ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Release


The ARIA Music Award for Best Indigenous Release was an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards. It was presented from 1987 through to 1998. Originally titled Best Indigenous Record in 1987. It was renamed Best Aboriginal/Islander Release in 1995. From 1996 it was Best Indigenous Release.
The award for Best Indigenous Release was first presented to Coloured Stone for their album Human Love. It was retired after the 1998 awards with Archie Roach winning the final award for his album Looking for Butter Boy. Roach won the award three times and Weddings Parties Anything, Yothu Yindi and Christine Anu each won it twice. In 1988 upon Midnight Oil's nomination for Best Indigenous Record, their manager Gary Morris objected to the group being put in that category by ARIA, "an Indigenous Award should go to an indigenous band."

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.
YearWinnerAlbum title
1987
(1st)
--
1987
(1st)
Coloured StoneHuman Love
1987
(1st)
Dave de HugardThe Magpie in the Wattle
1987
(1st)
John WilliamsonMallee Boy
1987
(1st)
SiroccoVoyage
1987
(1st)
The Three Chord WondersTry Change
1988
(2nd)
--
1988
(2nd)
GondwanalandGondwanaland
1988
(2nd)
Australia All OverAustralia All Over
1988
(2nd)
Flying EmusThis Town
1988
(2nd)
Midnight OilDiesel and Dust
1988
(2nd)
Warumpi BandGo Bush
1989
(3rd)
--
1989
(3rd)
Weddings Parties AnythingRoaring Days
1989
(3rd)
Kev CarmodyPillars of Society
1989
(3rd)
Flying Emus"This Town" / "Darling Street"
1989
(3rd)
Midnight Oil"Dreamworld"
1989
(3rd)
Dave Steel"The Hardest Part"
1990
(4th)
--
1990
(4th)
Weddings Parties AnythingThe Big Don't Argue
1990
(4th)
Coloured StoneWild Desert Rose
1990
(4th)
GondwanalandWildlife
1990
(4th)
Scrap MetalBroken Down Man
1990
(4th)
Yothu YindiHomeland Movement
1991
(5th)
--
1991
(5th)
Archie RoachCharcoal Lane
1991
(5th)
Coloured StoneCrazy Mind
1991
(5th)
Various ArtistsAustralia All Over Macca's No. 4
1991
(5th)
Various ArtistsFrom the Bush
1991
(5th)
Wild Pumpkins At MidnightLittle Victories
1992
(6th)
--
1992
(6th)
Yothu YindiTribal Voice
1992
(6th)
Archie Roach"Down City Streets"
1992
(6th)
Kev Carmody"Eulogy "
1992
(6th)
Shane Howard"Escape from Reality"
1992
(6th)
Not Drowning, Waving & The Musicians of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea featuring George TelekTabaran
1993
(7th)
--
1993
(7th)
Yothu Yindi"Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming)"
1993
(7th)
Kev CarmodyStreet Beat
1993
(7th)
Coloured StoneInma Juju
1993
(7th)
GondwanalandWide Skies
1993
(7th)
TiddasInside My Kitchen
1994
(8th)
--
1994
(8th)
TiddasSing About Life
1994
(8th)
Kev CarmodyBloodlines
1994
(8th)
Not Drowning, WavingCircus
1994
(8th)
Archie RoachJamu Dreaming
1994
(8th)
Yothu YindiFreedom
1995
(9th)
--
1995
(9th)
Christine AnuStylin' Up
1995
(9th)
Kev Carmody"On the Wire"
1995
(9th)
Ruby HunterThoughts Within
1995
(9th)
Tiddas"Changing Times"
1995
(9th)
Yothu Yindi & Neil Finn"Dots on the Shells"
1996
(10th)
--
1996
(10th)
Christine Anu"Come On"
1996
(10th)
Kev CarmodyImages and Illusions
1996
(10th)
Blekbala MujikBlekbala Mujik
1996
(10th)
Various ArtistsOur Home, Our Land
1996
(10th)
Warumpi BandToo Much Humbug
1997
(11th)
--
1997
(11th)
Archie RoachHold On Tight
1997
(11th)
George TelekTelek
1997
(11th)
TiddasTiddas
1997
(11th)
Warumpi BandStompin' Ground
1997
(11th)
Yothu YindiBirrkuta - Wild Honey
1998
(12th)
--
1998
(12th)
Archie RoachLooking for Butter Boy
1998
(12th)
GondwanaXenophon
1998
(12th)
Singers for the Red Black and Gold"Yil Lull"
1998
(12th)
John Williamson & Warren H Williams"Raining on the Rock"
1998
(12th)
Bart WilloughbyPathways