APRA Awards (Australia)


The APRA Music Awards in Australia celebrate excellence in contemporary music, honoring songwriters and publishers who have achieved artistic excellence and outstanding success in their fields.
Several award ceremonies are run in Australia by the Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society. In addition to the APRA Music Awards, APRA AMCOS, in association with the Australian Music Centre, presents awards for classical music, jazz and improvised music, experimental music and sound art, known as the Art Music Awards. It also runs, in association with the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, the Screen Music Awards, to acknowledge excellence in the field of screen composition.

APRA Music Awards (Australia)

The APRA Music Awards were established in 1982 to honour songwriters and music composers for their efforts. The award categories are:

Gold Awards

From 1982 to 1990, the best songs were given the Gold Award, which was also called the Special Award. In the mid-1980s Platinum Awards were given to significant works from previous years.
YearSongwriterArtistWinning workAward
1982Graeham GobleLittle River Band"Reminiscing"Gold Award
1982Graham RussellAir Supply"Lost in Love"Gold Award
1982Glenn ShorrockLittle River Band"Cool Change"Gold Award
1982Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon ScottAC/DC"Highway To Hell"Gold Award
1983
1984Graham RussellAir Supply"The One That You Love"Special Award
1984Colin HayMen at Work"Who Can It Be Now?"Special Award
1984Brian MayMad Max film scoreSpecial Award
1985Colin Hay, Ron StrykertMen at Work"Down Under"Special Award
1985John Antill"Corroboree"Special Award
1985Graeham GobleLittle River Band"The Other Guy"Special Award
1985Reece KirkCrystal Gayle"Our Love Is on the Faultline"Special Award
1986Eric BogleEric Bogle"And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"Gold Award
1987Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Brian JohnsonAC/DC"Back in Black"Gold Award
1987Mark KnopflerDire StraitsBrothers in ArmsGold Award
1988Jack O'Hagan"Along the Road to Gundagai"Platinum Award
1988Gordon ParsonsSlim Dusty"Pub With No Beer"Platinum Award
1988Rolf HarrisRolf Harris"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"Platinum Award
1988Dorothy Dodd"Granada"Platinum Award
1988Marie Cowan, Banjo Paterson"Waltzing Matilda"Platinum Award
1988Andrew Farriss, Michael HutchenceINXS"What You Need"Gold Award
1988Peter BestCrocodile Dundee film scoreGold Award
1989John Antill"Corroboree"Platinum Award
1989Harry Vanda & George YoungIn recognition of the outstanding popularity of their collective works throughout the worldPlatinum Award
1989Neil FinnCrowded House"Don't Dream It's Over"Gold Award
1989Andrew Farriss, Michael HutchenceINXS"Need You Tonight"Gold Award
1989Hal DavidIn recognition of the outstanding popularity of his many works in Australia and New ZealandGold Award
1989–1990 Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst, James MoginieMidnight Oil"Beds Are Burning"Gold Award
1990Andrew Farriss, Michael HutchenceINXS"Devil Inside"Gold Award
1990Andrew Farriss, Michael HutchenceINXS"New Sensation"Gold Award

Song of the Year

Song of the Year is decided by the votes of APRA members. All eligible songs must be written by an APRA member and released in the preceding calendar year for consideration. The Song of the Year award is considered one of the most prestigious of the APRA Music Awards.
YearSongwriterArtistSong
1991Bakamana Yunipingu, Stuart Kellaway, Gurrumul Yunipingu, Milkayggu Mununggurr, Cal Williams, Paul KellyYothu Yindi"Treaty"
1992Rick Price, Heather FieldRick Price"Heaven Knows"
1993Neil Finn and Tim FinnCrowded House"Four Seasons in One Day"
1994Neil FinnCrowded House"Distant Sun"
1995Neil MurrayChristine Anu"My Island Home"
1996Tina Arena, Robert Parde, Heather FieldTina Arena"Wasn't It Good"
1997
1998Dean ManningLeonardo's Bride"Even When I'm Sleeping"
1999James RocheBachelor Girl"Buses and Trains"
2000Jonathan Coghill, John Collins, Ian Haug, Darren Middleton, Bernard FanningPowderfinger"Passenger"
2001Bernard FanningPowderfinger"My Happiness"
2002Alex LloydAlex Lloyd"Amazing"
2003Kasey ChambersKasey Chambers"Not Pretty Enough"
2004John ButlerJohn Butler Trio"Zebra"
2005Missy Higgins and Kevin GriffinMissy Higgins"Scar"
2006Ben Lee and McGowan SouthworthBen Lee"Catch My Disease"
2007Glenn RichardsAugie March"One Crowded Hour"
2008Daniel Johns and Julian HamiltonSilverchair"Straight Lines"
2009Chris CheneyThe Living End"White Noise"
2010Dougy Mandagi and Lorenzo SillittoThe Temper Trap"Sweet Disposition"
2011Angus Stone, Julia StoneAngus & Julia Stone"Big Jet Plane"
2012Wally de Backer, Luiz BonfaGotye feat Kimbra"Somebody That I Used To Know"
2013Kevin ParkerTame Impala"Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"
2014James KeoghVance Joy"Riptide"
2015Sia Furler, Jesse ShatkinSia"Chandelier"
2016Kevin ParkerTame Impala"Let It Happen"
2017D.D Dumbo a.k.a. Oliver PerryD.D Dumbo"Satan"
2018Paul Kelly, Billy MillerPaul Kelly"Firewood and Candles"
2019Amy BillingsAmy Shark"I Said Hi"
2020Toni WatsonTones and I"Dance Monkey"
2021Joel Davison, Rob Hirst, Bunna LawrieMidnight Oil featuring Dan Sultan, Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs, Bunna Lawrie"Gadigal Land"
2022The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber, Isaac De Boni, Omer Fedi, Magnus Høiberg, Michael Mule, Charlie Puth, Subhaan Rahman, Blake SlatkinThe Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber"Stay"
2023Harley Streten, Sarah AaronsFlume featuring May-a"Say Nothing"

Songwriter of the Year

Songwriter of the Year is voted by APRA's Board of Writer and Publisher Directors rewarding the songwriter who has recorded the most impressive body of work in the previous year.
YearSongwriter
1991Phil Buckle
1992Neil Finn and Tim Finn
1993Greg Arnold
1994Neil Finn
1995Daniel Johns and Benjamin Gillies
1996Nick Cave
1997
1998Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones
1999Paul Kelly
2000Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones
2001Ella Hooper and Jesse Hooper
2002Kasey Chambers
2003Daniel Johns
2004Powderfinger
2005Jet
2006Bernard Fanning
2007Andrew Stockdale, Myles Heskett and Chris Ross
2008Daniel Johns
2009Kim Moyes and Julian Hamilton
2010Angus Young and Malcolm Young
2011Angus Stone and Julia Stone
2012Gotye
2013Sia
2014Sia
2015Sia
2016Courtney Barnett
2017Harley Streten Flume
2018Adam Briggs p.k.a. Briggs and Daniel Rankine p.k.a. Trials
2019Sarah Aarons
2020Barry Francis p.k.a. DJ Debris, Matthew Lambert p.k.a. Suffa, Daniel Smith p.k.a. MC Pressure
2021Kevin Parker
2024The Teskey Brothers, Josh Teskey and Sam Teskey