News April 7, 2020

Tones And I, Teskey Brothers, Guy Sebastian dominate APRA Awards nominations

Head of Content

With four nominations, Tones And I is looking likely to dominate next month’s APRA Music Awards, while The Teskey Brothers and Guy Sebastian are close behind with three nods each.

Tones (real name Toni Watson) is coming off a year of dizzying success, which saw her hit ‘Dance Monkey’ smash chart records on both sides of the globe, blast past two billion streams in quick time, and scoop swags of awards.

At the 2020 APRAs, the former busker is nominated for Most Performed Australian Work, Most Performed Pop Work, Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year and the coveted, peer-voted APRA Song of the Year.

“I am so honoured to receive four APRA nominations,” Tones says in a statement accompanying the nominations. “Big thank you to APRA for all the work they do for the music community. Stay safe.”

Watch Tones And I’s ‘Dance Monkey’:

Released in May 2019, ‘Dance Monkey’ quickly grew into a global beast.

By November, the catchy tune had sped past one billion streams, and went on to amass a record-setting 24 weeks at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and 11 weeks at No. 1 in the U.K., a high-mark for a solo female artist.

All told, ‘Dance Monkey’ reached No. 1 in at least 30 countries, went top 5 in the U.S. and its recognised as the most-“Shazamed” song of all time and is now the longest-ever No. 1 song on the Spotify global chart.

The APRAs could be a happy hunting group for The Teskey Brothers’ Josh Teskey, Sam Teskey, Liam Gough and Brendon Love, who are up for APRA Song of the Year, Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year and Most Performed Blues & Roots for ‘I Get Up,’ lifted from their ARIA Award-winning second album Run Home Slow.

Guy Sebastian will look to add to his ARIA Awards glory with a hattrick of APRA Award nominations for ‘Choir,’ which he co-wrote with U.S. pair Trevor Brown and Zaire Koalo, who collaborate as The Orphanage. ‘Choir’ won song of the year at the last November’s ARIAs, and he’s up for the APRA Song of the Year category, as well as Most Performed Australian Work and Most Performed Pop Work.

Also on the night, there’s a pair of nominations for Thelma Plum, Hilltop Hoods, Birds of Tokyo, Dean Lewis, Phil Barton, Lindsay Rimes, Troy Cassar-Daley, Illy, debutants KIAN and co-writer Jerome Farah and 2019’s APRA Songwriter of the Year Sarah Aarons.

This year’s APRAs will reflect the times we live in. In the wake of the Coronavirus crisis, the annual awards ceremony will go ahead May 26 with a “virtual” format.

Winners and nominees will be celebrated at a “virtual awards event” on Tuesday, May 26, to be streamed live. Indeed, this year’s ceremony will be known as the 2020 Virtual APRA Music Awards, with followers online encouraged to use the hashtag #VAPRAs.

APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Dean Ormston paid tribute to songwriters and gave a shout out to the industry’s Sound of Silence information hub and the Aussie Made campaign, which is calling on digital music platforms to lift their homegrown content in these strange, isolating times.

“If ever there was a time to acknowledge the work of songwriters – both those on stage and those who work quietly behind-the-scenes – it is now, which is why we have committed to the 2020 Virtual APRA Music Awards,” comments Ormston.

“Our songwriters give us so much – they contribute enormously to our economic and cultural wealth, and in a world of self-isolation, never has the comfort, poignancy, or uplift of a song been more important.”

Click here for the full list of nominees.

2020  VIRTUAL APRA MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES
Click here for the full list of nominees.

Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year

Title: Better in Blak
Artist: Thelma Plum
Writers: Thelma Plum* / Alexander Burnett / Oliver Horton
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing*

Title: Choir
Artist: Guy Sebastian
Writers: Guy Sebastian / Trevor Brown* / William Simmons*
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Mushroom Music obo Reservoir*

Title: Dance Monkey
Artist: Tones And I
Writer: Toni Watson
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Tones and I

Title: I Get Up
Artist: The Teskey Brothers
Writers: Liam Gough / Brendon Love  /Josh Teskey / Sam Teskey
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music

Title: Teeth
Artist: 5 Seconds of Summer
Writers: Luke Hemmings / Ashton Irwin / Louis Bell*/ Ali Tamposi~ / Ryan Tedder> / Andrew Watt° / Gillian Gilbert^ / Peter Hook^ / Stephen Morris^ / Evan Rogers+ / Carl Sturken+ / Bernard Sumner^
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing* / Mushroom Music obo Reservoir~ / Downtown Music Publishing> / Kobalt Music Publishing° / Universal Music Publishing^ / Universal/MCA Music Publishing+

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year

Writer: Ruel van Dijk pka Ruel
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

Writer:  Sampa Tembo pka Sampa the Great

Writer: Thelma Plum
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Writers: Liam Gough, Brendon Love, Josh Teskey and Sam Teskey, (The Teskey Brothers)
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music

Writer: Toni Watson pka Tones And I
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Tones and I

Most Performed Australian Work

Title: 7 Minutes
Artist: Dean Lewis
Writers: Dean Lewis / Nicholas Atkinson* / Edward Holloway*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Specific Music / BMG Rights Management*

Title: Choir
Artist: Guy Sebastian
Writers: Guy Sebastian / Trevor Brown* / William Simmons*
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Mushroom Music obo Reservoir*

Title: Dance Monkey
Artist: Tones And I
Writer: Toni Watson
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Tones and I

Title: Good Lord
Artist: Birds of Tokyo
Writers: Ian Berney / Ian Kenny / Glenn Sarangapany / Adam Spark / Adam Weston
Publisher: Mushroom Music

Title: Waiting
Artist: KIAN
Writers: Kian Brownfield / Jerome Farah*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo KB Recording / Mushroom Music*

Most Performed Alternative Work

Title: God Forgot
Artist: The Rubens
Writers: Scott Baldwin / Elliott Margin / Sam Margin / Zaac Margin / William Zeglis
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music

Title: Good Lord
Artist: Birds of Tokyo
Writers: Ian Berney / Ian Kenny / Glenn Sarangapany / Adam Spark / Adam Weston
Publisher: Mushroom Music

Title: Miracle Love
Artist: Matt Corby
Writers: Matt Corby / Dann Hume*
Publishers: BMG Rights Management / Sony/ATV Music Publishing*

Title: Radio Silence
Artist: Gretta Ray
Writer: Gretta Ray
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Title: Waiting
Artist: KIAN
Writers: Kian Brownfield / Jerome Farah*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo KB Recording / Mushroom Music*

Most Performed Blues & Roots Work

Title: Blackbird
Artist: Tash Sultana
Writer: Tash Sultana
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Tash Sultana

Title: I Get Up
Artist: The Teskey Brothers
Writers: Liam Gough / Brendon Love / Josh Teskey / Sam Teskey
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music

Title: Just Call
Artist: John Butler Trio
Writer: John Butler
Publishers: Downtown Music Publishing obo Family Music

Title: Laps Around the Sun
Artist: Ziggy Alberts
Writer: Ziggy Alberts
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Albert & Co Music

Title: Sound of Summer
Artist: Busby Marou
Writers: Thomas Busby / Jeremy Marou / Phil Barton* / Lindsay Rimes
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Mushroom Music*

Most Performed Country Work

Title: Backroad Nation
Artist: Lee Kernaghan
Writers: Lee Kernaghan* / Phil Barton^ / Colin Buchanan* / Garth Porter+ / Lindsay Rimes~
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing* / Mushroom Music obo Anthem Entertainment^ / Perfect Pitch Publishing+ / Sony/ATV Music Publishing~

Title: Girl
Artist: Maren Morris
Writers: Sarah Aarons / Greg Kurstin / Maren Morris*
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Downtown Music Publishing*

Title: Happy
Artist: Travis Collins
Writers: Travis Collins / Allison Veltz*
Publishers: ABC Music Publishing / Mushroom Music obo Big Deal Music*

Title: Love That
Artist: Seaforth
Writers: Thomas Jordan* / Mitchell Thompson^ / Daniel Ross+ / Michael Whitworth
Publishers: ABC Music Publishing* / Warner Chappell Music^ / Universal/MCA Music Publishing+

Title: Wouldn’t Change a Thing
Artist: Troy Cassar-Daley
Writers: Troy Cassar-Daley / Greg Storer*
Publishers: Mushroom Music / ABC Music Publishing*

Title: Young Again
Artist: Morgan Evans
Writers: Morgan Evans / Chris DeStefano* / Joshua Kear^
Publishers: Warner Chappell Music / Sony/ATV Music Publishing* / Downtown Music Publishing^

Most Performed Dance Work

Title: Better Together
Artist: Hayden James feat. Running Touch
Writers: Hayden James* / Matthew Kopp^ / Jack Glass+ / Cassian Stewart-Kasimba
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic* / BMG Rights Management^ / Universal Music Publishing+

Title: Solid Gold
Artist: PNAU ft. Kira Divine & Marques Toliver
Writers: Nick Littlemore* / Sam Littlemore / Peter Mayes* / Shakira Marshall / Marques Toliver
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing*

Title: Sugar
Artist: Peking Duk ft. Jack River
Writers: Adam Hyde / Reuben Styles / Holly Rankin* / Kaelyn Behr^ / Xavier Dunn^ / Karsten Dahlgaard+ / Rene Dif> / Claus Norreen> / Anders Oeland+ / Johnny Pedersen+ / Soren Rasted>
Publishers: BMG Rights Management / Mushroom Music* / Sony/ATV Music Publishing^ / Warner Chappell Music+ / Universal/MCA Music Publishing>

Title: Take It
Artist: Dom Dolla
Writer: Dominic Matheson
Publishers: Sweat It Out Publishing administered by Kobalt Music Publishing

Title: Treat You Better
Artist: RÜFÜS DU SOL
Writers: Jonathon George / James Hunt / Tyrone Lindqvist / Jason Evigan* / Mark Foster^
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo RÜFÜS DU SOL / BMG Rights Management* / Sony/ATV Music Publishing^

Most Performed Pop Work

Title: 7 Minutes
Artist: Dean Lewis
Writers: Dean Lewis / Nicholas Atkinson* / Edward Holloway*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Specific Music / BMG Rights Management*

Title: All Loved Up
Artist: Amy Shark
Writers: Amy Shark / Jack Antonoff*
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo UNIFIED Music Publishing / Sony/ATV Music Publishing*

Title: Choir
Artist: Guy Sebastian
Writers: Guy Sebastian / Trevor Brown* / William Simmons*
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Mushroom Music obo Reservoir*

Title: Dance Monkey
Artist: Tones And I
Writer: Toni Watson
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Tones And I

Title: Never Really Over
Artist: Katy Perry
Writers: Daniel James / Leah Haywood / Hayley Warner* / Katy Perry* / Gino Barletta* / Michelle Buzz* / Jason Gill* / Dagny Sandvik^ / Anton Zaslavski+
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music* / Kobalt Music Publishing^ / Universal/MCA Music Publishing +

Most Performed Rock Work

Title: Clarity
Artist: Polish Club
Writers: David Novak / John-Henry Pajak
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Title: Dinosaurs
Artist: Ruby Fields
Writers: Ruby Fields / Chris Collins*
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing*

Title: Jellyfish
Artist: Slowly Slowly
Writer: Ben Stewart
Publisher: Native Tongue Music Publishing

Title: Shutting Down Our Town
Artist: Jimmy Barnes ft Troy Cassar-Daley
Writer: Troy Cassar-Daley
Publisher: Mushroom Music

Title: Otherside
Artist: The Living End
Writers: Chris Cheney / Scott Owen / Andy Strachan / Tobias Kuhn*
Publishers: BMG Rights Management / Kobalt Music Publishing*

Most Performed Urban Work

Title: Butter
Artist: Triple One
Writers: Conor Grealish / Martin Guilfoyle / William Gunns / Dominic Kim

Title: Cool As Hell
Artist: Baker Boy
Writers: Danzal Baker / Carl Dimataga / Jesse Ferris* / Morgan Jones* / Brendan Tuckerman* / Dallas Woods^
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing* / Kobalt Music Publishing^

Title: Exit Sign
Artist: Hilltop Hoods ft. Illy & Ecca Vandal
Writers: Barry Francis (DJ Debris) / Matthew Lambert (Suffa) / Daniel Smith (MC Pressure)/ Alasdair Murray (Illy)* / Sarah Aarons / Andrew Burford^
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing / BMG Rights Management* / Universal Music Publishing^

Title: Leave Me Lonely
Artist: Hilltop Hoods
Writers: Barry Francis (DJ Debris) / Matthew Lambert (Suffa) / Daniel Smith (MC Pressure)/ Leigh Ryan* / Richard Berry^
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Native Tongue Music Publishing* / Campbell Connelly^

Title:  Then What
Artist: Illy
Writers: Alasdair Murray (Illy) / Tobias Frelin* / Elias Naslin*
Publishers: BMG Rights Management / Kobalt Music Publishing*

Most Performed International Work

Title: Happier
Artist: Marshmello ft. Bastille
Writers: Marshmello / Dan Smith* / Steve Mac*
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing*

Title: Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
Artist: Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus
Writers: Mark Ronson / Miley Cyrus* / Thomas Brenneck^ / Ilsey Juber+ / Clement Picard> / Maxime Picard> / Conor Szymanski+
Publishers: Native Tongue Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing* / BMG Rights Management^ / Sony/ATV Music Publishing+ / Mushroom Music obo Big Deal Music>

Title: Promises
Artist: Calvin Harris & Sam Smith
Writers: Calvin Harris* / Sam Smith* / Jessie Reyez^
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing* / BMG Rights Management^

Title: Shallow
Artist: Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Writers: Stefani Germanotta*^ / Mark Ronson*+ / Anthony Rossomando*> / Andrew Wyatt*>
Publishers: Universal/MCA Music Publishing* / Sony/ATV Music Publishing^ / Native Tongue Music Publishing+ / Downtown Music Publishing>

Title: Sunflower
Artist: Post Malone & Swae Lee
Writers: Post Malone*+ / Swae Lee*^ / Louis Bell* / Carter Lang*^ / Carl Rosen*+ / William Walsh*
Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing* / Universal/MCA Music Publishing+ / Warner Chappell Music^