA Award wins for the Sydney act, which won the Grammy in 2022 for best dance recording (“Alive”).

As he dominated sales charts around the globe, The Kid LAROI has also been in deadly form at the APRAs in recent years — including a hattrick bagged at last year’s 40th anniversary ceremony. He was at it again on Thursday night at the ICC Sydney, where he won most performed Australian work for 2023 and most performed pop work, both for “Stay” (co-written with Justin Bieber).

Just days after performing on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night U.S. TV show, two-time Australian Music Prize winner Sampa the Great has been named breakthrough songwriter of the year by the APRA board of writer and publisher directors. 

“As Above, So Below is my first album done fully in my home country Zambia,” Sampa remarked.

“It also happens to be the first album I have my first producer credits, so this is very special to me. I choose to share my culture. I choose to share stories from my country, and I choose to share them in my language with this album and I’m thankful for APRA for recognising and appreciating that.”

Though she couldn’t be at the party, she hints that she could be “creating the next great album.”

The biggest cheers are always reserved for the Ted Albert recipient, which this year was presented to Men at Work frontman Colin Hay and posthumously to concerts pioneer Colleen Ironside.

Hay’s spot included surprise dedications from Beatle Ringo Starr, with whom he regularly tours; and Scrubs and Garden State star Zach Braff, a fan of Hay who has featured the Scottish born artist and his music in his TV and film productions.

Other APRA Music Awards winners included Miiesha, The Chats, Casey Barnes, Xavier Rudd, Dean Lewis and Jon Hume, and Tones And I.

As previously reported, Celia Pacquola, Fred Leone and Henry Wagons were on hosting duties for this year’s event, while François Tétaz was musical director.

See the full list of 2023 APRA Awards nominees below.

See the full list of 2023 APRA Music Awards winners below.

Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Title: Say Nothing (feat. MAY-A)
Artist: Flume
Writers: Flume* / Sarah Aarons
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic* / Sony Music Publishing

Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Colin Hay
Colleen Ironside

Songwriter of the Year
RÜFÜS DU SOL
Jonathon George / James Hunt / Tyrone Lindqvist
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Sampa the Great
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing

Most Performed Australian Work
Title: STAY
Artist: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
Writers: The Kid LAROI / Justin Bieber* / Isaac De Boni# / Omer Fedi* / Magnus Hoiberg^ /
Michael Mule# / Charlie Puth+ / Subhaan Rahman^ / Blake Slatkin*
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing* /
Warner Chappell Music^ / Kobalt Music Publishing+ / Concord Music Publishing#

Most Performed Alternative Work
Title: Hurtless
Artist: Dean Lewis
Writers: Dean Lewis / Jon Hume*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing*

Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Title: We Deserve To Dream
Artist: Xavier Rudd
Writer: Xavier Rudd
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing

Most Performed Country Work
Title: God Took His Time On You
Artist: Casey Barnes
Writers: Casey Barnes / Kaci Brown* / Samuel Gray*
Publishers: Mushroom Music / Kobalt Music Publishing*

Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work
Title: On My Knees
Artist: RÜFÜS DU SOL
Writers: Jonathon George / James Hunt / Tyrone Lindqvist / Jason Evigan*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing*

Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work
Title: LET’S TROT!
Artist: Brothers & Joel Fletcher
Writers: Brothers / Joel Fletcher*
Publisher: 120 Publishing*

Most Performed Pop Work
Title: STAY
Artist: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
Writers: The Kid LAROI / Justin Bieber* / Isaac De Boni# / Omer Fedi* / Magnus Hoiberg^ /
Michael Mule# / Charlie Puth+ / Subhaan Rahman^ / Blake Slatkin*
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing* /
Warner Chappell Music^ / Kobalt Music Publishing+ / Concord Music Publishing#

Most Performed R&B / Soul Work
Title: Still Dream
Artist: Miiesha
Writers: Miiesha* / Lucy Blomkamp* / Stephen Collins
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing*

Most Performed Rock Work
Title: Struck By Lightning
Artist: The Chats
Writers: Matthew Boggis / Joshua Hardy / Eamon Sandwith
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
Title: Dance Monkey
Artist: Tones And I
Writer: Tones And I
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music

Most Performed International Work
Title: As It Was
Artist: Harry Styles
Writers: Harry Styles / Thomas Hull / Tyler Johnson*
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing*

Licensee of the Year
Triple M