Australia’s new indie rock queen can now add Songwriter of the Year to her recent Grammy nomination, four ARIAs and the $30,000 she won for the Australian Music Prize.
Courtney’s phenomenal skills on debut album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit also ended Sia’s three-run in the same APRA category.
But Sia did not walk away empty-handed, picking up the Most Played Australian Work Overseas award for Chandelier and ending Goyte’s three-year winning streak for Somebody That I Used To Know.
Perth’s Tame Impala, also a recent Grammy nominee, was the other big winner on the star-studded night.
Tame Impala won Song of the Year for their track Let It Happen, written by band frontman Kevin Parker.
This is Tame Impala’s second Song of the Year win, after they won in 2013, and Kevin says it was a relief.
“When you do something good and people commend you for it, you worry that it’s the last time you’re going to do something great,” he says.
“It’s such a relief that it’s not the last time.”
The band netted five awards at the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Awards last year, including Best Group and Album of the Year for their 2015 album Currents, and won more recently won Best International Group at the Brit Awards.
Other highlights at the APRAs included Alex Hope’s win as Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, and the introduction of the Overseas Recognition Award which was given to Phil Barton.
During his career, Phil has had over 800 songs recorded on country, children’s and pop records around the world.
He has written for country music superstars Lee Brice, Sara Evans, David Nail, Dustin Lynch, Cassadee Pope, Jana Kramer, Mickey Guyton, Kristian Bush and Tate Stevens as well as Jai Waetford, Busby Marou, Amber Lawrence, Baylou and The McClymonts.
The 2016 APRA Music Awards
Song of the Year
Tame Impala, Let It Happen, writer Kevin Parker.
Songwriter of the Year
Courtney Barnett
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Cold Chisel
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Alex Hope
Overseas Recognition Award
Phil Barton
Most Played Australian Work Overseas
Sia, Chandelier, writers Sia Furler, Jesse Shatkin
Most Played Australian Work
Peking Duk, featuring SAFIA, Take Me Over, writers Adam Hyde, Reuben
Styles, Styalz Fuego, Ben Woolner
Country Work of the Year
Spirit of the Anzacs, writers Lee Kernaghan, Garth Porter, Colin Buchanan
Blues and Roots Work of the Year
Busby Marou, Days of Gold, writers Thomas Busby, Phil Barton, Lindsay Rimes.
Dance Work of the Year
Peking Duk featuring SAFIA, Take Me Over
Rock Work Of the Year
Birds of Tokyo, Anchor
Pop Work of the Year
Do You Remember? Writers Jarryd James, Joel Little