Tones And I, Teskey Brothers and Hilltop Hoods lead 2019 ARIA Award nominations

The Tones And I juggernaut keeps rolling as the ‘Dance Monkey’ singer nabs eight nominations for next month’s ARIA Awards, more than any other artist.

Just a year ago, Tones was honing her craft as a street busker. Today, she can brag about 2019 ARIA nods for Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist, and her mega-hit is up for Best Pop Release, Best Independent Release, Best Video, Song of the Year, plus Producer and Engineer of the Year.

Nominations for the 33rd annual ARIAs were announced this morning, and the timing couldn’t have been sweeter for Tones.

Watch Tones And I’s ‘Dance Monkey’:

The singer and songwriter’s ‘Dance Monkey’ is currently on top of sales charts in more than a dozen territories, including the U.K., where its on track for a second consecutive stint at No. 1.

Of course, it’s a force of nature on the ARIA Singles Chart, where it has logged 10 straight weeks at the summit, an all-time record for a homegrown act. It’s gone platinum in Ireland and New Zealand, gold in Denmark and Sweden and has amassed more than a quarter billion streams since its release in May.

Tones And I

Close behind with seven nominations is folk-rock outfit The Teskey Brothers and hip-hop veterans Hilltop Hoods.

For the Teskeys, their strong showing on the ARIAs leaderboard caps a dream year during which time Warrandyte four-piece’s second album Run Home Slow opened at peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and stayed in the top seven for four straight weeks. They’re up for Album of the Year, Breakthrough Artist, Best Group and more.

The Hoods, meanwhile, are back on familiar turf with their latest swag of ARIA nominations. Since 2006, the Adelaide trio has bagged nine pointed trophies and seen six of their eight albums go to the top of the albums chart.

This year, they’re up for Album Of The Year, Best Group, Best Hip Hop Release and other categories.

The Teskey Brothers

Singer-songwriters Thelma Plum and Julia Jacklin hit the ARIAs for six nominations, while legendary songsmith Paul Kelly is up for five gongs.

Kelly, who already has 14 ARIAs in his collection, this year becomes the first artist in history to be nominated across three ARIAs genres in the same year: Classical Album, Best Blues and Roots Album and Best Adult Contemporary.

And there’s four nominations for international breakthrough artist Dean Lewis, who now has upwards of 2.3 billion career streams and saw his 2019 debut album A Place We Knew fly straight to No. 1, while reigning APRA Song of the Year champ Amy Shark also has four chances, including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year for her chart-topping debut Love Monster.

Hilltop Hoods

Soul man Guy Sebastian is host on the night, and he’s also named in four categories.

Winners will be announced November 27 during a ceremony at the Star Event Centre, and broadcast around Australia on the Nine Network.

This year has been a “brilliant” one for Australian music, said ARIA CEO Dan Rosen as the names were read out this morning at The Art Gallery of New South Wales.

“Our nominees come from different backgrounds and work across a range of genres,” Rosen said, “but are united in their incredible ability to entertain and inspire us with their music.”

ARIA used the platform of today’s nominations announcement to reveal winners in the Fine Arts and Artisan Awards.

Artisan Award trophies went to Emilie Pfitzner, who takes out Best Cover Art for Thelma Plum’s Better in Blak (Warner Music Australia); Sam Teskey, Engineer of the Year for The Teskey Brothers’ Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records); and Dann Hume, Producer of the Year for Matt Corby’s Rainbow Valley (Matt Corby/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia), while Paul Kelly, James Ledger, Kate Ceberano and Paul Grabowsky were among the Fine Arts Award winners.

See the full list

Album Of The Year
Dean Lewis – A Place We Knew (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace (Rose Avenue Records/Sony Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)

Best Male Artist
Dean Lewis – A Place We Knew (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Choir (Sony Music Australia)
Hayden James – Between Us (Future Classic)
Matt Corby – Rainbow Valley (Matt Corby/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Paul Kelly – Nature (EMI Music Australia)

Best Female Artist
Amy Shark – Mess Her Up (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Jessica Mauboy – Little Things (Sony Music Australia)
Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)

Best Dance Release
Dom Dolla – Take It (Sweat It Out/Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd
FISHER – You Little Beauty (etcetc Music)
Peking Duk & Jack River – Sugar (Sony Music Australia)
PNAU – Solid Gold (etcetc Music)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace (Rose Avenue Records/Sony Music Australia)

Best Group
5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier (Interscope / EMI Music Australia)
Birds Of Tokyo – Good Lord (EMI Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace (Rose Avenue Records/Sony Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)

Breakthrough Artist
G Flip – About Us (Future Classic)
Stella Donnelly – Beware Of The Dogs (Stella Music/MGM)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)

Best Pop Release
Amy Shark – Mess Her Up (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Dean Lewis – A Place We Knew (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Choir (Sony Music Australia)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)

Best Hip Hop Release
Baker Boy – Cool As Hell (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Illy – Then What (Sony Music Australia)
Sampa The Great – Final Form (Ninja Tune/Inertia Music)
Tkay Maidza – Awake feat. JPEGMAFIA (Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)

Best Soul/R&B Release
Kaiit – Miss Shiney (Alt. Music Group/Ditto Music)
Matt Corby – Rainbow Valley (Matt Corby/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Adrian Eagle – AOK (Adrian Eagle)
Genesis Owusu – WUTD + Vultures (Ourness/AWAL)
Tash Sultana – Can’t Buy Happiness (Lonely Lands Records/Sony Music Australia)

Best Independent Release
Angie McMahon – Salt (Independent/AWAL)
G Flip – About Us (Future Classic)
Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Tones And I – The Kids Are Coming (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)

Best Rock Album
Amyl and The Sniffers – Amyl and The Sniffers (Flightless Records)
Holy Holy – My Own Pool Of Light (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Jimmy Barnes – My Criminal Record (Bloodlines)
Midnight Oil – Armistice Day: Live at The Domain, Sydney (Sony Music Australia)
Skegss – My Own Mess (Ratbag Records)

Best Adult Contemporary Album
Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Paul Kelly – Nature (EMI Music Australia)
Samantha Jade – The Magic of Christmas (Sony Music Australia)
Seeker Lover Keeper – Wild Seeds (Liberation Records)
The Paper Kites – On The Corner Where You Live (Wonderlick Recording Company)

Best Country Album
Charlie Collins – Snowpine (Mirror Music/Inertia Music)
Felicity Urquhart – Frozen Rabbit (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Lee Kernaghan – Backroad Nation (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Morgan Evans – Things We Drink To (Warner Music Nashville)
Sara Storer – Raindance (Universal Music Australia)

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
Clowns – Nature/Nurture (Damaged Record Co./Caroline Australia)
Dead Letter Circus – Dead Letter Circus (BMG)
DZ Deathrays – Positive Rising: Part 1 (I OH YOU)
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Infest The Rats’ Nest (Flightless Records/Inertia Music)
Northlane – Alien (UNFD)

Best Blues & Roots Album
Dan Sultan – Aviary Takes (Liberation Records)
John Butler Trio – HOME (Jarrah Records/MGM)
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Fishing For Fishies (Flightless Records/Inertia Music)
Paul Kelly – Live At Sydney Opera House (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)

Best Children’s Album
Dan Sultan – Nali & Friends (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Kamil Ellis and Ensemble Offspring – Classic Kids: Music For The Dreaming (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Regurgitator’s Pogogo Show – The Really Really Really Really Boring Album (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
The Beanies – Imagination Station (Kinderling Kids Radio)
The Wiggles – Party Time! (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)

Best Comedy Release
Arj Barker – Organic (Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Carl Barron – Drinking With A Fork (Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Chris Lilley – Lunatics (Official Soundtrack) (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Sammy J – Symphony In J Minor (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Veronica & Lewis – Sex Flex: A Rap Guide To Fornication (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS

Best Video presented by YouTube Music
Baker Boy – Cool As Hell (Danzal Baker/Island Record Australia)
Briggs – Life Is Incredible feat. Greg Holden (Adam Briggs/Island Records Australia)
G Flip – Drink Too Much (Future Classic)
Guy Sebastian – Choir (Sony Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – Exit Sign feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Jessica Mauboy – Little Things (Sony Music Australia)
PNAU – Solid Gold (etcetc Music)
Sampa The Great – Final Form (Ninja Tune/Inertia Music)
Thelma Plum – Better In Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music Australia)

Best Australian Live Act
Amy Shark – Amy Shark Australian Tour (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Baker Boy – Cool As Hell Tour (Danzal Baker/Island Records Australia)
Electric Fields – 2000 And Whatever Tour (Independent/Ditto)
Gang Of Youths – Say Yes To Life Tour (Mosy Recordings/Sony Music)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse World Tour (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Keith Urban – Graffiti U Tour 2019 (Capitol – Nashville/EMI Music Australia)
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Australian Tour 2019 (Flightless Records/Inertia Music)
Midnight Oil – Midnight Oil (Sony Music Australia)
Peking Duk – Peking Duk’s Biggest Tour Ever… So Far (Sony Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – The Teskey Brothers – Intimate Venue Tour (Ivy League Records)

Song Of The Year presented by YouTube Music
5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier (Interscope/EMI Music Australia)
Amy Shark – Mess Her Up (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Birds Of Tokyo – Good Lord (EMI Music Australia)
Dean Lewis – 7 Minutes (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Guy Sebastian – Choir (Sony Music Australia)
Hilltop Hoods – Leave Me Lonely (Hilltop Hoods/Universal Music Australia)
Kian – Waiting (EMI Music Australia)
Morgan Evans – Day Drunk (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Ocean Alley – Confidence (The Orchard)
Tones and I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)

Best International Artist
Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (UNI/UMA)
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go (INR/UMA)
Ed Sheeran – No.6 Collaborations Project (ATL/WAR)
George Ezra – Staying At Tamara’s (COL/SME)
Khalid – Free Spirit (RCA/SME)
P!nk – Hurts 2B Human (RCA/SME)
Post Malone – Hollywood’s Bleeding (UNI/UMA)
Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes (ISL/UMA)
Taylor Swift – Lover (UNI/UMA)
Travis Scott – Astroworld (SME)

Telstra ARIA Music Teacher of the Year
Antonio Chiappetta (St Andrews College, Marayong, NSW)
Bel Skinner (North Regional TAFE, WA)
Julie Rennick (Gunnedah Conservatorium, NSW)
Lee Strickland (Narbethong State Special School, QLD)

ARTISAN AWARDS

Best Cover Art
WINNER: Emilie Pfitzner for Thelma Plum – Better in Blak (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Ben Jones for Amyl and The Sniffers – Amyl and The Sniffers (Flightless Records)
Jonathan Zawada for Flume – Hi This is Flume (Mixtape) (Future Classic)
Nick Mckk for Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Lucy Dyson for Paul Kelly – Nature (EMI Music Australia)

Engineer Of The Year
WINNER: Sam Teskey for The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow (Ivy League Records)
Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse (Hilltop Hoods/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Burke Reid for Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – Patience (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Konstantin Kersting for Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)

Producer Of The Year
WINNER: Dann Hume for Matt Corby – Rainbow Valley (Matt Corby/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – Patience (Modular Recordings/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Burke Reid for Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Liberation Records)
Paul Kelly and Steven Schram for Paul Kelly – Nature (EMI Music Australia)
Konstantin Kersting for Tones And I – Dance Monkey (Bad Batch Records/Sony Music)

FINE ARTS AWARDS

Best Classical Album
WINNER: Paul Kelly, James Ledger – Thirteen Ways To Look At Birds (Decca Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Diana Doherty, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Nigel Westlake, David Robertson, Synergy Vocals – Nigel Westlake: Spirit of the Wild / Steve Reich: The Desert Music (ABC Classic/Universal Music Australia)
Genevieve Lacey – Soliloquy: Telemann Solo Fantasias ( ABC Classic/Universal Music Australia)
Grigoryan Brothers, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Northey – Bach Concertos (ABC Classic/Universal)
Nicole Car, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti – Heroines (ABC Classic/Universal Music Australia)

Best Jazz Album
WINNER: Kate Ceberano and Paul Grabowsky – TRYST (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Andrea Keller – Transients Vol.1 (MGM)
Angela Davis – Little Did They Know (ABC Jazz/Universal Music Australia)
Barney McAll – Zephyrix (Extra Celestial Arts)
Phil Slater – The Dark Pattern (Earshift/The Planet Company)

Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
WINNER: Various Artists – The Recording Studio (Music From The TV Series) (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Burkhard Dallwitz – LOCUSTS: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Closereef Productions)
Gang Of Youths – MTV Unplugged (Live in Melbourne) (Mosy Recordings/Sony Music)
Luke Howard – The Sand That Ate The Sea (Mercury KX/Universal Music Australia)
Trials – Cargo (Causeway Films/Universal Music Australia)

Best World Music Album
WINNER: Melbourne Ska Orchestra – One Year Of Ska (ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)
Chaika – Arrow (Mara Music/Independent/Gyrostream)
Joseph Tawadros – Betrayal of a Sacred Sunflower (Independent/The Planet Company)
Tara Tiba – Omid (Cezanne Producciones/The Planet Company)
Zela Margossian Quintet – Transition (Art As Catharsis)

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.