Though the pandemic has, once again, altered plans for the Australian music industry’s big night, the 2021 edition will be a celebration of “an incredible year of creativity, dedication and perseverance,” said ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd in a statement. And, for the first time, the ARIAs will beam out from Sydney’s iconic Taronga Zoo. As part of the ceremony’s evolution, organizers have dumped the gender-based categories, a progressive move that has been welcomed by the ARIA Voting Academy.
The 35th edition will be an all-digital affair, streamed live to a global audience on YouTube, through a partnership with YouTube Music. The Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist category is one of many changes to this year’s ARIA Awards. It’s a five-strong field, featuring Budjerah, Gretta Ray, Masked Wolf, MAY-A and Ngaiire. Sheeran has the honor of presenting the inaugural Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist award, a renamed category that honors the independent music legend and his “immense and irreplaceable contribution to signing, developing and championing Australian artists and music locally and internationally,” read a statement from ARIA. Presenters at this year’s ARIAs include Troye Sivan, Ruel, Lime Cordiale and The Wiggles, while Ed Sheeran will appear for a special video tribute to Michael Gudinski, the late Mushroom Group chairman and founder who passed away in March at age 68. Last weekend, he won for best artist at Australia’s National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs), and in April, he took out best newcomer at the APRA Music Awards, where he was the youngest winner on the night. The Kid LAROI Wins Big at Australia’s NIMAs 2021