Relive The Best Australian Songs Since 1992

10 June 2014 | 3:47 pm | Staff Writer

Relive the history of APRA's Song Of The Year award

In the wake of the recent APRA Awards' nominations reveal - in particular, the artists up for the coveted Song Of The Year - we thought we'd take a little trip down memory lane and relive the past winners of the award.

The crown jewel of the APRA Awards is always the Song Of The Year award - a peer-voted category voted on by APRA's numerous songwriter and publisher members. As such, it carries a special prestige among the Australian music community and has been awarded to some of the country's most respected acts.

We've been lucky enough to get our hands on some great snaps (some previously unpublished) of past winners receiving their awards, from Yothu Yindi all the back in 1992 for their hugely successful track Treaty, to 20 years later, when a Melbourne muso by the name of Wally DeBacker (aka Gotye) took home the prize for that little song he sang with Kiwi artist Kimbra.

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Yothu Yindi accept their award in 1992.

Gotye gets his hands on the prize in 2012.

You may have also forgetten a few of the names - and their songs - that have won this prestigious award over the years, such as songstress Christine Anu, The Living End's main man Chris Cheney, local country darling Kasey Chambers and Silverchair genius Daniel Johns.

Rick Price and Helen Field are victorious in '93.

Christine Anu with writer Neil Murray after winning the award in '95.

Peter Garrett (and Mushroom's Ian James on the left) with Leonardo's Bride, who won Song Of The Year in '98.

Kasey Chambers had her hands full in '03.

Ben Lee with James Roche after winning in '05 for Catch My Disease.

Daniel Johns accepts the coveted prize in '08.

The Living End's Chris Cheney with his APRA in '09.

We've listed all previous winners below for you:

1992: Treaty - Bakamana Yunipingu/Stuart Kellaway/Gurrumul Yunipingu/Milkayggu Mununggurr/Cal Williams/Paul Kelly
1993: Heaven Knows - Rick Price/Heather Field
1994: Distant Sun - Crowded House
1995: My Island Home - Christine Anu
1996: Wasn't It Good - Tina Arena
1997: No award
1998: Even When I'm Sleeping - Leonardo's Bride
1999: Buses And Trains - Bachelor Girl
2000: Passenger - Powderfinger
2001: My Happiness - Powderfinger
2002: Amazing - Alex Lloyd
2003: Not Pretty Enough - Kasey Chambers
2004: Zebra - John Butler Trio
2005: Scar - Missy Higgins
2006: Catch My Disease - Ben Lee
2007: One Crowded Hour - Augie March
2008: Straight Lines - SIlverchair
2009: White Noise - The Living End
2010: Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
2011: Big Jet Plane - Angus & Julia Stone
2012: Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye feat. Kimbra
2013: Feels Like We Only Go Backwards - Tame Impala

All previous images provided by APRA.