With four trophies, Genesis Owusu was the big winner at the 2021 ARIA Awards, held Wednesday (Nov. 24) at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
With four trophies, Genesis Owusu was the big winner at the 2021 ARIA Awards, held Wednesday (Nov. 24) at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
Owusu, the Ghana-born, Australia-raised funk exponent, won the coveted album of the year honor for his debut Smiling With No Teeth, and filled his boots with best hip-hop release, best independent release and best cover art, awarded to Kofi Ansah and Bailey Howard for their artwork.
“This is insane,” he said after claiming the top album award. “I used to get side-eyed a lot when I was younger, for like, the way I dressed and the things I did,” he recounted. “But all the people I loved and respected always stood firm, immovable, unshakeable, because we knew the power in who we were and what we created.”
He continued, “for all those people, Goon Club worldwide, eccentrics, Black people, know that it’s not up to us to change the people, but it’s up to people to catch up and see what they’ve been missing out on.”
Last week, his critically lauded LP won a brace of J Awards, including Australian album of the year.
Just hours after securing his first Grammy Award nomination, The Kid LAROI bagged a pair of ARIA Awards. The Kamilaroi rapper and singer won best artist and best pop release for his hit “Stay,” with Justin Bieber, a single that dominated the Billboard 100, Global 200 and the ARIA Charts.
“How good is Australian music,” enthused LAROI (real name Charlton Howard) after winning best artist. “It’s incredible that I’m getting this much love, especially from home. That means the world to me.”
He continued, “starting this, all I wanted to do was just bring up the culture, and show the world how Australian music was.”
In LAROI’s homeland, “Stay” is triple-platinum certified, and its 14-week run at the top is the third longest reign in ARIA Charts history.
The Kid is in golden form. Earlier this month, he snagged best artist at the Australia’s National Indigenous Music Awards 2021.
Fresh from their third Grammy nomination, and a third ARIA No. 1 album, Sydney electronic trio Rüfüs Du Sol scooped best group and best dance release, for Surrender.
The 2021 ARIA Awards rung the changes. Due to the pandemic and the knock-on challenges with cross-border travel, the ceremony was presented as a virtual one, streaming live on YouTube and the Nine Network’s domestic digital channel NineNow.
Also on the night, the inaugural Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist award was presented, with Budjerah taking the honors.
That category was recently renamed as a tribute to the Mushroom Group founder and chairman, and for his tireless championing of new talent.
SOURCE : Billboard
