Sampa really is great
Rapper breaks new ground as Impalas, Archie pick up gongs
TAME Impala, Archie Roach and Sampa the Great have dominated at the most diverse and socially distanced ARIA Awards to date.
The awards took place in Sydney with Delta Goodrem hosting, with no audience and guests and performers, including Billie Eilish, appearing remotely.
As well as his Hall of Fame induction, Indigenous musician Archie Roach won Best Male Artist and Best Adult Contemporary Album for his Tell Me Why release.
Roach, who has battled lung cancer in the last decade as well as having a stroke, performed an emotional version of his classic
Took the Children Away — written about his experience as being part of the Stolen Generation.
Zambian- born, Melbournebased musician Sampa the Great has made more ARIA history.
After becoming the first woman of colour to win a
Hip Hop ARIA award rd last year, Sampa be- came the first rapper to win Best Female Artist for her acclaimed debut t album The Return. n.
The Return also picked ked up Best Independent nt Release and Best Hip Hop Release.
West Australian band Tame Impala nabbed Best Album for their No. 1 record The Soft Rush. Despite being essentially the project of Kevin Parker, who plays all the instruments on each album, Tame Impala picked up Best Group, while the synthesiser
and dance- driven The Soft Rush won Best Rock Album.
Parker also won the Engineer and Producer of the Year awards. Tame Impala has now won eight ARIA awards over the past dec
ade. ade.
Sydney S band Lime Cordiale, C who had eight e nominations for their second album 14 Steps to a Better You, had to settle for one o ARIA, for Breakthrough th Artist.
N New Indigenous artist ist Miiesha Miie picked up Best Soul/ R& B Release for her acclaimed debut Nyaaringu. Amy Shark won Best Pop Release for her hit single Everybody Rise, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard picked up best Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal album for Chunky Shrapnel, Fanny Lumsden won Best Country Album for
LIME CORDIALE
Fallow while The Teskey Brothers added to their ARIA collection with a gong for Best Blues and Roots Album for Live at the Forum.
Melbourne folk duo Teeny Tiny Stevies beat The Wiggles to win their first Best Children’s Album ARIA award for Thoughtful Songs for Little People.
In the public voted awards, 5 Seconds of Summer’s Teeth won Best Song, Guy Sebastian’s Standing With You picked up Best Video and Amy Shark won Best Australian Live Act. Harry Styles beat Taylor Swift, Lizzo and Dua Lipa to win Best International Artist.
Delta Goodrem and several other artists closed the night with a joint tribute to Helen Reddy, by performing her anthem I Am Woman.
AMY SHARK