ARIA Award for Best Cover Art
The ARIA Music Award for Best Cover Art, is an award presented within the Artisan Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA Awards recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", and have been given by the Australian Recording Industry Association since 1987.
The award is given to the designer who is from, or resides in Australia, and has overall responsibility for the album covers' design concept. The graphics that appear on the cover must be an original work that was designed in Australia. The accolade is restricted to album recordings that have met the general eligibility criteria. Best Cover Art is voted for by a judging academy, which consists of 1000 members from different areas of the music 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. Nominees from 1988 are not available in published sources.The years listed in the first column relate to the year and edition of the awards ceremony. The second column indicates the graphic artist responsible for the covers' design. The "Album title and original recording artist" column names the album whose cover art has been nominated, and its original recording artist; the musician is not the nominee unless they were the designer.
| Year | Cover artist | Album title and original recording artist |
| 1987 | - | - |
| 1987 | Oleh Witer | Big Pig by Big Pig |
| 1987 | Art Scarff | The Final Wave by Australian Crawl |
| 1987 | Buster Stiggs | Love an Adventure by Pseudo Echo |
| 1987 | Nick Seymour | Crowded House by Crowded House |
| 1987 | Richard Alan | Models' Media by Models |
| 1987 | Richard Alan | Bear Witness by I'm Talking |
| 1987 | Steve Malpass | Whispering Jack by John Farnham |
| 1988 | Ken Duncan, Creative Type Wart, Gary Morris and Midnight Oil | Diesel and Dust by Midnight Oil |
| 1989 | - | - |
| 1989 | Nick Seymour | Temple of Low Men by Crowded House |
| 1989 | The Add Agency | Up from Down Under by Tommy Emmanuel |
| 1989 | Bruce Goold | Wild Desert Rose by Coloured Stone |
| 1989 | Phil Judd | The Sound of Trees by Schnell Fenster |
| 1989 | Malpass & Burrows | Age of Reason by John Farnham |
| 1989 | Robyn Stacey & Richard Allan | Lost by Died Pretty |
| 1989 | Eric Weideman | ...ish by 1927 |
| 1990 | - | - |
| 1990 | Rob Miles | Ghost Nation by Hunters & Collectors |
| 1990 | Greg O'Connor | These Here Are Crazy Times by Boom Crash Opera |
| 1990 | Martin Fabinyi | Brave by Kate Ceberano |
| 1990 | Deborah Parry Graphics / Ben Evans | 0–9 Series by Various Artists |
| 1990 | Stephen Thomas | The Big Don't Argue by Weddings Parties Anything |
| 1991 | - | - |
| 1991 | Livingstone Clarke and Midnight Oil | Blue Sky Mining by Midnight Oil |
| 1991 | Timothy Eames | Collected Works by Hunters & Collectors |
| 1991 | Iva Davies and David Barnes | Code Blue by Icehouse |
| 1991 | Jon Quinn | Chain Reaction by John Farnham |
| 1991 | Capitol Art / Peter Blakeley | Harry's Café De Wheels by Peter Blakeley |
| 1992 | - | - |
| 1992 | Louise Beach / Mushroom Art | Tribal Voice by Yothu Yindi |
| 1992 | Pierre Baroni / Mushroom Art | Soul Deep by Jimmy Barnes |
| 1992 | Pierre Baroni / Mushroom Art | String of Pearls by Deborah Conway |
| 1992 | Richard Pleasance and Ross Hipwell | Galleon by Richard Pleasance Galleon |
| 1992 | Tommy Steele and Nick Seymour | Woodface by Crowded House |
| 1993 | - | - |
| 1993 | Paul McNeil and Richard All | Electric Soup and Gorilla Biscuit by Hoodoo Gurus |
| 1993 | Angie Hart and Louise Beach | Marvin the Album by Frente! |
| 1993 | Ian Martin and Adrienne Overall | Hepfidelity by Diesel |
| 1993 | Midnight Oil and Neo One Design | Scream in Blue by Midnight Oil |
| 1993 | Pascoe & Gray Design and Eryk Photography | Better Times by The Black Sorrows |
| 1994 | - | - |
| 1994 | Pierre Baroni / Mushroom Art | Bitch Epic by Deborah Conway |
| 1994 | Kristyna Higgins and Jan Manby | The Honeymoon Is Over by The Cruel Sea |
| 1994 | Marcelle Lunam | The Yearning by Things of Stone and Wood |
| 1994 | Nick Seymour | Together Alone by Crowded House |
| 1994 | Kevin Wilkins and Midnight Oil | Earth and Sun and Moon by Midnight Oil |
| 1995 | - | - |
| 1995 | Dominic O'Brien | A Million Year Girl by Max Sharam |
| 1995 | Simon Anderson | The Electric Hippies by Electric Hippies |
| 1995 | Simon Anderson | Hi Fi Way by You Am I |
| 1995 | The Cruel Sea, Kristyna Higgins and Jim Paton | Three Legged Dog by The Cruel Sea |
| 1995 | Reg Mombassa | Mr Natural by Mental As Anything |
| 1996 | - | - |
| 1996 | Reg Mombassa | Liar Liar Pants on Fire by Mental As Anything |
| 1996 | Simon Anderson | Hourly, Daily by You Am I |
| 1996 | Rockin' Doodles, Quan Yeomans and Ben Ely | Tu-Plang by Regurgitator |
| 1996 | Janet English and George Stajsic | The Unfinished Spanish Galleon of Finley Lake by Spiderbait |
| 1996 | Tony Mahoney | The Soft 'N Sexy Sound by Dave Graney |
| 1997 | - | - |
| 1997 | John Watson, John O'Donnell, Kevin Wilkins and Silverchair | Freak Show by Silverchair |
| 1997 | Janet English | Ivy and the Big Apples by Spiderbait |
| 1997 | Pierre Baroni | Songs from the South by Paul Kelly |
| 1997 | Simon Anderson and Dean Manning | Angel Blood by Leonardo's Bride |
| 1997 | Tony Mahony | The Devil Drives by Dave Graney & the Coral Snakes |
| 1998 | - | - |
| 1998 | The Shits | Unit by Regurgitator |
| 1998 | Carl Breitkreuz and Ian Downie | To Hal and Bacharach by various artists |
| 1998 | Dominic O'Brien, Matt Thomas, Rachel Boyce and Alison Smith | Pink Pills by The Mavis's |
| 1998 | William Tennent and Chris Tennent | Sumo by The Superjesus |
| 1998 | Kevin Wilkins | 20,000 Watt R.S.L. by Midnight Oil |
| 1999 | - | - |
| 1999 | Kevin Wilkins | Internationalist by Powderfinger |
| 1999 | Janet English and George Stajsic | Grand Slam by Spiderbait |
| 1999 | Reg Mombassa | Garage by Mental As Anything |
| 1999 | John Watson, Kevin Wilkins and Melissa Chenery | Neon Ballroom by Silverchair |
| 1999 | Quan Yeomans and Janet English | Welcome to Happyland by Happyland |
| 2000 | - | - |
| 2000 | Janet English | "Glokenpop" by Spiderbait |
| 2000 | Mark Gowling | Road Kill by Groove Terminator |
| 2000 | Paul Kosky | Reflector by Killing Heidi |
| 2000 | Love Police | Triple J Hottest 100 Vol 6 by Various |
| 2000 | Kevin Wilkins | "Passenger" by Powderfinger |
| 2001 | - | - |
| 2001 | Kevin Wilkins | Odyssey Number Five by Powderfinger |
| 2001 | Bobbydazzler | Since I Left You by The Avalanches |
| 2001 | Darren Glindemann | Jet Age by The Superjesus |
| 2001 | Sam Hickey | Sunset Studies by Augie March |
| 2001 | Stephanie Ashworth | Echolalia by Something for Kate |
| 2002 | - | - |
| 2002 | Darren Glindemann, John Watson, Melissa Chenery and Daniel Johns | Diorama by Silverchair |
| 2002 | Art of the State and Scott James Smith | Torch the Moon by The Whitlams |
| 2002 | Campbell Murray Creating | Barricades & Brickwalls by Kasey Chambers |
| 2002 | Chris Von Sanden | Polyserena by george |
| 2002 | Craig Nicholls | Highly Evolved by Highly Evolved |
| 2003 | - | - |
| 2003 | Steven Gorrow and Revolution Design | Vulture Street by Powderfinger |
| 2003 | Jenny Sullivan and Sony Music Design | Innocent Eyes by Delta Goodrem |
| 2003 | Adalita and Steven Gorrow | Tough Love by Magic Dirt |
| 2003 | Stephanie Ashworth and David Homer | The Official Fiction by Something for Kate |
| 2003 | James Bellesini and Love Police | Deliverance by You Am I |
| 2004 | - | - |
| 2004 | James Hackett | The Dissociatives by The Dissociatives |
| 2004 | Peter Barrett and Eskimo Joe | A Song Is a City by Eskimo Joe |
| 2004 | James Bellesini and Love Police | Winning Days by The Vines |
| 2004 | James Bellesini and Love Police | The Cream & The Crock by You Am I |
| 2004 | Mathematics | Wayward Angel by Kasey Chambers |
| 2004 | Tom Walker | Sunrise Over Sea by John Butler Trio |
| 2005 | - | - |
| 2005 | Ben Lee, Lara Meyerratken and Dan Estabrook | Awake Is the New Sleep by Ben Lee |
| 2005 | Cameron Bird | In Case We Die by Architecture in Helsinki |
| 2005 | Cathie Glassby | The Sound of White by Missy Higgins |
| 2005 | David Homer, Aaron Hayward | United Paper People by Kisschasy |
| 2005 | Reg Mombassa | Foggy Highway by Paul Kelly & the Stormwater Boys |
| 2006 | - | - |
| 2006 | Debaser | Tea & Sympathy by Bernard Fanning |
| 2006 | Alison Smith and Chris Cheney – The Living End | State of Emergency by The Living End |
| 2006 | Dane Lovett and Dave Snow | Black Fingernails, Red Wine by Eskimo Joe |
| 2006 | Luke Steele, James Bellesini and Love Police | Personality – One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird by The Sleepy Jackson |
| 2006 | The Grates | Gravity Won't Get You High by The Grates |
| 2007 | - | - |
| 2007 | Aaron Hayward and Dave Homer | Dream Days at the Hotel Existence by Powderfinger |
| 2007 | Wally de Backer | Mixed Blood by Gotye |
| 2007 | John Engelhardt | ' by Hilltop Hoods |
| 2007 | Sharon Chai and Sarah Blasko | What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have by Sarah Blasko |
| 2007 | Hackett Films | Young Modern by Silverchair |
| 2008 | - | - |
| 2008 | Jonathan Zawada | Apocalypso by The Presets |
| 2008 | Aaron Hayward & David Homer | Be the Twilight by Faker |
| 2008 | Aaron Hayward & David Homer | Rattlin' Bones by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson |
| 2008 | Alter | In Ghost Colours by Cut Copy |
| 2008 | IOSHVA | A Book Like This by Angus & Julia Stone |
| 2009 | - | - |
| 2009 | Aaron Hayward and David Homer | Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun |
| 2009 | C. W. Stoneking | Jungle Blues by C. W. Stoneking |
| 2009 | Mathematics | Inshalla by Eskimo Joe |
| 2009 | Sarah Larnach | Ladyhawke by Ladyhawke |
| 2009 | Sharon Chai | As Day Follows Night by Sarah Blasko |
| 2010 | - | - |
| 2010 | Angus & Julia Stone | Down the Way by Angus & Julia Stone |
| 2010 | Cameron Gray and Scott Smith | This Is the Warning by Dead Letter Circus |
| 2010 | David Homer and Aaron Hayward | Birds of Tokyo by Birds of Tokyo |
| 2010 | Debaser | Head of the Hawk by Bluejuice |
| 2010 | Leif Podhajsky | Innerspeaker by Tame Impala |
| 2011 | - | - |
| 2011 | Alter | Zonoscope by Cut Copy |
| 2011 | Aaron Hayward and David Homer | The Experiment by Art vs. Science |
| 2011 | Aaron Hayward and David Homer | Tangier by Billy Thorpe |
| 2011 | Carlo Santone | Rrakala by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu |
| 2011 | Ken Done | Great Barrier Grief by Oh Mercy |
| 2012 | - | - |
| 2012 | Frank de Backer and Wally de Backer | Making Mirrors by Gotye |
| 2012 | Carlo Santone | "Bayini" by Gurrumul featuring Sarah Blasko |
| 2012 | Christopher Doyle | Prisoner by The Jezabels |
| 2012 | Debaser | Falling & Flying by 360 |
| 2012 | Rennie Ellis | Deep Heat by Oh Mercy |
| 2013 | - | - |
| 2013 | Aaron Hayward and David Homer | Ice on the Dune by Empire of the Sun |
| 2013 | Glen Hannah | Wreck & Ruin by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson |
| 2013 | Graeme Base | Steal the Light by The Cat Empire |
| 2013 | Justin Maller | Circus in the Sky by Bliss n Eso |
| 2013 | Kevin Parker and Leif Podhajsky | Lonerism by Tame Impala |
| 2014 | - | - |
| 2014 | Tin & Ed | Built on Glass by Chet Faker |
| 2014 | Angus & Julia Stone | Angus & Julia Stone by Angus & Julia Stone |
| 2014 | Celeste Potter | Black Rat by DZ Deathrays |
| 2014 | Sia Furler | 1000 Forms of Fear by Sia |
| 2014 | The Leonard Brothers | Utopia by 360 |
| 2015 | - | - |
| 2015 | Courtney Barnett | Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett |
| 2015 | Daniel Johns, Aref and Peter Salmon-Lomas | Talk by Daniel Johns |
| 2015 | Timothy Lovett | Down To Earth by Flight Facilities |
| 2015 | Bjenny Montero | Man It Feels Like Space Again by Pond |
| 2015 | Nathan Johnson | The Positions by Gang of Youths |
| 2016 | - | - |
| 2016 | Johnathan Zawada | Skin by Flume |
| 2016 | Karen Lynch | Civil Dusk by Bernard Fanning |
| 2016 | Kristen Doyle | Wings of the Wild by Delta Goodrem |
| 2016 | Jack Vanzet | Bloom by RÜFÜS |
| 2016 | Robbie Chater for Lost Art | Wildflower by The Avalanches |
| 2017 | - | - |
| 2017 | Peter Salmon-Lomas | Life Is Fine by Paul Kelly |
| 2017 | Lee McConnell | The Kids Will Know It's Bullshit by Dune Rats |
| 2017 | Nathan Cahyadi | Go Farther in Lightness by Gang of Youths |
| 2017 | Nick McKinlay | Don't Let the Kids Win by Julia Jacklin |
| 2017 | Mitchell Storck | The Overflow Tank by Midnight Oil |
| 2018 | - | - |
| 2018 | Caiti Baker | Djarimirri by Gurrumul |
| 2018 | Ben Lopez | Flow State by Tash Sultana |
| 2018 | Dean Hanson | Good Mood by Ball Park Music |
| 2018 | Jonathan Zawada | Hi Viz by The Presets |
| 2018 | Steve Wyper | Love Monster by Amy Shark |
| 2019 | - | - |
| 2019 | Emilie Pfitzner | Better in Blak by Thelma Plum |
| 2019 | Ben Jones | Amyl and the Sniffers by Amyl and the Sniffers |
| 2019 | Jonathan Zawada | Hi This is Flume by Flume |
| 2019 | Lucy Dyson | Nature by Paul Kelly |
| 2019 | Nick Mckk | Crushing by Julia Jacklin |