The 26th Annual

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

Music Awards (generally known as

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

or simply The ARIAs) were a series of award ceremonies which included the 2012 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine Arts Awards and ARIA Awards. The latter ceremony took place on 29 November at the

Sydney Entertainment Centre Sydney Entertainment Centre (later known as Qantas Credit Union Arena) was a multi-purpose arena located in Haymarket, Sydney, Australia. It opened in May 1983, to replace Sydney Stadium, which had been demolished in 1970 to make way for the E ...

, and was telecast on Nine Network's channel Go! at 7:30pm. The final nominees for ARIA Award categories were announced on 3 October as well as nominees and winners for Fine Arts Awards and Artisan Awards. There was no peer judged "Single of the Year" category this year due to replacing it to "Song of the Year", although the "Album of the Year" category returned. The Highest Selling Single and Album categories were removed as they were in 2010. For the third time in ARIA Awards history, public votes were being used for the categories, " Song of the Year", "Best Australian Live Act" and "Best International Artist"; and for the first time for the category "Best Video", which was moved from the Artisan Awards. The nominees for "Song of the Year" are the ten highest selling Australian single releases during the eligibility period. Sales from different releases by the same artist cannot be aggregated, and artists are only allowed to be nominated once, even if they have more than one song in the top ten. Songs must also have been released as singles during the eligibility period. The nominees for "Best Australian Live Act" were selected by a Judging School specifically formed for the purpose. The nominees for "Best Video" were selected by the ARIA Voting Academy. The nominee pool for the "Best International Artist" was drawn from the artists whose recordings make up the top ten highest selling international releases, based on album and related single sales during the eligibility period. The

ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

inducted

Yothu Yindi Yothu Yindi (Yolŋu Matha, Yolngu for "child and mother", pronounced ) are an Australian musical group with Australian Aboriginal, Aboriginal and ''List of English words of Malay origin#B, balanda'' (non-Aboriginal) members, formed in 1986 as ...

on 29 November at the same ceremony as the ARIA Awards.

Performers

Pre-show

*Timomatic and Justice Crew – "Set It Off" / "Boom Boom" *Jessica Mauboy – "

I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" is a 1965 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "I Can't Help Myself" is one of the most well-know ...

" / "

Land of a Thousand Dances "Land of a Thousand Dances" (or "Land of 1000 Dances") is a song written and first recorded by American rhythm and blues singer Chris Kenner in 1962. It later became a bigger hit in versions by Cannibal & the Headhunters and Wilson Pickett. A ve ...

Main show

*Hilltop Hoods – "I Love It" *Guy Sebastian and Lupe Fiasco – "Battle Scars" *Missy Higgins – " Everyone's Waiting" *Yothu Yindi with Paul Kelly, Jessica Mauboy,

Dan Sultan Daniel Leo Sultan (born 1983) is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won ARIA Award for Best Male Artist, Best Male Artist and ARIA Award for Best Blues and Root ...

and

Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...

– "Treaty" ** In 2019 Dan Condon of Double J described this as one of "7 great performances from the history of the ARIA Awards." *

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

– "

I Knew You Were Trouble "I Knew You Were Trouble" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, from her fourth studio album ''Red'' (2012). She wrote the song along with the track's producers, Max Martin and Shellback. A dance-pop, pop rock, and teen pop song ...

" *The Jezabels – "Endless Summer" *360 featuring Gossling – "Boys like You" *Kimbra – " Settle Down" *The Temper Trap – "

Trembling Hands "Trembling Hands" is a song written and performed by Australian indie rock band The Temper Trap. It is included as the third track on their eponymously titled second studio album. It was released as a hype single, released the week before the albu ...

House DJs

*Havana Brown (first half of ceremony) *

Ruby Rose Ruby Rose Langenheim (born 20 March 1986) is an Australian model, actress, disc jockey and television presenter. Rose was a presenter on MTV Australia (2007–2011), followed by several high-profile modelling gigs, including Maybelline New York ...

(second half of ceremony)

Presenters

*Lanie Lane and Josh Pyke – presented Best Independent Release *

Ella Hooper Ella Keighery Hooper (born 30 January 1983) is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, radio presenter and TV personality. Hooper is the lead singer of Killing Heidi. The band formed in 1996 (when Ella was 13) and also featured her older bro ...

and

Chris Cheney Christopher John Cheney (born 2 January 1975) is an Australian rock musician, record producer, and studio owner. He is the founding mainstay guitarist, songwriter, and lead vocalist of the rockabilly band The Living End, which was formed in 1 ...

– presented Best Rock Album *Keiynan Lonsdale and Kate Peck - presented Best Children's Album and Best Comedy Release *Jessica Mauboy and Josh Thomas – presented Breakthrough Artist *Ricki-Lee and

Example Example may refer to: * '' exempli gratia'' (e.g.), usually read out in English as "for example" * .example, reserved as a domain name that may not be installed as a top-level domain of the Internet ** example.com, example.net, example.org, ex ...

– presented Best Dance Release *

Tom Ballard Thomas Colin Ballard (born 26 November 1989) is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter. Early life Ballard was born to parents Judy and Neil Ballard and grew up in Warrnambool, Victoria. He attended Brauer Secondary College ...

and

Alex Dyson Alexander Edward Dyson (born 22 June 1988) is an Australian radio presenter who presented the breakfast show on Australian youth radio station Triple J from 2010 to 2016, alongside Tom Ballard and then with Matt Okine. He is also a small busines ...

– presented Best Australian Live Act *

Lee Kernaghan Lee Kernaghan OAM (born 15 April 1964) is an Australian country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. Kernaghan has won four ARIA Awards and three APRA Awards, and has sold over two million albums, and as of 2021, has won 38 Golden Guitars at ...

and

Erin McNaught Erin McNaught (born 22 May 1982) is an Australian model, actress, presenter, television personality and beauty pageant titleholder. McNaught grew up in Australia alongside her older brothers and began playing in a band named "Short Straw" in her ...

– presented Best Country Album and Best Blues & Roots Album *

Martin Freeman Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Freeman's most no ...

Andy Serkis Andrew Clement Serkis (born 20 April 1964) is an English actor, director, and producer. He is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation, and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Goll ...

and Richard Armitage – presented Best Pop Release *

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

– presented Best Urban Album * Ryan "Fitzy" Fitzgerald and Michael "Wippa" Wipfli – presented Best International Artist *

Benji Madden Benjamin Levi Madden ( né Combs; born March 11, 1979) is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the band Good Charlottefor which he has received various awardsas well as pop rock collaboration the Madden Brother ...

and

Joel Madden Joel Rueben Madden (né Combs; March 11, 1979) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist for the pop punk band Good Charlotte. He is also part of the pop rock collaboration the Madden Brothers with his identical twin brother Benji ...

– presented Best Group *Matty Acton and

Mel Greig Mel Greig (born 19 September 1982) is an Australian radio and television personality. Career In 2011, she competed on the first season of ''The Amazing Race Australia'' with her sister Alana. In 2012, Greig began co-hosting the ''Hot30 Countd ...

– presented Song of the Year *Clare Bowditch and Bob Evans - presented Best Adult Contemporary Album *

Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian and actor known for his flamboyant, loquacious style and manner. Brand has received three British Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer (2006), Best Live Stand-Up (2008), and the award for ...

and Barbara Elizabeth – presented Best Female Artist *Taylor Swift and Richard Wilkins – presented Best Male Artist *Russell Brand – presented Album of the Year *Paul Kelly and Peter Garrett - inducts Yothu Yindi into the ARIA Hall Of Fame

ARIA Hall of Fame Inductee

Indigenous music group from the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

, were inducted into the

. Lead singer, M. Yunupingu, reflected on their early years, "It was very different times in those days. We were black people coming into a white world that was sceptical of our people, but through our music we were able to open minds to Aboriginal Australia and where we as a race of people were going.”