ARIA Awards Announces 2021 Date & Removes Gender-based Categories

The 2021 ARIA Awards have been confirmed to go ahead in November as an “innovative digital show”.

Streaming live via YouTube, the November 24 event will celebrate “the success of Australian music in the face of extreme adversity this year”.

It’s also been revealed that gender-based awards will be removed, with the ARIA Award for Best Artist replacing Best Female Artist and Best Male Artist, a change established to “reflect and embrace equality and the true diversity of the music industry in 2021”. The award for Best Artist will include 10 nominees.

“The time for separating artists based on gendered categories that exclude non-binary artists altogether has passed,” ARIA Chief Executive Annabelle Herd said.

“The music industry is demanding a more equal, inclusive, safe and supportive space for everyone and ARIA is working hard to achieve that across the ARIA Awards and everything we do. 

“While the removal of gender-based categories is a significant change we are proud of, I recognise it is just one step in the continuous journey of reassessment, progression and ultimately evolution that we are committed to undertake. 

“We’re determined to make the future of the ARIA Awards and the future of Australian music as bright as it can be.”

It's also been announced that the Engineer and Producer Of The Year awards have been amended so engineers and producers can be nominated for a body of work.

The 2021 nominees will be revealed in October via a YouTube Premiere event, and with 74 Australian releases already landing in the ARIA Albums Chart Top Ten this year, including 12 local acts hitting #1, there’s going to be some tough competition.

More details will be announced in the coming weeks.