Spotlighting the songcraft of some of Australia's most prolific local talents.
APRA AMCOS has today shared its shortlist of 2021 nominees for the coveted APRA Music Awards, showcasing the best-performing songs from Australian and New Zealand artists over the past twelve months.
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Set to go down on April 28 at Sydney’s International Convention Centre Grand Ballroom, this year’s roster of nominees holds up as one of the most diverse lists from APRA AMCOS to date, encompassing everything from hip-hop and blues & roots through to rock, soul, dance and country.
This year’s ceremony will also mark the first time APRA will be recognising acts under the categories Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work and Most Performed R&B / Soul Work, replacing the incredibly outdated and limiting category of Most Performed Urban Work.
Leading the pack for the peer-voted APRA Song of the Year for 2021 is none other than Midnight Oil with ‘Gadigal Land’, their first single in over 17 years, as well as Tim Minchin and Missy Higgins for ‘Carry You’, Guy Sebastian’s ‘Standing With You’, Amy Shark for ‘Everybody Rise’ and Kevin Parker for his work as Tame Impala on ‘Lost In Yesterday’.
Acts with multiple nominations include The Rubens, Flume, Tones & I, Lime Cordiale and Miiesha, while Tash Sultana, Mallrat, Cold Chisel and The Amity Affliction have also received nods.
Check out the shortlist in full below, and reacquaint yourself with last year’s winners here.
2021 APRA Music Awards
Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Missy Higgins – Carry You
Writer: Tim Minchin
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise
Writers: Amy Shark / Joel Little
Midnight Oil feat. Dan Sultan, Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs & Bunna Lawrie – Gadigal Land
Writers: Joel Davison / Rob Hirst / Bunna Lawrie
Tame Impala – Lost In Yesterday
Writer: Kevin Parker
Guy Sebastian – Standing With You
Writers: Guy Sebastian / Jamie Hartman / Greg Holden
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Charlton Howard aka The Kid LAROI
Grace Shaw aka Mallrat
Miiesha Young aka Miiesha
Louis & Oli Leimbach (Lime Cordiale)
Thelma Plum
Most Performed Australian Work
Dua Lipa – Break My Heart
Writers: Andrew Farriss / Michael Hutchence / Dua Lipa / Jordan Johnson / Stefan Johnson / Ali Tamposi / Andrew Watt
The Rubens – Live In Life
Writers: Scott Baldwin / Elliott Margin / Sam Margin / Zaac Margin / William Zeglis
Tones & I – Never Seen The Rain
Writer: Toni Watson
Flume feat. Vera Blue – Rushing Back
Writers: Harley Streten / Celia Pavey / Eric Dubowsky / Sophie Cates
Martin Garrix & Dean Lewis – Used To Love
Writers: Dean Lewis / Martijn Garritsen / Kristoffer Fogelmark / Albin Nedler
Most Performed Alternative Work
The Rubens – Live In Life
Writers: Scott Baldwin / Elliott Margin / Sam Margin / Zaac Margin / William Zeglis
Tame Impala – Lost in Yesterday
Writer: Kevin Parker
Lime Cordiale – Robbery
Writers: Louis Leimbach / Oli Leimbach / Shane Abrahams / Daniel Choder / Jonathan Pakfar
DMA’S – Silver
Writers: Matt Mason / Tommy O’Dell / Johnny Took / Thomas Crandles / Joel Flyger / Liam Hoskins
Birds Of Tokyo – Two Of Us
Writers: Ian Berney / Ian Kenny / Glenn Sarangapany / Adam Spark / Adam Weston
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Ash Grunwald feat. The Teskey Brothers – Ain’t My Problem
Writer: Ash Grunwald
Dope Lemon – Give Me Honey
Writer: Angus Stone
Busby Marou – Over Drinking Over You
Writers: Thomas Busby / Jeremy Marou / Ivy Adara / Jon Hume / Lindsey Jackson
Tash Sultana – Pretty Lady
Writers: Tash Sultana / Matt Corby / Dann Hume
Ziggy Alberts – Together
Writer: Ziggy Alberts
Most Performed Country Work
Casey Barnes – A Little More
Writers: Casey Barnes / Michael Delorenzis / Michael Paynter
Morgan Evans – Diamonds
Writers: Morgan Evans / Evan Bogart / Chris de Stefano
Brad Cox – Give Me Tonight
Writers: Brad Cox / Joseph Mungovan
The McClymonts – I Got This
Writers: Brooke McClymont / Mollie McClymont / Samantha McClymont / Andy Mak
Melanie Dyer – Memphis T-Shirt
Writers: Melanie Dyer / Emma-Lee / Karen Kosowski
Most Performed Dance Work
PNAU feat. Ollie Gabriel – All Of Us
Writers: Nick Littlemore / Sam Littlemore / Peter Mayes / Oli Gabriel
Joel Corry & MNEK – Head & Heart
Writers: Jonathan Courtidis / Neav Applebaum / Joel Corry / Daniel Dare / Robert Harvey / MNEK / Kasif Siddiqui / Lewis Thompson
Flume feat. Vera Blue – Rushing Back
Writers: Harley Streten / Celia Pavey / Eric Dubowsky / Sophie Cates
Dom Dolla – San Frandisco
Writer: Dominic Matheson
Martin Garrix & Dean Lewis – Used To Love
Writers: Dean Lewis / Martijn Garritsen / Kristoffer Fogelmark / Albin Nedler
Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work
Day1 – Boss
Writers: Bailey Rawiri / Tuhi Montell
No Money Enterprise – German
Writer: Junior Leaupepe
Hilltop Hoods – I’m Good?
Writers: Barry Francis (DJ Debris) / Matthew Lambert (Suffa) / Daniel Smith (Pressure) / Paul Bartlett / John Bartlett
ONEFOUR – In The Beginning
Writers: Spencer Magalogo / Jerome Misa / Pio Misa / Salec Su’a
Youngn Lipz – Misunderstood
Writer: Filipo Faaoloii
Most Performed R&B / Soul Work
Becca Hatch – 2560
Writers: Becca Hatch / Maribelle Anes / Jamie Muscat / Willie Tafa / Solo Tohi
Winston Surfshirt – Nobodylikeyou
Writers: Jack Hambling / Lachlan McAllister / Brett Ramson
The Teskey Brothers – Rain
Writers: Josh Teskey / Sam Teskey / Liam Gough / Brendan Love
Milan Ring – Say To Me
Writers: Milan Ring / Blessed Joe-Andah
Miiesha – Twisting Words
Writers: Miiesha Young / Stephen Collins / Mohamed Komba
Most Performed Pop Work
Dua Lipa – Break My Heart
Writers: Andrew Farriss / Michael Hutchence / Dua Lipa / Jordan Johnson / Stefan Johnson / Ali Tamposi / Andrew Watt
Amy Shark – Everybody Rise
Writers: Amy Shark / Joel Little
Guy Sebastian – Let Me Drink
Writers: Guy Sebastian / M-Phazes / Olubowale Akintimehin
Tones & I – Never Seen The Rain
Writer: Toni Watson
Jessica Mauboy – Selfish
Writers: Jessica Mauboy / Antonio Egizii / Isabella Kearney-Nurse / David Musumeci
Most Performed Rock Work
Wolfmother feat Chris Cester – Chase The Feeling
Writers: Andrew Stockdale / Chris Cester / Jason Hill
Cold Chisel – Getting The Band Back Together
Writer: Don Walker
Spacey Jane – Good For You
Writers: Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu / Caleb Harper / Kieran Lama / Peppa Lane
Hockey Dad – I Missed Out
Writers: Will Fleming / Zach Stephenson
The Amity Affliction – Soak Me In Bleach
Writers: Joel Birch / Ahren Stringer / Daniel Brown / Joseph Longobardi
Most Performed International Work
Harry Styles – Adore You
Writers: Harry Styles / Amy Allen / Thomas Hull / Tyler Johnson
Lewis Capaldi – Before You Go
Writers: Lewis Capaldi / Thomas Barnes / Peter Kelleher / Benjamin Kohn / Philip Plested
The Weeknd – Blinding Lights
Writers: Abel Tesfaye / Ahmad Balshe / Oscar Holter / Max Martin / Jason Quenneville
Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now
Writers: Dua Lipa / Caroline Ailin / Ian Kirkpatrick / Emily Schwartz
Maroon 5 – Memories
Writers: Adam Levine / Jonathan Bellion / Vincent Ford / Jacob Hindlin / Jordan Johnson / Stefan Johnson / Michael Pollack
Find out more over at the APRA AMCOS website today.
