Tones & I, Dean Lewis, Hilltop Hoods Lead 2020 APRA Music Awards Winners

Results from the 2020 APRA Music Awards are in, with Tones & I continuing to dominate following the global success of Dance Monkey.

The acclaimed track took out the peer-voted APRA Song of the Year award, while the Bryon Bay-based singer-songwriter was named Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year.

This year’s event, which was live-streamed in light of the COVID pandemic, also saw Aussie hip hop legends Hilltop Hoods win big, claiming the Songwriter of the Year award following their 2019 album The Great Expanse and, for the second year in a row, Most Performed Urban Work, this time for Leave Me Lonely.

“We’ve spent our entire lives writing and making music. To be awarded Songwriter of the Year by the APRA Board is an absolute honour. We couldn’t be more thrilled or grateful,” Hilltop Hoods said.

Emerging songwriter KIAN, who won triple j’s Unearthed High competition in 2018, picked up Most Performed Australian Work and Most Performed Alternative Work for Waiting, alongside co-writer Jerome Farah.

Meanwhile, Dean Lewis’ 7 Minutes picked up Most Performed Pop Work as Troy Cassar-Daley’s Shutting Down Our Town (performed by Jimmy Barnes) claimed Most Performed Rock Work and Sia’s Cheap Thrills won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas for the third consecutive year.

The 2020 virtual event was hosted by Briggs and featured performances from John Butler, Mama Kin, Kira Puru, Mo’Ju and more, as curated by Kate Miller-Heidke.

THE 2020 VIRTUAL APRA MUSIC AWARD WINNERS

Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year

Tones & I - Dance Monkey

Songwriter of the Year

Hilltop Hoods

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year

Toni Watson aka Tones & I

Most Performed Australian Work

KIAN - Waiting

Writers: Kian Brownfield/Jerome Farah

Most Performed Alternative Work

KIAN - Waiting

Writers: Kian Brownfield / Jerome Farah

Most Performed Blues & Roots Work

John Butler Trio - Just Call

Most Performed Country Work

Morgan Evans - Young Again

Writers: Morgan Evans / Chris DeStefano / Joshua Kear

Most Performed Dance Work

Hayden James feat. Running Touch - Better Together

Writers: Hayden James / Matthew Kopp / Jack Glass / Cassian Stewart-Kasimba

Most Performed Pop Work

Dean Lewis - 7 Minutes

Writers: Dean Lewis / Nicholas Atkinson / Edward Holloway

Most Performed Rock Work

Jimmy Barnes feat. Troy Cassar-Daley - Shutting Down Our Town

Writer: Troy Cassar-Daley

Most Performed Urban Work

Hilltop Hoods - Leave Me Lonely

Writers: Barry Francis (DJ Debris) / Matthew Lambert (Suffa) / Daniel Smith (Pressure) / Leigh Ryan / Richard Berry

Most Performed Australian Work Overseas

Sia - Cheap Thrills

Writers: Sia Furler / Greg Kurstin

Most Performed International Work

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow

Writers: Stefani Germanotta / Mark Ronson / Anthony Rossomando / Andrew Wyatt

Licensee of The Year

Meredith Music Festival

Tones & I

Hilltop Hoods

KIAN

Dean Lewis

Troy Cassar-Daley

Sia

Briggs

John Butler

Mama Kin

Kira Puru

Mo'Ju

Kate Miller-Heidke

Hayden James

Running Touch

Morgan Evans