ARIA Award for Best Independent Release


The ARIA Music Award for Best Independent Release, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Industry Association, an organisation whose aim is "to advance the interests of the Australian record industry."

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the winner is highlighted in a separate colour, and in boldface; the nominees are those that are not highlighted or in boldface. Winners are only provided where reliable sources do not mention of nominees.
YearWinnerAlbum/Single title
1989
(3rd)		--
1989
(3rd)		TISM"Apathy"
1989
(3rd)		Eric BogleSomething of Value
1989
(3rd)		FledermanFlederman
1989
(3rd)		Larry SitskyContemporary Australian Piano
1989
(3rd)		The Spliffs"Sixteen"
1990
(4th)		--
1990
(4th)		Wild Pumpkins at MidnightThis Machine Is Made of People
1990
(4th)		DubrovniksDubrovnik Blues
1990
(4th)		Girl Monstar"Surfing on a Wave"/"He's Hell"
1990
(4th)		SiroccoPort of Call
1990
(4th)		Various ArtistsRockin' Bethlehem
1991
(5th)		--
1991
(5th)		The KilljoysRuby
1991
(5th)		Blue RuinI'm Gonna Smile
1991
(5th)		Girl Monstar"Joe Cool"
1991
(5th)		Roaring JackThrough the Smoke of Innocence
1991
(5th)		Various ArtistsRockin Bethlehem: The Second Coming
1992
(6th)		--
1992
(6th)		Not Drowning, WavingProof
1992
(6th)		The AintsAscension
1992
(6th)		Def FXWater
1992
(6th)		Ed KuepperHoney Steel's Gold
1992
(6th)		Underground LoversUnderground Lovers
1993
(7th)		--
1993
(7th)		Ed KuepperBlack Ticket Day
1993
(7th)		The Jackson CodeStrange Cargo
1993
(7th)		Def FXBlink
1993
(7th)		Melanie Oxley and Chris AbrahamsWelcome to Violet
1993
(7th)		TISMBeasts of Suburban
1994
(8th)		--
1994
(8th)		Ed KuepperSerene Machine
1994
(8th)		The Jackson CodeDragging the River
1994
(8th)		JuiceMovin' On
1994
(8th)		Dave SteelCross My Palm
1994
(8th)		Brenda Webb"Little Black Girl"
1995
(9th)		--
1995
(9th)		TISMMachiavelli and the Four Seasons
1995
(9th)		Def FXRitual Eternal
1995
(9th)		Ed KuepperCharacter Assassination
1995
(9th)		Magic DirtLife Was Better
1995
(9th)		Single Gun TheoryFlow, River of My Soul
1996
(10th)		--
1996
(10th)		You Am IHourly, Daily
1996
(10th)		CustardWisenheimer
1996
(10th)		Ed KuepperThe Exotic Mail Order Moods of Ed Kuepper
1996
(10th)		TISM"Greg! The Stop Sign!!"
1996
(10th)		Underground LoversRushall Station
1997
(11th)		--
1997
(11th)		Savage GardenSavage Garden
1997
(11th)		Deadstar"Don't it Get You Down"
1997
(11th)		Dirty ThreeHorse Stories
1997
(11th)		Ed KuepperFrontierland
1997
(11th)		EvenLess Is More
1998
(12th)		--
1998
(12th)		The WhitlamsEternal Nightcap
1998
(12th)		The Blackeyed SusansSpin the Bottle
1998
(12th)		Karma CountyOlana
1998
(12th)		The Living End"Second Solution / Prisoner of Society"
1998
(12th)		TISMwww.tism.wanker.com
1999
(13th)		--
1999
(13th)		Josh AbrahamsSweet Distorted Holiday
1999
(13th)		Crawlspace"Away"
1999
(13th)		Diana Ah Naid"Oh No "
1999
(13th)		Pauline Pantsdown"I Don't Like It"
1999
(13th)		Pre-Shrunk"Triple A Side"
2000
(14th)		--
2000
(14th)		S2S"Sister"
2000
(14th)		Diana Ah NaidI Don't Thing I'm Pregnant
2000
(14th)		iOTAThe Hip Bone Connection
2000
(14th)		SkulkerToo Fat for Tahiti
2000
(14th)		Stella One Eleven"Only Good for Conversation"
2001
(15th)		--
2001
(15th)		John Butler TrioThree
2001
(15th)		Allan Browne's New RascalsEast St Kilda Toodleoo
2001
(15th)		NitocrisManic
2001
(15th)		Pre-ShrunkDigital Sunrise
2001
(15th)		Stella One ElevenIn Your Hands
2002
(16th)		--
2002
(16th)		1200 Techniques"Karma (What Goes Around)"
2002
(16th)		Icecream Hands"Rain Hail Shine"
2002
(16th)		Killing HeidiHeavensent
2002
(16th)		Lisa MillerCar Tape
2002
(16th)		The Waifs"London Still"
2003
(17th)		--
2003
(17th)		The WaifsUp All Night
2003
(17th)		1200 Techniques"Eye of the Storm"
2003
(17th)		DieselHear
2003
(17th)		John Butler TrioLiving
2003
(17th)		The Mess HallFeeling Sideways
2004
(18th)		--
2004
(18th)		John Butler TrioSunrise Over Sea
2004
(18th)		ButterfingersBreakfast at Fatboys
2004
(18th)		JebediahBraxton Hicks
2004
(18th)		The Waifs"Bridal Train"
2004
(18th)		Dan Kelly and the Alpha MalesSing the Tabloid Blues
2005
(19th)		--
2005
(19th)		Ben LeeAwake Is the New Sleep
2005
(19th)		Architecture in HelsinkiIn Case We Die
2005
(19th)		Joel Turner and the Modern Day PoetsJoel Turner and the Modern Day Poets
2005
(19th)		LiorAutumn Flow
2005
(19th)		The WaifsA Brief History...
2006
(20th)		--
2006
(20th)		Hilltop HoodsThe Hard Road
2006
(20th)		Ben Lee"We're All in This Together"
2006
(20th)		GotyeLike Drawing Blood
2006
(20th)		The John Butler TrioLive at St. Gallen
2006
(20th)		LiorDoorways of My Mind
2007
(21st)		--
2007
(21st)		The John Butler TrioGrand National
2007
(21st)		GotyeMixed Blood
2007
(21st)		Hilltop HoodsThe Hard Road: Restrung
2007
(21st)		Sneaky Sound SystemSneaky Sound System
2007
(21st)		Wolf & CubVessels
2008
(22nd)		--
2008
(22nd)		Geoffrey Gurrumul YunupinguGurrumul
2008
(22nd)		Ben LeeRipe
2008
(22nd)		British IndiaThieves
2008
(22nd)		LiorCorner of an Endless Road
2008
(22nd)		Midnight JuggernautsDystopia
2009
(23rd)		--
2009
(23rd)		Bertie BlackmanSecrets and Lies
2009
(23rd)		C. W. StonekingJungle Blues
2009
(23rd)		Dappled CitiesZounds
2009
(23rd)		Sneaky Sound System2
2009
(23rd)		The DronesHavilah
2010
(24th)		--
2010
(24th)		SiaWe Are Born
2010
(24th)		Art vs. ScienceMagic Fountain
2010
(24th)		Dan SultanGet Out While You Can
2010
(24th)		Eddy Current Suppression RingRush to Relax
2010
(24th)		John Butler TrioApril Uprising
2011
(25th)		--
2011
(25th)		Art vs. ScienceThe Experiment
2011
(25th)		Geoffrey Gurrumul YunupinguRrakala
2011
(25th)		John Butler TrioLive at Red Rocks
2011
(25th)		Tex Perkins & the Dark HorsesTex Perkins & the Dark Horses
2011
(25th)		The Jezabels"Dark Storm"
2012
(26th)		--
2012
(26th)		The JezabelsPrisoner
2012
(26th)		Dappled CitiesLake Air
2012
(26th)		Katie Noonan and Karin SchauppSongs of the Southern Skies
2012
(26th)		San CiscoAwkward
2012
(26th)		The BamboosMedicine Man
2013
(27th)		--
2013
(27th)		Nick Cave & the Bad SeedsPush the Sky Away
2013
(27th)		Big ScaryNot Art
2013
(27th)		San CiscoSan Cisco
2013
(27th)		Sheppard"Let Me Down Easy"
2013
(27th)		The DronesI See Seaweed
2014
(28th)		--
2014
(28th)		Chet FakerBuilt on Glass
2014
(28th)		Dan SultanBlackbird
2014
(28th)		SheppardBombs Away
2014
(28th)		Vance Joy"Mess Is Mine"
2014
(28th)		Violent Soho"Saramona Said"
2015
(29th)		--
2015
(29th)		Courtney BarnettSometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
2015
(29th)		HermitudeDark Night Sweet Light
2015
(29th)		Jarryd James"Do You Remember"
2015
(29th)		Paul KellyThe Merri Soul Sessions
2015
(29th)		Vance JoyDream Your Life Away
2016
(30th)		--
2016
(30th)		FlumeSkin
2016
(30th)		Jarryd JamesThirty One
2016
(30th)		King Gizzard & the Lizard WizardNonagon Infinity
2016
(30th)		SiaThis Is Acting
2016
(30th)		Violent SohoWACO
2017
(31st)		--
2017
(31st)		A.B. OriginalReclaim Australia
2017
(31st)		Dan SultanKiller
2017
(31st)		Sia"The Greatest"
2017
(31st)		Tash SultanaNotion
2017
(31st)		Vance Joy"Lay It on Me"
2018
(32nd)		--
2018
(32nd)		GurrumulDjarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)
2018
(32nd)		Angus & Julia StoneSnow
2018
(32nd)		Courtney BarnettTell Me How You Really Feel
2018
(32nd)		DMA'sFor Now
2018
(32nd)		Pnau"Go Bang"
2019
(33rd)		--
2019
(33rd)		Tones and IThe Kids Are Coming
2019
(33rd)		Angie McMahonSalt
2019
(33rd)		G FlipAbout Us
2019
(33rd)		Julia JacklinCrushing
2019
(33rd)		The Teskey BrothersRun Home Slow
2020
(34th)		--
2020
(34th)		Sampa the GreatThe Return
2020
(34th)		Archie RoachTell Me Why
2020
(34th)		DMA'sThe Glow
2020
(34th)		Lime Cordiale14 Steps to a Better You
2020
(34th)		Nick Cave and the Bad SeedsGhosteen
2021
(35th)		--
2021
(35th)		Genesis OwusuSmiling with No Teeth
2021
(35th)		Archie RoachThe Songs of Charcoal Lane
2021
(35th)		Ball Park MusicBall Park Music
2021
(35th)		Emma Donovan & The PushbacksCrossover
2021
(35th)		Vance Joy"Missing Piece"
2022
(36th)		--
2022
(36th)		Archie Roach"One Song"
2022
(36th)		Ball Park MusicWeirder & Weirder
2022
(36th)		Courtney BarnettThings Take Time, Take Time
2022
(36th)		Genesis Owusu"GTFO"
2022
(36th)		Julia JacklinPre Pleasure
2023
(37th)		--
2023
(37th)		Genesis OwusuStruggler
2023
(37th)		Cub SportJesus at the Gay Bar
2023
(37th)		Dan SultanDan Sultan
2023
(37th)		G FlipDrummer
2023
(37th)		Kylie Minogue"Padam Padam"
2024
(38th)		--
2024
(38th)		Angie McMahonLight, Dark, Light Again
2024
(38th)		Emily WurramaraNara
2024
(38th)		Kylie MinogueTension
2024
(38th)		Miss Kaninna"Blak Britney"
2024
(38th)		Royel OtisPratts & Pain
2025
(39th)		--
2025
(39th)		NinajirachiI Love My Computer
2025
(39th)		Ball Park MusicLike Love
2025
(39th)		Confidence Man3AM (La La La)
2025
(39th)		Folk Bitch TrioNow Would Be a Good Time
2025
(39th)		Miss KaninnaKaninna