APRA Music Awards of 2017
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2017 are a series of related awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Art Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards of 2017 was the 35th annual ceremony by the Australasian Performing Right Association and the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society to award outstanding achievements in contemporary songwriting, composing and publishing. The ceremony was held on 3 April 2017 at the International Convention Centre Sydney. The host for the ceremony was Julia Zemiro, presenter on SBS-TV's RocKwiz.
The Art Music Awards ceremony was held on 22 August 2017 in Sydney and are presented by APRA, AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre, "to recognise achievement in the composition, performance, education and presentation of Australian art music. Art music covers activity across contemporary classical music, contemporary jazz and improvised music, experimental music and sound art" The Screen Music Awards were issued on 13 November at the Melbourne Recital Centre by APRA, AMCOS and Australian Guild of Screen Composers, which "acknowledges excellence and innovation in the field of screen composition."
In mid-March nominations for the APRA Music Awards were announced on multiple news sources: Flume received the most with four nominations, he went on to win three awards. Archie Roach was honoured by the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music. Songwriter of the Year was Flume.
Presenters
At the APRA Music Awards ceremony on 3 April 2017, aside from the host, Julia Zemiro, the presenters were Bernard Fanning, Hayley Mary, Tex Perkins and Morgan Evans.APRA Music Awards
Blues & Roots Work of the Year
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| Gang of Youths | David Le'aupepe | Universal Music Publishing Australia | |
| Rüfüs | Jon George, James Hunt and Tyrone Lindqvist | Kobalt Music Publishing Sweat It Out | |
| Meg Mac | Meg Mac | Mushroom Music BMG | |
| King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard | Stu MacKenzie | Mushroom Music | |
| Troye Sivan | Troye Sivan Mellet |
Country Work of the Year
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| "Burn Baby Burn" – Kirsty Lee Akers | Kirsty Lee Akers, Trey Bruce | Native Tongue Music Publishing Round Hill Songs and Kid Drum Music | |
| "This Crazy Life" – The Wolfe Brothers | Phil Barton, Brodie Rainbird, Bruce Wallace, Nicholas Wolfe, Thomas Wolfe | Warner/Chappell Music Better Boat Music/ Perfect Pitch Publishing | |
| "The Truth Walks Slowly " – O'Shea featuring Rob Hirst | Rob Hirst, Jay O'Shea, Mark O'Shea | Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Orient Pacific Music | |
| "Greatest Companion" – Aleyce Simmonds | Aleyce Simmonds | Kobalt Music Publishing Checked Label Services | |
| "Call Me Crazy" – Travis Collins | Travis Collins, Damien Leith | ABC Music Publishing |
Dance Work of the Year
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| "This Girl" – Kungs vs Cookin' on 3 Burners | Jake Mason, Lance Ferguson, Ivan Khatchoyan | Universal Music Publishing, BMG Origin Music Publishing | |
| "The Trouble with Us" – Nick Murphy featuring Marcus Marr | Nicholas Murphy, Marcus Annesley | Mushroom Music | |
| "Say It" – Flume featuring Tove Lo | Harley Streten, Julian Hamilton, Daniel Johns, Tove Lo | Kobalt Music Publishing Future Classic, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music Wolf Cousins | |
| "Keeping Score" – LDRU featuring Paige IV | Sarah Aarons, Drew Carmody | Sony/ATV Music Publishing Allegro, BMG | |
| "Never Be like You" – Flume featuring Kai | Harley Streten, Kai, Geoffrey Earley | Kobalt Music Publishing Future Classic / Native Tongue Music Publishing Songs of SMP / Warner/Chappell Music Artist 101 |
International Work of the Year
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| "Can't Stop the Feeling!" – Justin Timberlake | Justin Timberlake, Martin Sandberg, Johan Schuster | Universal Music Publishing DWA Songs, Universal Music Publishing MGB Tennman Tunes, Kobalt Music Publishing MXM Music | |
| "Hello" – Adele | Adele Adkins, Greg Kurstin | Universal Music Publishing Melted Stone, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Kurstin Music | |
| "Love Yourself" – Justin Bieber | Justin Bieber, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran | Universal/MCA Music Publishing Bieber Time, Universal/MCA Music Publishing Please Don’t Forget to Pay Me Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing | |
| "Ocean Drive" – Duke Dumont | Timucin Aluo, Adam Dyment, Jay Norton, Henry Ritson | Kobalt Music Publishing Funky Wonton, Mushroom Music BMG, Kobalt Music Publishing | |
| "Sorry" – Justin Bieber | Justin Bieber, Julia Michaels, Sonny Moore, Justin Tranter, Michael Tucker | Universal/MCA Music Publishing Bieber Time, Warner/Chappell Music Thanks for the Songs Richard, Kobalt Music Publishing Copaface, Warner/Chappell Music Justin S School for Girls, Kobalt Music Publishing Michael Diamond Music, Native Tongue Music Publishing These are Songs of Pulse |
Most Played Australian Work
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| "Cheap Thrills" – Sia | Sia Furler, Greg Kurstin | Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Sony/ATV Music Publishing Kurstin Music | |
| "In My Blood" – The Veronicas | Anthony Egizii, David Musumeci, Lisa Origliasso, Jessica Origliasso | Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing | |
| "The Trouble with Us" – Nick Murphy featuring Marcus Marr | Nicholas Murphy, Marcus Annesley | Mushroom Music | |
| "Say It" – Flume featuring Tove Lo | Harley Streten, Julian Hamilton, Daniel Johns, Tove Lo | Kobalt Music Publishing Future Classic, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music Wolf Cousins | |
| "Never Be like You" – Flume featuring Kai | Harley Streten, Kai, Geoffrey Earley | Kobalt Music Publishing Future Classic, Native Tongue Music Publishing Songs of SMP, Warner/Chappell Music Artist 101 |
Most Played Australian Work Overseas
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| "Riptide" – Vance Joy | James Keogh | Kobalt Music Publishing Future Classic, Native Tongue Music Publishing Songs of SMP, Warner/Chappell Music Artist 101 |
Overseas Recognition Award
| Writer | Publisher | Result |
| Samuel Dixon |
Pop Work of the Year
Rock Work of the Year
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| Fall Together – The Temper Trap | Richard Cooper, Dougy Mandagi, Justin Parker | Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Mushroom Music | |
| "Hold Me Back" – The Rubens | Scott Baldwin, David Kahne, Elliott Margin, Izaac Margin, Samuel Margin, William Zeglis | Mushroom Music Ivy League Music, Kobalt Music Publishing E Equals Music | |
| "I'd Go with You Anywhere" – Birds of Tokyo | Ian Berney, Ian Kenny, Glenn Sarangapany, Adam Spark, Adam Weston | Mushroom Music | |
| "The Good Life" – Thirsty Merc | Jon Hume, Rai Thistlethwayte | Sony/ATV Music Publishing | |
| "Wasting Time" – Bernard Fanning | Bernard Fanning, Nick DiDia |
Song of the Year
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| "Adore" – Amy Shark | Amy Shark, Mark Landon M-Phazes | Universal Music Publishing | |
| "Come Home " – Tim Minchin | Tim Minchin | Kobalt Music Publishing Navel Enterprises | |
| "Pool Party" – Julia Jacklin | Julia Jacklin | Mushroom Music | |
| "Satan" – D.D Dumbo | Oliver Perry | Mushroom Music | |
| "Skeleton Tree" – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Nick Cave, Warren Ellis | Kobalt Music Publishing |
Songwriter of the Year
- Harley Streten p.k.a. Flume
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
- Archie Roach
Urban Work of the Year
| Title and/or artist | Writer | Publisher | Result |
| "1955" – Hilltop Hoods featuring Montaigne & Tom Thum | DJ Debris, MC Pressure, Suffa, Andrew Burford | Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing | |
| "For Good" – Remi featuring Sampa the Great | Aderemi Kolawole, Justin Smith, Sampa Tembo | Sony/ATV Music Publishing Allegro | |
| "Papercuts" – Illy featuring Vera Blue | Alasdair Murray, Mark Landon M-Phazes, Thomas Macken, Celia Pavey | Mushroom Music WAU Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, Native Tongue Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Canal Music | |
| "Long Loud Hours" – Urthboy featuring Bertie Blackman | Tim Levinson, Pip Norman, Luke Dubber, Angus Stuart, Ray Charles | BMG / Mushroom Music / Sony/ATV Music Publishing /Warner/Chappell Music | |
| "Higher" – Hilltop Hoods featuring James Chatburn | DJ Debris, MC Pressure, Suffa | Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing |
Art Music Awards
Instrumental Work of the Year
| Title | Composer | Performer | Result |
| Aisles | Austin Buckett | Australian Art Orchestra and Ensemble Offspring | |
| Diomira | Peter Knight | Australian Art Orchestra | |
| How Forests Think | Liza Lim | Elision, Wu Wei, Carl Rosman | |
| Moon Fire | Jessica Wells | Lyn Fuller |
Jazz Work of the Year
| Title | Composer | Performer | Result |
| Intrusions | Eugene Ball | Monash Art Ensemble | |
| Moons of Jupiter | Paul Grabowsky | The Paul Grabowsky Sextet | |
| Now Noise | Tom O’Halloran | Memory of Elements | |
| Still Night | Andrea Keller | Vince Jones, Andrea Keller, Stephen Magnusson, Gian Slater, Julien Wilson |
Orchestral Work of the Year
| Title | Composer | Performer | Result |
| Frog and Star Cycle | Ross Edwards | Amy Dickson, Colin Currie, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Lothar Koenigs | |
| Raga | Andrew Ford | Zane Banks, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Northey | |
| Serenade for Tenor, Saxophone and Orchestra | Lyle Chan, Benjamin Britten and Wulff Scherchen | Andrew Goodwin, Michael Duke, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Paul Kildea | |
| The Witching Hour | Elena Kats-Chernin | Australian World Orchestra, Alexander Briger, soloists |
Vocal / Choral Work of the Year
| Title | Composer / librettist | Performer | Result |
| Agnus Dei | Paul Stanhope / Mary Elizabeth Frye; Requiem Mass | Adelaide Chamber Singers, Carl Crossin | |
| Permission to Speak | Kate Neal / Tamara Saulwick | Chamber Made Opera | |
| Tree of Codes | Liza Lim | Ensemble Musikfabrik; Cologne Opera, Clement Power, Massimo Furlan | |
| With Love and Fury | Judith Wright, with music by Katie Noonan, Paul Dean, Andrew Ford, Paul Grabowsky, Iain Grandage, David Hirschfelder, Elena Kats-Chernin, John Rodgers, Richard Tognetti, Carl Vine, | Katie Noonan & the Brodsky Quartet |
Performance of the Year
| Title | Composer / librettist | Performer | Result |
| Agnus Dei | Paul Stanhope / Mary Elizabeth Frye; Requiem Mass | Adelaide Chamber Singers, Carl Crossin | |
| Cerulean Orbits | Jane Stanley | Benjamin Beilman, Andrew Tyson | |
| "Piano Concerto" | Yitzhak Yedid | Michael Kieran Harvey | |
| "Piano Sonata" | Chris Dench | Peter de Jager |
Award for Excellence by an Individual
| Individual | Work | Result |
| Cat Hope | Performance, academia, composition, mentoring and advocacy | |
| Daryl Buckley | Over thirty years of contribution to the international projection of Australian contemporary performance, ideas and practice | |
| David Bridie | Music project: a Bit na Ta | |
| Tos Mahoney | Work with New Music in Western Australia in 2016 |
Award for Excellence by an Organisation
| Organisation | Work | Result |
| Speak Percussion | 2016 program and sustained contribution to Australian music | |
| Synergy & Taikoz Limited | Activities and achievements of the two new music ensembles, Synergy Percussion and Taikoz | |
| Tura New Music | 2016 program and sustained contribution to Australian music for over 30 years | |
| Zephyr Quartet | Performances, collaborations, commissions and recordings in 2016 |
Award for Excellence in Music Education
| Organisation / individual | Work | Result |
| Goulburn Regional Conservatorium, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, University of Canberra | The Goulburn Concerto | |
| Moorambilla Voices | 2016 season | |
| Sydney Symphony Orchestra | Annual teacher-training program, TunED-Up! | |
| West Australian Symphony Orchestra | 2016 education program |
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
| Organisation / individual | Work | Result |
| Four Winds | 2016 Easter Festival | |
| Ngarukuruwala | Ngiya awungarra , ethnographic recordings of Tiwi song material | |
| Primal Dance Company | Modern dance work, Footmarks | |
| Tura New Music | 2016 Regional Program |
Award for Excellence in Experimental Music
| Organisation / individual | Work | Result |
| Clocked Out, Bruce Wolfe, Jocelyn Wolfe | The Piano Mill Project | |
| J.O.L.T. Arts | The Book of Daughters mini-festival | |
| Matthias Schack-Arnott | Percussion duo, Anicca | |
| Robert Curgenven | Climata, a performance, installation and recording project |
Award for Excellence in Jazz
| Organisation / individual | Work | Result |
| Andrea Keller | Creation, presentation and release of contemporary jazz in 2016 | |
| Daniel Susnjar | Afro-Peruvian Jazz musical activities including album Moth to a Flame and Australian / US touring | |
| Ross McHenry | Child of Somebody, various performances | |
| Stu Hunter | Recording, world premiere and national tour of The Migration |
Distinguished Services to Australian Music
| Organisation / individual | Result |
| John Pochée |
Screen Music Awards
Feature Film Score of the Year
| Title | Composer | Result |
| Jasper Jones | Antony Partos | |
| Berlin Syndrome | Bryony Marks | |
| ' | James Orr, Lisa Gerrard | |
| ' | Jed Kurzel |
Best Music for an Advertisement
| Title | Composer | Result |
| Volkswagen: "Tiguan 2017" | Elliott Wheeler | |
| Hennessy: "Classivm" | Josh Abrahams, Davide Carbone | |
| Good Mood Water: "The Bad Choice" | Lindsay Jehan, Nathan Cavaleri | |
| Swisse: "Power Your Passion" | Matteo Zingales |
Best Music for Children's Television
| Title | Composer | Result |
| Beat Bugs: "When I'm 64" | Daniel Denholm, Daniel Johns | |
| Bottersnikes and Gumbles: "The Ugly Pageant" | Michael Szumowski | |
| The Deep: "Tartaruga" | Nerida Tyson-Chew | |
| Kazoops: "Middle of Somewhere" | Scott Langley |
Best Music for a Documentary
| Title | Composer | Result |
| Deep Water: The Real Story | Antony Partos | |
| Whiteley | Ash Gibson Greig | |
| Monsieur Mayonnaise | Cezary Skubiszewski | |
| Mother with a Gun | Dale Cornelius |
Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
| Title | Composer | Result |
| Shaun Micallef's Stairway to Heaven | Ash Gibson Greig | |
| Barracuda | Bryony Marks | |
| High Life | Sarah Blasko |
Best Music for a Short Film
| Title | Composer | Result |
| Sarah Chong Is Going to Kill Herself | Aaron Kenny | |
| Face | Jonathan Bush | |
| Last Tree Standing | Me-Lee Hay | |
| Red | Tom Schutzinger |
Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
| Series or Serial | Episode title | Composer | Result |
| Australian Survivor | David Barber, Jonathon Bush, Helena Czajka, Justin Shave, Charlton Hill | ||
| The Get Down | Elliott Wheeler | ||
| Seven Types of Ambiguity | Stephen Rae, Jonathan Wilson | ||
| The Code | Roger Mason |
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
| Song title | Work | Composer | Result |
| "Power" | The Get Down | Baz Luhrmann, Donna Missal, Homer Steinweiss, Elliott Wheeler | |
| "Atlas in Your Eye" | Jasper Jones | Dustin Tebbutt | |
| "Visible" | The Pretend One | Hayden Calnin | |
| "Torchlight" | Don't Tell | Missy Higgins |
Best Soundtrack Album
| Title | Composer | Result |
| Jasper Jones | Antony Partos | |
| Monsieur Mayonnaise | Deborah Morgan, Cezary Skubiszewski | |
| Jed Kurzel | ||
| Assassin's Creed | Jed Kurzel |
Best Television Theme
| Title | Composer | Result |
| Fox League Super Saturday | Briggs, Justin Shave, Charlton Hill | |
| Rosehaven | Kit Warhurst | |
| Skinford | Michael Lira | |
| High Life | Sarah Blasko |
Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia
| Composer | Result |
| Adam Gock, Dinesh Wicks | |
| Damian de Boos-Smith | |
| Jay Stewart | |
| Neil Sutherland |
Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas
| Composer | Result |
| Adam Gock, Dinesh Wicks | |
| Jay Stewart | |
| Neil Sutherland | |
| Nerida Tyson-Chew |
Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen
| Organisation / individual | Result |
| Martin Armiger |