State Champ Radio Awards
Page: 3
Trending on Billboard The Country Music Association Awards wouldn’t be complete without, well, some “country dang music,” as entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson phrased it Wednesday night (Nov. 19) while hosting the 2025 ceremony at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. That’s why numerous artists took the stage for a cornucopia of live performances during this […]
Trending on Billboard
You Am I emerged at the right time, with the right look, sound, songs and attitude. At the 2025 ARIA Awards on Wednesday night, Nov. 19, the ‘90s indie rock legends were elevated into the ARIA Hall of Fame, recognition of all those special traits, and their lasting impact on the country’s music scene and beyond.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Formed in the late ’80s, and led by frontman Tim Rogers alongside bandmates Andy Kent, David Lane and Rusty Hopkinson, You Am I owned their lane.
You Am I were hard to beat in the ‘90s, a time when young Australian music fans were connected like never before. Newly-committed fans might discover You Am I on Triple J, which had rolled out as a national network, or on its sister music video channel Rage. Or watch them perform Saturday morning on the ABC’s Recovery, or catch them in the flesh on stage at the traveling Big Day Out.
Along the way, the group has released 11 studio albums, most recently 2021’s The Lives of Others, which went to No. 2 on the ARIA Chart. And they’ve collected 10 ARIA Awards, not including the Hall of Fame honor.
Australia’s alternative rock community loved, and still love, You Am I. The proof was there in the induction video, which included glowing tributes from Silverchair’s Daniel Johns, Powderfinger’s Bernard Fanning, and the country’s prime minister Anthony Albanese, who remarked that “along the way, you’ve added to who we are.”
Each bandmate took turns at the mic, though it was Rogers’ address that will spring to mind in years to come. The singer and guitarist held back tears as he spoke of his own health ordeals, and how making music with the band had given him life.
“F*** I love rock ‘n’ roll,” he remarked.
The rockers wrapped up the 39th ARIA Awards with a two-song performance of “Heavy Heart” and “Berlin Chair.” You Am I were in fine form, having reunited this year for a major national tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hi Fi Way, which arrived fully formed on Feb. 20, 1995.
Next year, to mark the 40th anniversary of the ARIAs, the trade body will create a standalone ceremony with a class of five inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Watch You Am I’s ARIA Hall of Fame performance below.
Trending on Billboard
SYDNEY, Australia — The 2025 ARIA Awards are in the books, and, for hundreds of guests at Hordern Pavilion and the various afterparties across Sydney, hangovers and urgent sleep.
Many in the room said the show was one of the best in recent memory, led by honest speeches, strong performances and worthy winners.
Related
Australia’s recorded music industry has enjoyed some wins of late, none greater than the federal government’s decision to shut-down any talk of a text and data mining (TDM) exemption in the nation’s Copyright Act, a “significant” win that was achieved through a unified lobbying effort. Via Big Music, if you will.
There have been losses, too. Wednesday night’s 39th annual ARIA Awards in Sydney, however, was a celebration of the good times.
Amyl and The Sniffers led the way, with four spiky trophies. Ninajirachi (three), Dom Dolla (two) and Kevin Parker (two) also had nights to remember.
At the top of the show, before the free-to-air broadcast went out on Network 10, ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd and chair Natalie Waller reflected on the struggles, the journey, and the wins in 2025.
See the speech in full below and read more on the 2025 ARIA Awards here.
Annabelle Herd: Hello and welcome to the 2025 ARIA Awards at the iconic Hordern Pavilion on beautiful Gadigal country! We might not be the most exciting duo you’ll see tonight, but we are definitely the most consistent.
It’s a privilege to celebrate on this land. We pay our respects to First Nations people, elders, leaders, and especially the incredible First Nations nominees, artists, and colleagues here tonight. Always was, always will be.
Natalie Waller: A huge congratulations and welcome to all the nominated artists — we hope you have a wonderful night.
A very warm welcome to NSW Arts and Music Minister John Graham; Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke; Minister for Disability Jenny McAllister; Shadow Attorney-General and Arts Minister Julian Leeser; Senator Sarah Hanson-Young; and Dr Sophie Scamps. Thank you all for always standing with our industry.
Welcome also to Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones, and to two amazing women who, like us, spend every waking hour thinking about how to lift Aussie music: Sound NSW’s Emily Collins and Music Australia’s Millie Millgate.
So what has ARIA been up to since we were last on this stage? Quite a lot.
AH: This year we launched ARIA Innovator, kicked off ARIA Collab with two world-leading producers working with Australian talent, delivered another Great Southern Nights in NSW, and modernized the ARIA Charts by removing singles and albums over two years old, changes already delivering incredible results for new Aussie music.
AH: And then there was the big one.
When big tech tried to strip us of our copyright for AI training, after they’d already stolen all the music, we said: yeah, nah.
They didn’t expect the response they got. As an industry we hit back with a loud, unified, sophisticated, artist-led campaign delivered with heart and serious impact.
NW: The entire creative sector moved as one. And the result? Australia became the first country in the world where government ruled out a text-and-data-mining exception for AI training.
AH: A critical step, but only half the battle. We still need to ensure it is artists and rightsholders who decide whether their music can be used for AI and on what terms. This isn’t just about payment — it’s about agency. AI is exciting, but the benefits and opportunities must reach everyone in the chain, not just the tech bros.
When we were in Canberra after the announcement, a political heavy hitter started introducing us not as reps from the Australian music industry but as “Big Music.” And honestly? They’re right.
We should be known as Big Music — and this year we proved why. Canberra knows it, and so does the public who backed Australian music and culture. Let’s keep going.
NW: Thank you to every artist who spoke up including Briggs, Paul Dempsey, Kate Ceberano, Missy Higgins, Peter Garrett and of course Jack River/Holly Rankin. Nothing is more powerful, with the public or with Canberra, than artists speaking from the heart.
AH: And thank you to all our political supporters including the PM, Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland, and those here tonight — we know you’re standing with us on this critical issue.
NW: On this special night I also want to acknowledge someone whose contribution to this industry is immeasurable. This year Lynne Small is leaving ARIA and PPCA for a well deserved retirement. For nearly three decades, Lynne’s knowledge, sharp mind, heart and dedication shaped everything we did. Lynne, from all of us: thank you.
AH: And I want to acknowledge Van Picken, who recently stepped down as Chair and CEO of Sony Music Australia. As an ARIA Board member, Van contributed to evolving the ARIAs into what they are tonight, and we wish her all the best in her next chapter.
NW: Now, back to tonight: Fifty-five percent of this year’s nominees are women. The indie scene is thriving. Hip-hop and R&B artists are finally getting their due. A new generation is reshaping what Australian music sounds and looks like.
Australian artists are streaming globally at record levels, selling out tours overseas, and appearing on festival lineups next to the world’s biggest names. The rebuild is working — brick by brick.
AH: And the momentum is real. Audiences are engaging not just with the music but the stories behind it.
Venues are packed again. Artists who’ve spent years grinding are breaking through here and internationally at the same time.
None of this happened by accident, it happened because people in this room showed up for each other and refused to accept that Australian music should be anything less than world-class.
NW: It’s been a huge year, we’re exhausted but we’re energized, because everything we’ve been building is working. The industry is unified. The music is undeniable. The audience is there.
And tonight is about celebrating what we’ve achieved — and recognizing that we’re just getting started.
NW: So let’s make it a night to remember. Dance and cheer loudly, support each other and remind everyone watching why Australian music matters.
AH: Before we kick off, I want to shout out our new presenting partner Spotify. Mikaela and the local team have seriously put everything and more into the 2025 ARIAs and the nominated artists and the engagement has already been incredible with public voting records absolutely smashed.
Thank you to Destination NSW, Paramount+ and Ten, and all our sponsors.
Huge love to our Exec Producer Craig Campbell and the Roving team, event producer Brendan Maher and the Second Sunday crew, and the whole ARIAs team — this is not an easy event to pull together but they do it with style! To the ARIA Board, Chart and Marketing Committee, performers, presenters, and everyone who poured everything into making tonight happen, thank you.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone in this room: artists, managers, label teams — special shout-out to the reps with ever-creative ways of asking me whether their artists have won — plus publicists, radio programmers, venue operators and crew. You’re all the reason Australian music is Big Music now.
NW: So raise your glasses — and let’s do this. To AusMusic!
Trending on Billboard
Sinners received three awards — more than any other film — at the 16th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards, which were presented Wednesday (Nov. 19) at The Avalon in Hollywood, California.
Ludwig Göransson received two HMMAs for his work on Sinners: score – feature film and song – feature film for “I Lied to You,” which he co-wrote with Raphael Saadiq. Sinners star Miles Caton, who performed the song in the blockbuster film, also accepted an award for on-screen performance (film).
Ryan Coogler directed, wrote and co-produced Sinners, which spent its first two weekends in April atop the domestic boxoffice charts. For the year-to-date, it is No. 5 in terms of domestic grosses. The film received three of the six nominations for best song written for visual media at the upcoming Grammy Awards. It’s also Grammy-nominated for both best compilation soundtrack for visual media and best score soundtrack for visual media. The film is expected to receive nominations for both best original score and best original song at the upcoming 98th Oscars.
Diane Warren: Relentless received two HMMAs. Legendary songwriter Diane Warren won for song – documentary film for “Dear Me,” which she wrote and performed with Kesha for the documentary about her life. The film’s director, Bess Kargman, also received the HMMA for music documentary – special program.
The Wicked franchise received two HMMAs. Director Jon M. Chu won music-themed film, biopic, or musical for Wicked: For Good, and the promotional TV program Wicked: One Wonderful Night was awarded the HMMA for music performance / special program.
Dog Man composer Tom Howe also received two awards. He won for score – animated film, and took home the HMMA for song – documentary series – TV/limited series with his co-writer Sam Ryder, who performed the song for the series.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy also received two accolades. The film’s composer Dustin O’Halloran received the HMMA for score – TV/streamed movie, and its music supervisor Nick Angel won for music supervision – film.
Major song winners also included the global hit “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, which won the HMMA for song – animated film. The song received a Grammy nomination for song of the year, the only film song nominated in that category this year. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks. The banger was co-written by HUNTR/X lead vocalist and songwriter EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Park Hong Jun, and performed by HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami).
Aiyana-Lee received the HMMA for song – independent film for “Highest 2 Lowest,” which she co-wrote with her mother, Nicole Daciana Anderson, and performed for Denzel Washington in the finale of the Spike Lee film of the same name.
Lady Gaga and Andrew Watt won song – TV show / limited series for “The Dead Dance” from Wednesday, a song they co-wrote and performed. The song has so far reached No. 40 on the Hot 100.
Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles won song – on-screen performance – TV show/limited series for “Our Highway” (The Bondsman Season 1), which they also co-wrote.
The HMMA for soundtrack album was awarded to F1 the Album on Atlantic Records.
Five-time Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal opened the ceremony with Afghan artist Aryana Sayeed, performing their song “We Believe in Hope.” He later took home the award for score – independent film for Rule Breakers. Other performers during the ceremony included Caton, Warren, and Aiyana-Lee.
Here’s the full list of 2025 Hollywood Music in Media nominees, with winners marked.
Song – Feature Film
“Dream as One” from Avatar: Fire and Ash. Written by Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson, Simon Franglen and Andrew Wyatt. Performed by Miley Cyrus
“Drive” from F1. Written by Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin and John Mayer. Performed by Ed Sheeran.
“Lose My Mind” From F1. Written by Don Toliver, Doja Cat, Hans Zimmer, Ryan Tedder and Grant Boutin. Performed by Don Toliver, Doja Cat
“Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” From Sinners. Written by Alice Smith, Miles Canton and Ludwig Göransson. Performed by Miles Canton and Alice Smith.
WINNER: “I Lied to You” From Sinners. Written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson. Performed by Miles Caton.
“No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good. Written by Stephen Schwartz. Performed by Cynthia Erivo
“The Girl in the Bubble” From Wicked: For Good. Written by Stephen Schwartz. Performed by Ariana Grande
Song – Independent Film
WINNER: “Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest. Written by Aiyanna-Lee Anderson and Nicole Daciana Anderson. Performed By Aiyanna-Lee
“Learn to Let Go” from Everything To Me. Written by Stephanie Economou, Maggie Mcclure, Chloé Caroline Fellows, and Jon Monroe. Performed by Maggie Mcclure, Chloé Caroline, Stephanie Economou.
“My San Francisco” from Plainclothes. Written and Performed by Emily Wells
“Time Is All We Have” from Momo. Written by Fil Eisler and Sam Ryder. Performed By Sam Ryder.
“We Believe in Hope” from Rule Breakers. Written by Jeff Beal, Joan Beal and Aryana Sayeed. Performed by Aryana Sayeed & The Brooklyn Youth Chorus.
Song – Documentary Film
WINNER: “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless. Written by Diane Warren. Performed by Kesha and Diane Warren.
“Dying To Live” from Billy Idol Should Be Dead. Written by Billy Idol, J. Ralph, Steve Stevens, Tommy English, Joe Janiak. Performed by Billy Idol and J. Ralph.
“Have You Seen My Light” from October 8. Written and Produced by Autumn Rowe and Kizzo
“Milagros” from Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful. Written by Carolina Giraldo Navarro, Edgar Barrera, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Lenin Yorney Palacios. Performed by Karol G.
“Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light. Written by Sara Bareilles, Andrea Gibson and Brandi Carlile. Performed by Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile
Song – Animated Film
“Best Time Ever” from Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical. Written by Alan Zachary, Michael Weiner and Jeff Morrow. Performed by Cast.
WINNER: “Golden” brom Kpop Demon Hunters. Written by Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, Park Hong Jun. Performed by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami.
“Gooflife” From The Bad Guys 2. Written by Daniel Pemberton, Gary Go and Sanele David Sydow. Performed by Rag’n’bone Man & Wizthemc.
“Kaleidoscope” from Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie. Written by Joseph Chase Atkins. Performed by Tehillah Alphonso and Cast.
“Open the Door” From The Twits. Written and Performed by David Byrne & Hayley Williams.
“Zoo” From Zootopia 2. Written by Ed Sheeran & Blake Slatkin and Shakira. Performed by Shakira.
Song – Onscreen Performance (Film)
Aiyanna-Lee – “Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest
Bono – “Sunday Bloody Sunday” from Bono: Stories Of Surrender
Ejae, Rei Ami, Audrey Nuna (Aka Huntr/X) – “Golden” from Kpop Demon Hunters
WINNER: Miles Caton – “I Lied To You” from Sinners
Tom Basden & Carey Mulligan – “Our Love” from The Ballad Of Wallis Island
Score – Animated Film
Arnaud Toulon – Arco
Daniel Pemberton – The Bad Guys 2
Nick Urata – Stitch Head
Stephanie Economou – Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie
WINNER: Tom Howe – Dog Man
Score – Feature Film
Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein
Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme
Hans Zimmer – F1
Jerskin Fendrix – Bugonia
John Powell – Wicked: For Good
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another)
WINNER: Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
Max Richter – Hamnet
Volker Bertelmann – A House Of Dynamite
Score – SciFi/Fantasy Film
Alexandre Desplat – Jurassic World Rebirth
Fil Eisler – Momo
Gordy Haab – Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force
Laura Karpman – Captain America: Brave New World
Michael Giacchino – The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares
WINNER: Simon Franglen – Avatar: Fire and Ash
Son Lux – Thunderbolts*
Score – Horror/Thiller Film
Atticus Derrickson – Black Phone 2
WINNER: Benjamin Wallfisch – Wolf Man
Cornel Wilczek – Bring Her Back
Holly Amber Church – The Other
Jay Wadley – Heart Eyes
Michael Yezerski – Dangerous Animals
Score – Independent Film
Aaron Zigman – Truth & Treason
Adem Ilhan – The Ballad of Wallis Island
WINNER: Jeff Beal – Rule Breakers
Jónsi And Alex Somers – Rental Family
Lucrecia Dalt – Rabbit Trap
Steve Gernes – Wet Paper Bag
Score – Documentary
Allyson Newman – Arrest the Midwife
WINNER: Anne Nikitin – Pangolin – Kulu’s Journey
Christian Lundberg – Why We Dream
Lolita Ritmanis – An American Miracle
Paul Leonard-Morgan – The Last Dive
Tyler Strickland – John Candy: I Like Me
Music Themed Film or Musical
Song Sung Blue – Craig Brewer (Director)
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere – Scott Cooper (Director)
The Ballad of Wallis Island – James Griffiths (Director)
WINNER: Wicked: For Good – Jon M. Chu (Director)
Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires – Paul Hoen (Director)
Music Documentary – Special Program
Billy Idol Should Be Dead – Jonas Åkerlund (Director)
Bono: Stories of Surrender – Andrew Dominik (Director)
WINNER: Diane Warren: Relentless – Bess Kargman (Director)
I Was Born This Way – Daniel Junge & Sam Pollard (Directors)
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley – Amy Berg (Director)
Selena Y Los Dinos – Isabel Castro (Director)
Song – TV Show/Limited Series
“Afterlife” from Devil May Cry. Written by Amy Lee and Alex Seaver. Performed by Evanescence.
“At Dawn I Look for You” from Étoile. Written by Loral Raphael and Ronnel Raphael. Performed by Sons Of Raphael
“Give It a Good Try” from Unconventional. Written by Craig Richey. Performed by Craig Richey feat. Aubrey Shea.
“Rosebud” from Woman Of The Dead (Season 2). Written By Vera Marie Weber & Caleb Veazey. Performed By Vera Weberb
WINNER: “The Dead Dance” from Wednesday. Written by Lady Gaga and Andrew Watt. Performed By Lady Gaga.
“The Line” from Arcane. Written by Tyler Joseph. Performed by Twenty One Pilots.
“Turned to Black” from Black Rabbit. Written by Albert Hammond Jr. & Sarah Holt. Performed by The Black Rabbits (Albert Hammond Jr & Jude Law)
“Wolf Song” from Landman. Written and Performed by Andrew Lockington
Score – TV Show/Limited Series
Aaron May & David Ridley – Adolescence
Antonio Sánchez – The Studio
Brandon Roberts & Nicholas Britell – Andor
Chris Bacon – Wednesday
David Fleming – The Last Of Us (Season 2)
Dominic Lewis – Your Friends & Neighbors
Andrew Lockington – Landman
Natalie Holt – Chad Powers
The Gregson-Williams Brothers – The Gilded Age (Season 3)
Theodore Shapiro – Severance
Song – Onscreen Performance – TV Show/Limited Series
Kenzi Richardson – “Force of Nature” (Vampirina: Teenage Vampire)
Nikhil Koparkar – “The Hills of Tanchico” (The Wheel Of Time)
Lumi Pollack, Carmen Sanchez, Ruby Marino – “The Lies We Tell Our Hearts” (Electric Bloom)
Mark Sonnenblick – “Drugs in My Booty” (Harlem Season 3)
WINNER: Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles – “Our Highway” (The Bondsman Season 1)
Main Title – TV Show/Limited Series
Chief Of War – Hans Zimmer, James Everingham and Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole
Étoile – Sons of Raphael
Government Cheese – Pharrell Williams
Outlander: Blood of My Blood – Bear McCreary
WINNER: Your Friends & Neighbors – Dominic Lewis and Hamilton Leithauser
Score – Short Film (Live Action)
Alexander Bornstein – The Lord of All Future Space and Time
WINNER: Carl Thiel – El Lazo De Petra
Finlay White – Gesualdo
Forrest Gray – Everything Must Go
Kyle Simpson – How to Drag a Body
Score – Short Film (Animated)
Hayden Thompson and Miranda Tan – Love & Gold Soundtrack
Obadiah Brown-Beach, Bastien Rousset, Henrik Lindström, 2wei, Ruben K, Georg Mausolf, Sigurd Jøhnk-Jensen and Nicholas Horsten – Honor Of Kings – Kong Kong’er Champion Cinematic Short
WINNER: Qing Madi – Valorant
Raashi Kulkarni – Wednesdays With Gramps
Sam Rothera – All Hail the Duck King
Score – Short Film (Documentary)
Alexander Leeming Froudakis & Manuela Lubrano – Stone Biter
WINNER: Benjamin Westphalen – A Dream Called Khushi (Happiness)
Juan Carlos Enriquez – La Mar
Katya Richardson – Love, Chinatown
Michał Drabczyk – The Light of Immortality
Oscar Pan – Cindy Tran: From Here to Here
Score – Independent Film (Foreign Language)
Emiliano Mazzenga – Catane
WINNER: Fabrizio Mancinelli – Out of the Nest
Karl Sölve Steven & Rob Thorne – Mārama
Mina Samy – Happy Birthday
Toni M. Mir – Dreaming of Lions
Score – Documentary Series -TV/Digital
WINNER: Duncan Thum & David Bertok – Chef’s Table: Legends
Hans Zimmer, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman – The Americas
Jasha Klebe – American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden
John Dragonetti – Turning Point: The Vietnam War
Nainita Desai – Secrets of the Penguins
Score – TV Show/Limited Series (Foreign Language)
Ariel Blumenthal, Gal Lev – Red Alert
WINNER: Arturo Cardelús – Terra Alta
Guillaume Roussel – Carême
Sandrine Rudaz – On the High Seas
Suad Bushnaq – Al Batal (The Hero)
Score – Video Game (Console & PC)
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach – Ludvig Forssell
Dune: Awakening – Knut Avenstroup Haugen
Fallen Aces: Episode 1 – Josh Barron
Ghost Of Yōtei – Toma Otowa
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Gordy Haab
WINNER: League of Legends: Welcome to Noxus – League of Legends (Bill Hemstapat, Sebastien Najand, Alex Seaver, J.D. Spears, Alexander Temple, Richard Thomson, Seth Tsui, Gong Ao, Merlin Cen)
Mafia: the Old Country – Bt (Brian Transeau)
Spirit of the North 2 – Pav Gekko
Sword of the Sea – Austin Wintory
The Rogue Prince of Persia – Asadi (Danny Asadi)
Song – Video Game (Console & PC)
WINNER: “Against the Tide” from Wuthering Waves. Written by Obadiah Brown-Beach. Performed by Forts And Obadiah Brown-Beach
“Coral Crown” from Hades II: Original Soundtrack. Written by Darren Korb. Performed by Scylla and the Sirens.
“Footsteps” from Rue Valley. Written and Performed By Ana Krstajić
“Rivals ‘Til The End” from Marvel Rivals. Written by Danny Koo, Marbling, Netease Sound, Masahiro Aoki, H.K.H. Vocals By Chrissy Costanza.
“The Rogue Prince of Persia” from The Rogue Prince Of Persia. Written and Performed by Asadi (Daniel Asadi) and Xye.
“When The Sun Is Low” From Dune: Awakening. Written by Knut Avenstroup Haugen. Performed by Clara Sorace, The Chamber Orchestra of London, Børre Flyen and Knut Avenstroup Haugen.
Song/Score – Mobile Video Game
WINNER: Afk Journey – Alec Justice
Delta Force – Delta Force Music Team
Honor Of Kings – Matthew Carl Earl, Laurent Courbier, and Others
Identity V-Gambler In The Spotlight – Zhang Guanglei & Wang Jingfei
Valorant – Bbno$
Music Supervision – TV Show/Limited Series
George Drakoulias – Severance
Jen Malone & Nicole Weisberg – Wednesday
Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe, Jonathan Leahy – Nobody Wants This
Melyssa Hardwick – The Summer I Turned Pretty
Nora Felder – Yellowjackets (Season 3)
Robin Urdang – Étoile
WINNER: Sean Fernald – Dexter: Resurrection
Music Supervision – Film
Ashley Neumeister – Ruth & Boaz
Maggie Rodford – Wicked: For Good
Gary Welch – The Ballad Of Wallis Island
Jemma Burns – Christy
Mike Turner & Jonathan Lane – Winter Spring Summer Or Fall
WINNER: Nick Angel – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Music Supervision – Video Game
Bénédicte Ouimet & Jérôme Angelot – Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Benjamin Beladi – The Sandbox – 2025 Seasons (5 & 6)
Jonny Altepeter – Valorant
Manu Bachet – The Rogue Prince of Persia
WINNER: Steve Schnur – Battlefield 6
Yuanye Huang, Jing Zhang, Shuqin Xiao, Peiyue Lu, Samuel Siu – Honor of Kings
Song/Score – Commercial Advertisement
Amazon Midnight Opus (“What the World Needs Now Is Love”) – Haim Mazar
WINNER: Apple: 6 Out of 5 Stars – Silo: Music – Neil Ormandy, Linkoln, Allen Stone
Matter And Space (“Butterflies”) – Alex Yewon
Sea of Remnants (“Yo Ho!”) – Guanglei Zhang / Sibo Huang “Yo Ho!”
The End of the Run Is Just the Beginning – Alexandra Petkovski (Aka Fjøra)
Valorant (“In My Zone”) – Bbno$
Soundtrack Album
WINNER: F1 – Atlantic Records
Karma: The Dark World – Black Razor Records
Kpop Demon Hunters – Republic Records
Sinners – Sony Masterworks Records
Wicked: For Good – Republic Records
World Of Warcraft: Undermine(D) – Blizzard Entertainment
Song – Short Film
“Sean Is Three” from Sean The Baby. Written by Cameron Adams. Performed By Amelia Rolland.
“Somos Fuertes” from Somos Fuertes Official Music Video. Written and Performed by J.Frazil.
“Car Keys” from Everything Must Go. Written by Forrest Gray, Tiffany So & Saba Saghafi. Performed By Forrest Gray.
WINNER: “Stars In My Eyes” from Sweetwater. Written by Sean Douglas. Performed by Kyra Sedgwick.
“Down We Go” from Rabbit Rabbit. Written and Performed by Zoë Lustri
Score – TV/Streamed Movie
WINNER: Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy – Dustin O’Halloran
Exterritorial – Sara Barone
Fountain Of Youth – Christopher Benstead
Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story – Tommy Fields
The Pickup – Christopher Lennertz
Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires – Tom Howe
Music Design – Trailer
Delta Force – Peter Tomlinson
Destiny: Rising – Weicheng Xia & Guanglei Zhang
WINNER: Necaxa (FX – Hulu) – Juan Carlos Enriquez
Project Spectrum – Ludvig Forssell
Sea Of Remnants (Yo Ho!) – Guanglei Zhang & Sibo Huang
Valorant – Qing Madi
Wet Paper Bag – Steve Gernes
Main Title – TV Show (Foreign Language)
Al Batal (The Hero) – Suad Bushnaq
Carême – Guillaume Roussel
Lam Shamseya – Mina Samy
WINNER: On The High Seas – Sandrine Rudaz
Two Graves – Marc Timon
Music Video (Independent)
WINNER: Evanescence – “Afterlife”
Teya – “Bite Marks”
Mohammed K Paika – “Just Human”
Gabrielle Aapri – “Refuge”
Alexandra Fresquez – “Symphony”
Matt B, Rocky Dawuni, Tony Succar, & Wouter Kellerman – “They Know”
Live Concert for Visual Media
WINNER: The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl – The Lion King Cast
Infinity Concert – Jason Huang
Beyond the World – Yufan Xu/Xihao Wang/China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra
Garden State 20th Anniversary Concert – Musical Performers: The Shins, Iron & Wine, Frou Frou, Cary Brothers, Laufey, Thievery Corporation, Colin Hay, Madison Cunningham, Remy Zero, The Milk Carton Kids, Sophie Barker, And Bonnie Somerville
Not Gonna Lie, Live From Ruthmere Museum – Abbie Thomas
Exhibitions, Theme Parks, Special Projects
Dark Castle (Xd Dark Ride) – Benjamin Botkin, Carl Vaudrin, Benjamin Beladi
Dreamland Theme Park – Chris Thomas
One Step Beyond: A Journey to Mars – Rhian Sheehan
Scadstory Atlanta – Erik Desiderio
Snapshot – Eduardo Andrade
Tapestry of Happiness – Haim Mazar
WINNER: Walt Disney World’s Epcot: Test Track – Zain Effendi
This year’s CMA Awards were marked by powerful female artist wins, as well as several first-time wins and a changing of the guard in certain categories. Lainey Wilson earned her second entertainer of the year win (she previously won in 2023), as well as her fourth consecutive female vocalist of the year win, and her […]
Many of the awards presented at the 2025 CMA Awards, which went down at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 19), went just about as expected. Did anyone seriously think that Lainey Wilson wasn’t going to win her fourth consecutive award for female artist of the year? And no one could have been too […]
Trending on Billboard
Punk rock and EDM ruled at the 2025 ARIA Awards, presented Wednesday (Nov. 19) in Sydney, as Amyl and The Sniffers, Ninajirachi and Dom Dolla won big.
With four pointy trophies, Amyl and The Sniffers lauded over the 39th annual awards, including best group, best rock album, and the coveted album of the year, for Cartoon Darkness, their third studio LP.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
If Amy Taylor and Co. were the best-kept secret in pub rock for the past several years, the secret is out. The foursome has emerged as darlings of the international festival circuit, they’ve collected Grammy and Brit Award nominations this year, and they’re opening for AC/DC on the Rock Hall heavyweights’ ongoing stadium tour of Australia.
Taylor always leaves an impression. On winning the ARIA for best cover art, awarded prior to the telecast, the band’s force-of-nature singer Amy Taylor quipped, “I know you just like it because I was flashing my titties.”
On collecting album of the year late in proceedings, Taylor quipped, “as the new prime minister of Australia, I’d like to say: all immigrants welcome. I’d like to say: land back, the dole’s going up and every pub gets a million dollars.” The album, she added, had “changed all of our lives.”
Ninajirachi, the rising “girl EDM” star, entered the ARIAs with a leading eight nominations, and is coming off a gold rush, snagging the Australian Music Prize and triple j’s J Award for her debut full-length album, I Love My Computer. The Hordern Pavilion proved to be another happy hunting ground for Ninajirachi (real name: Nina Wilson), as the electronic music artist, singer, songwriter and producer collected her first ARIAs, for best solo artist, the Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist and best independent release.
Dom Dolla was a winner before the ARIAs got underway. The high-flying Australian electronic music producer and DJ was announced Monday (Nov. 17) as the inaugural global impact recipient, which he collected during the early phases of the ARIAs. Dom, who entered these ARIAs with seven nominations, doubled up with the award for best dance/electronic release, marking his third consecutive win in that category.
Kevin Parker added a brace of ARIAs, nabbing engineer – best engineered release, and producer – best produced release, for his work on the latest Tame Impala collection, Deadbeat. In a taped acceptance speech, Parker revealed that the engineering stage was “probably the thing I spend the longest on when making music.” On scoring the producer trophy, he remarked, “there’s some amazing minds” in the music community. “It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with what’s going on in Australia.”
Other winners included Troye Sivan (best Australian live act), Taylor Swift (most popular international artist), BOY SODA (best soul/R&B), BARKAA (best hip-hop/rap release), Thornhill (best hard rock/heavy metal album), and the Teskey Brothers, who collected a fourth best blues & roots album trophy, a record for that category.
Thelma Plum performed “Nobody’s Baby” from her second album I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back and made a second trip to the stage to collect best pop release, presented by Tyra Banks, the American supermodel and television personality who now calls Sydney home. “I can’t believe Tyra Banks just gave me an ARIA,” Plum remarked. “This feels like a fever dream.”
After shifting roughly 200,000 tickets on its latest national jaunt, the beloved Laneway Festival was confirmed as Australia’s favorite fest by scooping the inaugural best music festival award, introduced this year to recognize and celebrate the critical role Australian music festivals play in the music ecosystem.
Performers at the ARIAs, the Australian recorded music industry’s flagship event, included Olivia Dean, Keli Holiday, Thelma Plum, Missy Higgins, and alternative rock heroes You Am I, who were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and had the final word on the night with a two-song performance of “Heavy Heart” and “Berlin Chair.” The nation’s prime minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the band in a video package, pointing out that, “along the way, you’ve added to who we are.”
Sponsored by Spotify, the ARIA Awards streamed live across Paramount+, followed by a special presentation on the free-to-air network 10 with performances and moments available on the trade body’s social channels.
2025 ARIA Awards nominations and winners:
Album of the YearAmyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group] (WINNER)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 Australasia]
Best Solo ArtistBARKAA – 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]Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records] (WINNER)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 Australasia]Young Franco – it’s Franky baby! [Neon Records]
Best GroupAmyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group] (WINNER)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]
Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist presented by SpotifyFolk 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]Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records] (WINNER)Young Franco – it’s Franky baby! [Neon Records]
Best Pop ReleaseG Flip – Disco Cowgirl [AWAL Recordings]Kita Alexander – Press Pause [Warner Music Australasia]Kylie Minogue – Tension II [Mushroom Music]Mallrat – Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right [Dew Process / Universal Music Australia]Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back [Warner Music Australasia] (WINNER)
Best Dance / Electronic ReleaseConfidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) [I OH YOU / Mushroom Music]Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’ [Good Fortune Records] (WINNER)FISHER – Stay [etcetc Music Pty Ltd]Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy – Somedays [Solotoka / ADA]
Best Hip Hop / Rap ReleaseBARKAA – Big Tidda [Big Apples Music / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia] (WINNER)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 Soul / R&B ReleaseBOY SODA – Lil Obsession [Warner Music Australasia] (WINNER)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 Australasia / Say Less]Best Independent Release presented by PPCABall 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]Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]
Best Rock Album presented by TooheysAmyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group] (WINNER)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 Adult Contemporary AlbumFolk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time [Jagjaguwar]Gordi – Like Plasticine [Mushroom Music]Meg Washington – GEM [OriGiN Distribution / ADA]Missy Higgins – The Second Act [Eleven Music / EMI Music Australia] (WINNER)Paul Kelly – Fever Longing Still [EMI Music Australia]
Best Country AlbumDylan Wright – Half a World Away [Sony Music]Imogen Clark – Choking on Fuel [Potts Entertainment / MGM]Kasey Chambers – Backbone [Essence Music Group / MGM] (WINNER)Keith Urban – High [CAPITOL – NASHVILLE / EMI Music Australia]Taylor Moss – Firecracker [Taylor Moss / Ditto Music]
Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal AlbumCivic – 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 Down (Redux) [GYROstream]Thornhill – Bodies [UNFD / Community Music] (WINNER)
Best Blues & Roots AlbumDope 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]The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Hammersmith Apollo [Mushroom Music] (WINNER)
Best Children’s AlbumEmma Memma – Dance Island Party [GYROstream] (WINNER)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]
Best Music Festival presented by TixelAbility Fest – Dylan Alcott Foundation + Untitled GroupBeyond The Valley – Untitled Group / Beyond The Valley Music FestivalBluesfest Byron Bay – Bluesfest Byron BayLaneway Festival – St Jerome’s Laneway / Laneway Festival (WINNER)Yours and Owls Festival – Yours and Owls
PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS
Best VideoBreak 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]Dancing2 – Keli Holiday, Ryan Sauer [Keli Holiday / GYROstream] (WINNER)WASSA – Vv Pete, UTILITY, Formation Boyz, UTILITY [Trackwork]
Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSWAmyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness World TourBall Park Music – Like Love TourBARKAA – 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 2025Kylie Minogue – Tension Tour 2025Miss Kaninna – Dawg In Me Tour [Astral People]SPEED – SPEED AUSTRALIA TOUR ‘25Troye Sivan – Something To Give Each Other Tour [Live Nation] (WINNER)
Song of the YearCyril, Maryjo – Still Into You [Warner Music Australasia / Spinnin Records]Dean Lewis – With You [Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia]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 / EMIMusic Australia]OneFour, Nemzzz – Spinnin [ONEFOUR RECORDS / THE ORCHARD]Royel Otis – Linger (SiriusXM Session) [Ourness]Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy – Somedays [Solotoko / ADA]The Kid LAROI – Girls [Columbia Records / Sony Music] (WINNER)Tobiahs – Angel of Mine [Mushroom Music]
Most Popular International ArtistAlex Warren – [Atlantic Records / Warner Music Australasia]Calvin Harris – [Columbia Records / Sony Music]Gracie Abrams – [Interscope / Universal Music Australia]Kendrick Lamar – [Interscope / Universal Music Australia]Noah Kahan – [Republic Records / Universal Music Australia]Post Malone – [Republic Records / Universal Music Australia]Sabrina Carpenter – [Island Records USA / Universal Music Australia]Tate McRae – [RCA Records / Universal Music Australia]Taylor Swift – [Republic Records / Universal Music Australia] (WINNER)Tyler, The Creator – [Columbia Records / Sony Music]
ARTISAN AWARDS
Best Cover ArtGiulia McGauran for The Cat Empire – Bird in Paradise [BMG]John Stewart for Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin MusicGroup] (WINNER)Kira Puru, Em Jensen for Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back [Waner Music Australasia]Nina Wilson, John You, Aria Zarzycki for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]Sarah McCloskey for Hilltop Hoods – Fall From The Light [Island Records Australia / Universal MusicAustralia]
Engineer – Best Engineered ReleaseAlice 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]Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – End of Summer [Columbia Records / Sony Music] (WINNER)Thomas Purcell p/k/a Wave Racer for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]
Producer – Best Produced ReleaseAlex Burnett for Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back [Warner Music Australasia]Dom Dolla for Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’ [Good Fortune Records]Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – End of Summer [Columbia Records / Sony Music] (WINNER)Nina Wilson p/k/a Ninajirachi for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]RÜFÜS DU SOL for RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale [Rose Avenue Records / Warner Music Australasia]
FINE ARTS AWARDS
Best Classical AlbumAndrea Lam – Piano Diary [ABC Classic / The Orchard] (WINNER)Australian Chamber Orchestra / Richard Tognetti – Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings and AndanteCantabile / 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 Jazz AlbumEvans Robson Quartet – Zenith [Lamplight Records]Lachlan McKenzie – Departures [ABC Jazz / The Orchard]Lucy Clifford – Between Spaces of Knowing [ABC Jazz / The Orchard] (WINNER)TL; DR & Peter Knight – Too Long; Didn’t Read [Earshift Music / The Planet Company-MGM]Touch Sensitive – In Paradise [Future Classic]
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast AlbumAustralian 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 [The Orchard]Various Artists – How To Make Gravy [Origin Recordings] (WINNER)Vidya Makan – The Lucky Country (Original Cast Album) [ORiGiN Distribution / ADA]
Best World Music AlbumElectric Fields, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live In Concert [ABC Music / The Orchard]Gurrumul – Banbirrngu – The Orchestral Sessions [Decca Australia & Skinnyfish / UMA] (WINNER)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]
OUR SOUNDTRACK OUR ADSBest Use of an Australian Recording in an AdvertisementFox League 2025: Our Greats – Fox Sports Australia, 3% (WINNER)Menulog: What’s Good in Your Hood – Thinkerbell, Bliss n EsoParamount+ Australia: Ballad of the GOATS – Paramount+ Australia, BriggsTooheys: I Feel Like a Tooheys – Thinkerbell, Dune RatsTourism & Events Queensland: That Holiday Feeling – Publicis Worldwide, Kita Alexander
Some artists didn’t just win at the 59th annual CMA Awards, which were held on Wednesday (Nov. 19) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. They made history. Of course, acts have been making history at the CMA Awards for years. In 1971, Charley Pride became the first (and is still the only) Black artist to win […]
Trending on Billboard Rapper-turned-country hitmaker BigXthaPlug and longtime genre superstar Luke Combs rocked the CMA Awards together on Wednesday night (Nov. 19) with the live TV debut of their teamup “Pray Hard.” Introduced by host Lainey Wilson (who called Combs her “camper trailer buddy”), the pair lit up the Bridgestone Arena stage in a semi-literal […]
Trending on Billboard
With country legend Vince Gill taking home the prestigious Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award at the 2025 CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 19), it’s only fitting that a who’s who of country stars would show him their love.
First up, Americana star Brandi Carlile gave a plaintive rendition of Gill’s “When I Call Your Name.” Dressed in simple yet sleek maroon suit and tie, Brandi kept her eyes trained on Gill as she belted out his moving ballad. Soon, she was joined on stage to turn the song into a rare duet with country star Patty Loveless for a moving final beat.
Once the pair stepped off the stage, the King of Country himself, George Strait, stepped up to offer a tribute of his own to Gill. Instead of singing, though, Strait gave a speech celebrating Gill’s pioneering work in the country industry. “There’s not a lot more to say about this man that hasn’t been said, or that you don’t already know,” Strait offered. “But his guitar playing is amazing, his songwriting is amazing, his singing is amazing, he can sing higher than anyone I know … there’s not a more deserving person to receive this great honor.”
For his part, Gill thanked Carlile and Loveless for their tribute, joking that “it’s not lost on me that they had to have girls come out here and sing for me tonight — none of the boys can get up that high.” He also took the moment to revel in being honored with a lifetime achievement award that very few other artists have received.
Have you played Billboard’s “A Little Bit Country” Crossword?Play now!
“I think this has been give to nine or 10 people, and that list is astounding,” he said. “The man whose name is on this is a long, long friend. Fifty years we’ve known each other, shared stages and all that. I adore him.”
Lainey Wilson, along with serving as host during the ceremony, earned six nominations at the awards — the most of any artist in 2025, alongside fellow nominees Ella Langley and Megan Moroney. Meanwhile, stars including Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini and more took to the stage for their own performances.
