Jimmy Barnes made some telling comments in the media today, slamming the ARIAs and the way they’ve become more about television ratings than the music. I’ve got to admit, I tend to agree.
Years ago I remember attending several ARIA Awards. I cheered on the world music artists I’d chatted to earlier in the night as well as bands who were already my favourites, and celebrated the beautiful landscape of Australian music.
But that sense of community seems to have been taken away this year as awards were presented at ARIA Genre Awards concerts rather than the main event. These genre awards saw gongs go to some big names: jazz man James Morrison, children’s entertainers The Wiggles, country sister act The McClymonts, and the soulful Dan Sultan amongst them.
These artists might not be flogged to death on commercial radio as the acts that will take home Sunday night’s awards are, but isn’t that kind of the point? Why do international guests with no connection to music like Carmen Electra and Eric Stonestreet find a place at Sunday’s awards when the performers that make the Australian music landscape so rich don’t? I love Modern Family as much as the next person, but it makes no sense to me. I’d much rather celebrate the melting pot that is the Aussie music industry than only the performers that already bask in the limelight.
I was happy to see the ARIAs move back to Ten after the awkwardness of last year’s ceremony, but now I’m just not sure.
Image used with permission from Javelin Australia