No Fixed Address’ Bart Willoughby to Receive Ted Albert Award

Bart Willoughby, founding member of No Fixed Address, is the 2024 recipient of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, to be presented next month at the 2024 APRA Music Awards.

A proud Kokatha and Mirning man, Willoughby’s place in the history books is assured as the driving force behind No Fixed Address, the pioneering First Nations reggae-rock band.

The outfit was the first Aboriginal band to secure a major label deal, was championed by Tina Turner and shared stages with the likes of The Clash, Ian Dury, Peter Tosh, and Cold Chisel, winners of the Ted Albert Award in 2016.

No Fixed Address’ stirring protest song from 1981, “We Have Survived,” is enshrined in the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

“Compassion,” says Willoughby in a statement announcing his accolade, “I am something else now. All you have to do is put the black bits and the white bits together. I’m on a road of destiny. I wake up as it starts to begin. That’s when you know you’re riding the wave. It’s part of destiny. That’s when you know you’ve found what you’ve looking for.”

The Ted Albert Award is one of the Australian music industry’s highest honours, and is decided by the APRA board of writer and publisher directors.

Previous recipients include Paul Kelly, the late Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski, Slim Dusty, The Seekers, The Wiggles and last year’s recipients, Colin Hay and the late Colleen Ironside.

Also announced today, April 18, Taylor Swift and co-writer Jack Antonoff win most performed international work at the 2024 APRAs for “Anti-Hero,” lifted from her ARIA Chart-topping 10th studio album, Midnights, while the Australian Calisthenic Federation (ACF) is the 2024 licensee of the year.

The 42nd edition of the APRA Music Awards are set for Wednesday, May 1 at ICC Sydney, Gadigal land, with host Tom Gleeson, and guest presenters Jen Cloher and Bumpy.

Performers on the night will include Haiku, Sweet Talk, Bad//Dreems, Ashli and Cub Sport.

Sarah Aarons leads the way with three nominations, while the likes of Troye Sivan, Budjerah, Ainslie Wills, Styalz Fuego, Amy Shark, The Kid LAROI, James Johnston and MAY-A each grab two nominations.