‘The new prime minister of Australia’: Amyl and the Sniffers dominate the ARIAs

Warning: This story contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died.

If there was ever a time to be an Amyl and the Sniffers fan, that time would be now.

The punk pub rock band arrived at the 2025 ARIA Awards on Wednesday with six nominations, and within 50 minutes of the ceremony starting, had already won two.

By the night’s end, the band had secured four gongs – winning the event’s first award, Best Group, and final accolade, Album of the Year, in a full-circle moment that proves they have well and truly broken out of their genre and into the mainstream.

The wins cap off a big few weeks for the Melbourne band and its four members, Bryce Wilson, Gus Romer, Amy Taylor and Declan Mehrtens, who are supporting AC/DC on the legendary Australian act’s national tour, have been nominated for a Grammy Award, and saw their free home-town concert at Federation Square cancelled on Friday due to security fears brought on by overcrowding.

But it wasn’t just about the music – lead singer Taylor’s joke while accepting the gong for Best Cover Art was only one reason this year’s ARIA Awards ceremony was one of the more lively versions in recent memory.

“I know you just like it because I was flashing my titties,” Taylor laughed, throwing up a peace sign and sticking her tongue out as she accepted the accolade on behalf of artists John Stewart and Thomas Rennie, who designed Cartoon Darkness’ cheeky cover.

Taylor also dubbed herself the “new prime minister of Australia” while accepting Album of the Year, calling for the return of Indigenous lands to First Nations peoples, an increase in welfare payments, and a million dollars to the pub. She left the stage only after noting she won’t have to work at IGA any longer.

The tone for Australian music’s cheeky night of nights had well and truly been set with Keli Holiday’s electrifying opening performance of Dancing2. The musician, whose real name is Adam Hyde and who is best known for his work as one half of the duo Peking Duk, whipped out his signature sway, which would have stolen the show inside Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion were it not for Baker Boy‘s cameo with his yidaki, or didgeridoo, and G Flip’s full tilt with their saxophone.

Holiday soon had his hands on the gong for Best Video for the same song, which is notably inspired by girlfriend Abbie Chatfield. Of course, he couldn’t leave the stage without thanking his muse – and fans of the media personality would be pleased to know he didn’t forget.

Self-taught artist Ninajirachi, meanwhile, started the night leading the pack with a record eight ARIA Award nominations.

“I feel so good, there’s just friends all around the room,” the 26-year-old, whose debut album I Love My Computer has sent the NSW Central Coast native all over the United States and beyond, told hosts Concetta Caristo and Tim Blackwell early on.

The electronic producer ultimately walked out a three-time winner, notably taking home the gongs for Best Solo Artist and Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist.

“I actually released my first single eight years ago in 2017, so to win a Breakthough Artist award now is kind of funny,” she said from the stage while accepting the latter. Well, if we’ve learnt anything from Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan’s recent world domination, it takes 10 years to become an overnight success.

One Australian act who has dominated the world is Melbourne DJ Dom Dolla. He was nominated seven times – winning the award for Best Dance/Electronic release – but, most importantly, was also formally awarded the ARIAs’ inaugural Global Impact Award, presented by Spotify, just over 12 hours before he was due to board an 8am flight to Las Vegas.

“Don’t worry about the destination, you just gotta really enjoy it, and you might be really surprised where you end up,” the 33-year-old told the crowd and the nation as he was honoured with an accolade he says should have been introduced earlier.

“I really hope to be doing this for a really long time. If [AC/DC’s] Angus Young is anything to go by, I’ll have white hair ripping it out on the dance floor in 50 years.”

Although lively, ARIA’s corporate sponsorship with Spotify – which has come under fire from Australian musicians over how it invests its money, and for its minimal royalty payments – provided a note of controversy at the event.

On the red carpet, when this masthead asked stars what the industry needed right now, many said local investment and more music festivals.

Extra salt was rubbed in that wound by the new Best Music Festival award, with the inaugural award presented by Tixel to Laneway Festival. The category was created to acknowledge the importance of the ecosystem that helps Australian artists build sustainable careers.

But the nomination pool for that will no doubt have dwindled by this time next year, as festivals increasingly opt out of regularly scheduled programming.

Any blues were quickly forgotten thanks to radiant international superstar Olivia Dean’s joyful rendition of her hit single, Man I Need, in what was one of multiple appearances by global stars.

American country artist Kacey Musgraves presented Best Country Album to Kasey Chambers, and Tyra Banks was extremely excited to meet The Wiggles. (Taylor Swift, of course, got a mention when she once again won Most Popular International Artist. It’s the fifth time she’s taken out the accolade, and the third year in a row for the songstress).

But home is really where the heart is, and the night’s more emotional moments came from Missy Higgins’ Best Adult Contemporary Album win for The Second Act, the post-divorce album she poured her soul into, and You Am I’s induction into the Hall of Fame (or, as they called it, the “parents’ table”).

“If anyone ever offers you the opportunity to make art or do cool things with cool people, just f---ing take it because it’s never not worthwhile and could change your life too,” said lead guitarist Davey Lane, after a tearful message from Silverchair’s Daniel Johns.

Read on for the full list of winners and nominees at the 2025 ARIA Awards:

Album of the Year

• WINNER: Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness (Amyl and The Sniffers/Virgin Music Group)
• Missy Higgins – The Second Act (Eleven Music/EMI Music Australia)
• Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV Records)
• RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale (Rose Avenue Records/Warner Music Australasia)
• Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say it Back (Warner Music Australia)

Best Solo Artist

• Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV Records)
• BARKAA – Big Tidda (Big Apples Music/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
• Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’ (Good Fortune Records)
• Kylie Minogue – Tension II (Mushroom Music)
• Mallrat – Light hit my face like a straight right (Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)
• Missy Higgins – The Second Act (Eleven Music/EMI Music Australia)
• Paul Kelly – Fever Longing Still (EMI Music Australia)
• The Kid LAROI – How Does it Feel? (Columbia Records/Sony Music)
• Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say it Back (Warner Music Australia)
• Young Franco – it’s Franky baby! (Neon Records)

Song of the Year

• WINNER: The Kid LAROI – Girls (Columbia Records/Sony Music)
• Cyril, Maryjo – Still into You (Warner Music Australia/Spinnin Records)
• Dom Dolla Feat. Daya – Dreamin (Good Fortune Records)
• FISHER – Stay (etcetc Music Pty Ltd)
• Gotye, FISHER, Chris Lake Feat. Kimbra, Sante Sansone – Somebody (Eleven: A Music Company/EMI Music Australia)
• ONEFOUR, Nemzzz – Spinnin (ONEFOUR RECORDS/The Orchard)
• Royel Otis – Linger (SiriusXM Session) (Ourness)
• Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy – Somedays (Solotoko/ADA)
• Tobiahs – Angel of Mine (Mushroom Music)

Best Australian Live Act

• WINNER: Troye Sivan – Something To Give Each Other Tour (Live Nation)
• Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness World Tour
• Ball Park Music – Like Love Tour
• BARKAA – BIG TIDDA TOUR (Jackson Street & Bad Apples Music)
• Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) Tour (I OH YOU)
• Dom Dolla – Dom Dolla Australia 2024 (Untitled Group)
• Hilltop Hoods – Hilltop Hoods 2025
• Kylie Minogue – Tension Tour 2025
• Miss Kaninna – Dawg In Me Tour (Astral People)
• SPEED – SPEED Australia Tour ’25

Best Rock Album

• WINNER: Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness (Amyl and The Sniffers/Virgin Music Group)
• Ball Park Music – Like Love (Prawn Records/Inertia Music)
• King Stingray – For the Dreams (Civilians/The Orchard)
• Royel Otis – hickey (Ourness/Capitol Records)
• Spacey Jane – If That Makes Sense (AWAL Recordings)

Best Soul/R&B Release

• WINNER: BOY SODA – Lil’ Obsession (Warner Music Australia)
• JACOTÉNE – Why’d You Do That? (Epic Records/Sony Music)
• Jerome Farah – CHLORINE (Sony Music)
• Larissa Lambert – Cardio (New Levels/Virgin Music Group)
• PANIA – Pity Party (Warner Music Australia/Say Less)

Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist

• WINNER: Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV Records)
• Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be a Good Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Gut Health – Stiletto (AWAL Recordings)
• Mia Wray – hi, it’s nice to meet me (Mushroom Music)
• Young Franco – it’s Franky baby! (Neon Records)

Best Adult Contemporary Album

• WINNER: Missy Higgins – The Second Act (Eleven Music/EMI Music Australia)
• Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be a Good Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Gordi – Like Plasticine (Mushroom Music)
• Meg Washington – GEM (OriGiN Distribution/ADA)
• Paul Kelly – Fever Longing Still (EMI Music Australia)

Best World Music Album

• WINNER: Gurrumul – Banbirrngu – The Orchestral Sessions (Decca Australia & Skinnyfish/UMA)
• Electric Fields, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live in Concert (ABC Music/The Orchard)
• Joseph Tawadros – The Forgotten Path to Humanity (Independent/The Planet Company)
• Tenzin Choegyal – Snow Flower (Warner Music Australasia/Rainbow Valley Records)
• The Cat Empire – Bird in Paradise (BMG)

Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement

• WINNER: Fox League 2025: Our Greats – Fox Sports Australia, 3%
• Menulog: What’s Good in Your Hood – Thinkerbell, Bliss n Eso
• Paramount+ Australia: Ballad of the GOATS – Paramount+ Australia, Briggs and Kobie Dee
• Tooheys: I Feel Like a Tooheys – Thinkerbell, Dune Rats
• Tourism & Events Queensland: That Holiday Feeling – Publicis Worldwide, Kita Alexander

Best Independent Release

• WINNER: Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV Records)
• Ball Park Music – Like Love (Prawn Records/Inertia Music)
• Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) (I OH YOU/Mushroom Music)
• Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be a Good Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Miss Kaninna – Kaninna EP (Soul Has No Tempo)

Best Hip Hop/Rap Release

• WINNER: BARKAA – Big Tidda (Big Apples Music/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
• Hilltop Hoods – Fall From the Light (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
• Miss Kaninna – Kaninna EP (Soul Has No Tempo)
• ONEFOUR – Look at Me Now (ONEFOUR Records/The Orchard)
• The Kid LAROI – Baby I’m Back (Columbia Records/Sony Music)

Best Children’s Album

• WINNER: Emma Memma – Dance Island Party (G.Y.R.O.)
• Justine Clarke – Mimi’s Symphony (ABC Music/The Orchard)
• Teeny Tiny Stevies – Brain Fart (Love Your Records/Xelon)
• The Vegetable Plot – Season Three (ABC Music/The Orchard)
• The Wiggles – Wiggle Up, Giddy Up! (ABC Music/The Orchard)

Most Popular International Artist

• WINNER: Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department (Republic Records/Universal Music Australia)
• Alex Warren – You’ll Be Alright Kid (Atlantic Records/Warner Music Australasia)
• Calvin Harris – 96 Months (Columbia Records/Sony Music)
• Gracie Abrams – The Secret of Us (Interscope/Universal Music Australia)
• Kendrick Lamar – GNX (Interscope/Universal Music Australia)
• Noah Kahan – Stick Season (Republic Records/Universal Music Australia)
• Post Malone – F-1Trillion (Republic Records/Universal Music Australia)
• Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet (Island Records USA/Universal Music Australia)
• Tate McRae – So Close to What (RCA Records/Universal Music Australia)
• Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia (Columbia Records/Sony Music)

Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album

• WINNER: Various Artists – How to Make Gravy (Original Soundtrack) (Origin Recordings)
• Australian Chamber Orchestra – Memoir of a Snail (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (ABC Classic/The Orchard)
• François Tétaz – The Surfer (Impressed Recordings/Rubber Music Pty Ltd)
• Michael Cassel Group – Michael Cassel Group Presents a (Very) Musical Christmas (ABC Music)
• Vidya Makan – The Lucky Country (Original Cast Album) (ORiGiN Distribution/ADA)

Best Jazz Album

• WINNER: Lucy Clifford – Between Spaces of Knowing (ABC Jazz/The Orchard)
• Evans Robson Quartet – Zenith (Lamplight Records)
• Lachlan McKenzie – Departures (ABC Jazz/The Orchard)
• TL; DR & Peter Knight – Too Long; Didn’t Read (Earshift Music/The Planet Company-MGM)
• Touch Sensitive – In Paradise (Future Classic)

Best Classical Album

• WINNER: Andrea Lam – Piano Diary (ABC Classic/The Orchard)
• Australian Chamber Orchestra/Richard Tognetti – Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings and Andante Cantabile/Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony in C minor (ABC Classic/The Orchard)
• Nat Bartsch – Forever Changed (Amica Records)
• Simone Young & Sydney Symphony Orchestra – Mahler: Symphony No.2; Barton: of the Earth (Deutsche Grammophon Australia/Universal Music)
• Sophie Hutchings – Become the Sky (Universal Music Australia/Mercury KX)

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album

• WINNER: Thornhill – Bodies (UNFD/Community Music)
• Civic – Chrome Dipped (ATO Records/Inertia Music)
• Press Club – To All the Ones I Love (Inertia Music)
• RedHook – Mutation (RedHook Records)
• The Amity Affliction – Let the Ocean Take Me (Redux) (G.Y.R.O.)

Producer – Best Produced Release

• WINNER: Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – End of Summer (Columbia Records/Sony Music)
• Alex Burnett for Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say it Back (Warner Music Australia)
• Dom Dolla for Dom Dolla – Dreamin (Good Fortune Records)
• Nina Wilson (Ninajirachi) for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV Records)
• RÜFÜS DU SOL for RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale (Rose Avenue Records/Warner Music Australasia)

Best Pop Release

• WINNER: Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say it Back (Warner Music Australia)
• G Flip – Disco Cowgirl (AWAL Recordings)
• Kita Alexander – Press Pause (Warner Music Australia)
• Kylie Minogue – Tension II (Mushroom Music)
• Mallrat – Light hit my face like a straight right (Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)

Best Cover Art

• WINNER: John Stewart and Thomas Rennie for Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness (Amyl and The Sniffers/Virgin Music Group)
• Giulia McGauran for The Cat Empire – Bird in Paradise (BMG)
• Kira Puru, Thelma Plum and Em Jensen for Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say it Back (Warner Music Australasia)
• Nina Wilson, John You and Aria Zarzycki for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV Records)
• Sarah McCloskey for Hilltop Hoods – Fall From the Light (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Engineer – Best Engineered Release

• WINNER: Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – End of Summer (Columbia Records/Sony Music)
• Alice Ivy for Alice Ivy – Do What Makes You Happy (Kewpie Mayo Records/Independent)
• Dom Dolla for Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’ (Good Fortune Records)
• Eric J Dubowsky for Emma Louise & Flume – DUMB (Three Six Zero Recordings/ADA)
• Thomas Purcell (Wave Racer) for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV Records)

Best Country Album

• WINNER: Kasey Chambers – Backbone (Essence Music Group/MGM)
• Dylan Wright – Half a World Away (Sony Music)
• Imogen Clark – Choking on Fuel (Potts Entertainment/MGM)
• Keith Urban – High (CAPITOL – NASHVILLE/EMI Music Australia)
• Taylor Moss – Firecracker (Taylor Moss/Ditto Music)

Best Music Festival

• WINNER: Laneway Festival – St Jerome’s Laneway/Laneway Festival
• Ability Fest – Dylan Alcott Foundation/Untitled Group
• Beyond the Valley – Untitled Group/Beyond the Valley Music Festival
• Bluesfest Byron Bay – Bluesfest Byron Bay
• Yours and Owls Festival – Yours and Owls

Best Dance/Electronic Release

• WINNER: Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’ (Good Fortune Records)
• Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) (I OH YOU/Mushroom Music)
• FISHER – Stay (etcetc Music Pty Ltd)
• Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV Records)
• Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy – Somedays (Solotoko/ADA)

Best Group

• WINNER: Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness (Amyl and The Sniffers/Virgin Music Group)
• Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be a Good Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Hilltop Hoods – Fall From the Light (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
• Royel Otis – hickey (Ourness/Capitol Records)
• RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale (Rose Avenue Records/Warner Music Australasia)

Best Blues & Roots Album

• WINNER: The Teskey Brothers – Live at the Hammersmith Apollo (Mushroom Music)
• Dope Lemon – Golden Wolf (BMG)
• Mama Kin Spender – Promises (Mama Kin Spender/MGM)
• Sons Of The East – SONS (Sons Of The East Music/MGM)
• Tash Sultana – Return to the Roots (Lonely Lands Records via Sony Music)

Best Video

• WINNER: Dancing2 – Keli Holiday, Ryan Sauer (Keli Holiday/GYROstream)
• Break My Love – RÜFÜS DU SOL, Alexander George (Katzki) (Rose Avenue Records/Warner Music Australasia)
• Craters – Missy Higgins, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore (Eleven Music/EMI Music Australia)
• Lordy Lordy – Emily Wurramara, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore (ABC Music/The Orchard)
• All the Noise – Spacey Jane, Dan Lesser (AWAL Recordings)
• Car – Royel Otis, Jamieson Kerr (Ourness/Capitol Records)
• Big Dreams – Amyl and The Sniffers, John Stewart (Amyl and The Sniffers/Virgin Music Group)
• Dreamin – Dom Dolla, Kyle Caulfield & Shevin Dissanayake (Good Fortune Records)
• Don’t Happy, Be Worry – Hilltop Hoods, Roman Anastasios and Jordan Ruyi Blanch (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
• WASSA – Vv Pete, UTILITY, Formation Boyz, UTILITY (Trackwork)

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