triple j’s Okine calls out ARIA over lack of female nominees

In a speech that was cut from the televised broadcast, triple j announcer and comedian Matt Okine called for attention to sexism in the industry at last night’s ARIA Awards.

On stage to accept his award in the Best Comedy Release category, Okine said: “I’d feel bad if I didn’t make a point of something that’s a little bit weird, I feel a little bit weird about… I don’t think there were any women nominated in the comedy category just then.

“I don’t think there’s any women who are, like, featured artists on tonight’s show even,” he added. “I think Tina Turner is.. I mean Tina Arena is obviously.”

The crowd began to laugh at the misstep before Okine cut them off. “No this is serious though, other than that there’s a couple of featured guests […] I’d feel stupid if I didn’t say this opportunity to say something about that.”

Okine then mentioned an article written by Clementine Ford about men needing to take a step down to ensure equality, and said he didn’t fear a corporate backlash. “I guess this is just a situation where if this means I don’t come back here, or if I get in trouble from ABC or something, then that’s fine.”

A Network Ten spokesperson told news.com.au that the decision to cut Okine’s speech from the broadcast was made by the ARIA Board.

TMN reached out to ARIA for comment. A spokesperson said the acceptance speech for the Best Comedy Release award was always scheduled as an off air award.

“Best Comedy Release was never scheduled to go to air,” said the spokesperson. “There are eight awards in total that don’t make it to the broadcast because of time restrictions, however each of these off-air awards have been posted on ARIA’s official Twitter Account.”

The ARIAs contain 28 award categories, including the seven Fine Arts and Artisan Awards, which were announced at the nominations earlier this month. The eightoff air awards are: Best Comedy, Best Independent, Best Adult Contemporary, Best Blues & Roots, Best Urban Album, Best Country Album, Best Hard Rock/heavy Metal Album and Best Children’s Album.

Okine won the ARIA for his Live at the Enmore Theatre release, he beat fellow male comedians Bondi Hipsters, Buddy Goode, Ronny Chieng and Sammy J & Randy.

triple j House Party host and electronic artist KLP shared Okine’s sentiment on Twitter:

Last night’s ARIAs saw Tame Impala and Courtney Barneet sweep the awards. Tame Impala picked up three trophies including the coveted Album Of The Year
 for Currents, while Barnett picked up four, including Breakthrough Artist and Best Female.

2015 was the first year ARIA made its Best Australian Live Act category a public voted award. Two million votes cast around the world went to 5 Seconds Of Summer, who crossed live to the Awards from LA.

The night’s highlight however was Tina Arena’s induction into the ARIA Hall Of Fame by fellow ARIA Hall Of Fame Inductee Kylie Minogue. Arena was also joined on stage by Jessica Mauboy and The Veronicas to perform her classic hit, Chains.

According to overnight OzTam ratings, the ARIAs broadcast picked up 461,000 viewers, losing the night to Seven News with 933,000 viewers followed by Nine News on 910,000 viewers. The Awards were the 18th most watched show last night.

Last year the ARIAs had an overall viewership of 571,000, with 602,000 viewers tuning in for the red carpet segment.

However, the Awards segment ranked #4 in the 18 to 39 group, ARIAs target audience. The ARIAs also ranked #1 on Twitter, becoming the first Australian TV show to have a Twitter emoji created of the actual ARIA award.

2015 ARIA Award Nominations & Winners

Telstra Album Of The Year

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records/Remote Control)
Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Future Classic)
Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks)
Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)

Best International Artist

Calvin Harris – Motion (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Ed Sheeran – X (Atlantic UK / Warner Music)
Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways (RCA / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Hozier – Hozier (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
James Bay – Chaos And The Calm (Universal / Universal Music Australia)
Mark Ronson – Uptown Special (Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Meghan Trainor – Title (Epic Records / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
One Direction – Four (Syco / Sony Music Entertainment Australia) – WINNER
Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour (Capitol / EMI)
Taylor Swift – 1989 (Big Machine Records / Universal Music Australia)

Best Australian Live Act

5 Seconds Of Summer – Rock Out With Your Socks Out Tour (EMI) – WINNER
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit Album Tour (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Gang of Youths – Gang of Youths National Tour (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light Tour (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Hilltop Hoods – Cosby Sweater Australian Tour (Golden Era Records / Universal Music Australia)
Nick Cave – Nick Cave Australian Tour (Bad Seed / Kobalt Label Services)
Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions Tour (Gawd Aggie Recordings / Universal Music Australia)
Sheppard – The Bombs Away Tour (Chugg Music & Empire Of Song / MGM Distribution)
The Preatures – The Cruel Tour (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away Tour (Liberation Music)

Best Male Artist

#1 Dads – Nominal (Pieater / Inertia)
Daniel Johns – Talk (Eleven / EMI)
Guy Sebastian – Tonight Again (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music) – WINNER

Best Female Artist

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control) – WINNER
Jessica Mauboy – Can I Get A Moment? (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Meg Mac – MEGMAC EP (littleBIGMAN / Inertia)
Megan Washington – There There (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)

Best Dance Release

Alison Wonderland – Run (EMI)
Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Future Classic)
Hayden James – Something About You (Future Classic)
Peking Duk – Take Me Over feat. SAFIA (Vicious Bitch / Universal Music Australia)
Rüfüs – You Were Right (Sweat It Out / Sony Music Entertainment Australia) – WINNER

Best Rock Album

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Dead Letter Circus – Aesthesis (UNFD)
Gang of Youths – The Positions (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER
The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Best Video

Prad Senanayake for Alison Wonderland – U Don’t Know feat. Wayne Coyne (EMI)
Charlie Ford for Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best (Milk! Records / Remote Control)
Lorin Askill for Daniel Johns – Aerial Love (Eleven / EMI)
Anthony Rose for Delta Goodrem – Wings (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Clemens Habicht for Flume – Some Minds feat. Andrew Wyatt (Future Classic)
Kess Broekman-Dattner for Hermitude – Through The Roof feat. Young Tapz (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Duncan Toombs for Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The Anzacs (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Filmery for Shane Nicholson – Secondhand Man (Lost Highway Australia)
Luci Schroder for Vance Joy – Georgia (Liberation Music)
Matt Sharp & Daniel James for The Veronicas – You Ruin Me (Sony Music Entertainment Australia) – WINNER

Best Country Album

Catherine Britt – Boneshaker (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The Anzacs (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Mustered Courage – White Lies and Melodies (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Shane Nicholson – Hell Breaks Loose (Lost Highway Australia / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER
Troy Cassar-Daley – Freedom Ride (Liberation Music)

Best Urban Album

Citizen Kay – Demokracy (Asphalt Records / MGM)
Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Weapon (Flying Buddha / Sony Music Masterworks)
Seth Sentry – Strange New Past (High Score Records / Inertia) – WINNER
The Meeting Tree – R U A Cop (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Tuka – Life Death Time Eternal (EMI)

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album

Born Lion – Final Words (FOUR|FOUR / Universal Music Australia)
In Hearts Wake – Skydancer (UNFD)
King Parrot – Dead Set (EVP Recordings / Rocket Distribution)
Northlane – Node (UNFD) – WINNER
Thy Art Is Murder – Holy War (UNFD)

Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA

Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment / Warner Music Australia)
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control) – WINNER
Gang of Youths – The Positions (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Meg Mac – Never Be (littleBIGMAN / Inertia)

Best Blues And Roots Album

C.W. Stoneking – Gon’ Boogaloo (King Hokum Records / Caroline Australia) – WINNER
Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams (Caroline Australia)
The Black Sorrows – Endless Sleep (Head Records)
The Waifs – Beautiful You (Jarrah Records / MGM)
Tim Rogers & The Bamboos – The Rules of Attraction (Warner Music Australia)

Best Adult Contemporary Album

John Farnham & Olivia Newton-John – Two Strong Hearts (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Megan Washington – There There (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Oh Mercy – When We Talk About Love (EMI) – WINNER
Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions (Gawd Aggie Recordings / Universal Music Australia)
Szymon –Tigersapp (EMI / Eloper Music)

Best Independent Release

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control) – WINNER
Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions (Gawd Aggie Recordings)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)

Best Pop Release

Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment / Warner Music Australia)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited) – WINNER
Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)
Tame Impala – Let It Happen (Modular / Universal Music Australia)
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away (Liberation Music)

Best Group

5 Seconds of Summer – LiveSOS (EMI)
AC/DC – Rock Or Bust (Alberts / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER
The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)

Best Comedy Release

Bondi Hipsters – Fuhck The Bahnks (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Buddy Goode – Songs To Ruin Every Occasion (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Matt Okine – Live at the Enmore Theatre (Century Entertainment) – WINNER
Ronny Chieng – Chieng Reaction (Century Entertainment)
Sammy J & Randy – Live (Head Records)

Best Children’s Album

Giggle and Hoot – Hootastic Tunes (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Play School – Favourite Things – Songs and Nursery Rhymes from Play School (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Rhys Muldoon – Perfect Is The Enemy Of Good (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Sam Moran – Play Along With Sam: BOO! (6 Degrees Records / MGM) – WINNER
The Wiggles – Rock & Roll Preschool (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Song Of The Year

Conrad Sewell – Start Again (300 Entertainment / Warner Music Australia) – WINNER
Grace – You Don’t Own Me feat. G-Eazy (RCA / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Iggy Azalea – Trouble feat. Jennifer Hudson (Mercury Australia / Universal Music Australia)
Jarryd James – Do You Remember (Jarryd James Music / Dryden Street Limited)
Marlisa – Stand By You (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Nathaniel – Live Louder (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Peking Duk – Take Me Over feat. SAFIA (Vicious Bitch/Universal Music Australia)
Sia – Elastic Heart (Inertia Recordings)
The Veronicas – You Ruin Me (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Vance Joy – Georgia (Liberation Music)

2015 ARIA Awards – Artisan Award Winners

Engineer of the Year

Virginia Read for Australian Brandenburg Orchestra – Brandenburg Celebrates (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)
Adrian Breakspear and Peter Holz for Gang of Youths – Radioface (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Mitch Kenny for Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER
Nick Didia for The Waifs – Beautiful You (Jarrah Records / MGM)

Producer Of The Year

Damn Moroda for Daniel Johns – Talk (Eleven / EMI)
Luke Dubber and Angus Stuart for Hermitude – Dark Night Sweet Light (Elefant Traks / Inertia Music)
Garth Porter for Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The Anzacs (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – Currents (Modular / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER
Nick Didia for The Waifs – Beautiful You (Jarrah Records / MGM)

Best Cover Art

Courtney Barnett for Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk! Records / Remote Control) – WINNER
Daniel Johns, Aref and Peter Salmon-Lomas for Daniel Johns – Talk (Eleven / EMI)
Timothy Lovett for Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Future Classic)
Bjenny Montero for Pond – Man It Feels Like Space Again (EMI)
Nathan Johnson for Gang of Youths – The Positions (Verge / Sony Music Entertainment Australia)

2015 ARIA Awards – Fine Arts Award Nominations

Best Classical Album

Amy Dickson – Island Songs (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra – Brandenburg Celebrates (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)
Grigoryan Brothers – This Time (Which Way Music)
Sally Whitwell – I Was Flying (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)
Tamara-Anna Cislowska – Peter Sculthorpe: Complete Works for Solo Piano (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER

Best Jazz Album

Allan Browne Quintet – Ithaca Bound (Jazzhead / MGM Distribution)
Barney McAll – Mooroolbark (ABC Jazz / Universal Music Australia) -WINNER
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Quarters! (Flightless / Remote Control)
Paul Grabowsky – Solo (ABC Jazz / Universal Music Australia)
Sarah McKenzie – We Could Be Lovers (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)

Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Album

Ed Kuepper – Last Cab To Darwin – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Sony Music Entertainment Australia)
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra / Nigel Westlake – Paper Planes – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Opera Australia – Bliss (Brett Dean / Amanda Holden / Peter Carey) (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)
Various Artists – Beat The Drum – Celebrating 40 Years of triple j (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia) – WINNER
Various Artists – The Water Diviner – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Universal Music Australia)

Best World Music Album

Baby et Lulu – Album Deux (Independent / MGM)
Christine Anu – Island Christmas (Social Family Records / Universal Music Australia / The Orchard)
Genevieve Lacey / James Crabb – Heard This and Thought of You (ABC Classics / Universal Music Australia)
Joseph Tawadros-Truth Seekers, Lovers and Warriors (ABC Music / Universal Music Australia)
Gurrumul – The Gospel Album (Skinnyfish Music / MGM) – WINNER