Flume & Other Acts Who Are Going To Clean Up At The ARIAs

So 2016 marks the 30th ARIA Awards and Bryget Chrisfield's careful research unveiled an interesting fact: every single year since the very first ARIAs, way back in 1987, the Album Of The Year winner has won multiple awards.

So, if 2016 follows this pattern, whoever wins this award, which is historically the final award presented at the ceremony, will already have at least one ARIA statuette in their hot little hands. Flume's already taken home three out of the 11 gongs he's been nominated for this year (Producer Of The Year, Engineer Of The Year and Best Cover Art), so will he need to clear more shelf space in the trophy cabinet?

And can Flume top Tame Impala's near-perfect five wins from six ARIA Award nominations result in 2015? Check out what The Music editorial team reckon below.   

TELSTRA ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Flume - Skin, RUFUS - Bloom, Sia - This Is Acting, The Avalanches - Wildflower, Troye Sivan - Blue Neighbourhood

Who will win? Flume - Skin

Who should win? Flume - Skin

Why? Because unlike Telstra, this album really connects. Yep, we're calling it. Handsome though he may be, we're probably gonna tire of seeing him on the winner's podium. A few of us weighed in that The Avalanches' Wildflower has a chance due to the anticipation created by this mysterious outfit who took a whole 16 years to release a follow-up to their stunning Since I Left You debut, but we eventually agreed that Flume has it in the bag.

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR

DMA'S - Hills End, LDRU - Keeping Score (ft Paige IV), Montaigne - Glorious Heights, Olympia - Self Talk, Safia - Make Them Wheels Roll

Who will win? DMA'S - Hills End

Who should win? Safia - Make Them Wheels Roll

Why? This category has a habit of acknowledging artists after they've well and truly broken through (ahem, Courtney Barnett was last year's recipient). Iggy Azalea took out this gong in 2014 so it does typically go to an artist who's already experienced considerable international success. DMA'S will win, but their self-titled debut EP dropped back in March, 2014! Keep up please, ARIAs, and reward Safia for breaking through right now.   

BEST FEMALE ARTIST

Delta Goodrem - Wings Of The Wild, Jessica Mauboy - This Ain't Love, Montaigne - Glorious Heights, Sarah Blasko - Eternal Return, Sia - This Is Acting

Who will win? Jessica Mauboy - This Ain't Love

Who should win? Montaigne - Glorious Heights

Why? Because all of the nominees except for Montaigne already have this Award proudly displayed in the pool room: Delta Goodrem (2003), Sarah Blasko (2009), Jessica Mauboy (2013) and Sia (2014). So who has dominated this category the most over the years? Both Kasey Chambers and Wendy Matthews have collected three pointy silver statuettes each. However, we reckon Mauboy will pick up her second Best Female Artist award this year following the success of her This Ain't Love single and recent starring role in Seven Network's The Secret Daughter.

BEST MALE ARTIST

Bernard Fanning - Civil Dusk, Flume - Skin, Guy Sebastian - Black & Blue, Illy - Papercuts (ft Vera Blue), Troye Sivan - Blue Neighbourhood

Who will win? Bernard Fanning - Civil Dusk

Who should win? Flume - Skin

Why? Flume and Bernard Fanning are the only two contenders this year who have already won Best Male Artist ARIAs, but then again a scroll down the list of past winners reveals this category makes a habit of rewarding artists multiple times. So we're tipping Flume or Fanning (but fingers crossed for Flume) will join the three-strong double Best Male Artist club (Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Nick Cave) in 2016. For fact nerds (like us): Gotye, Diesel, Farnsey and Alex Lloyd are all three-time winners. 

BEST DANCE RELEASE

Flume - Skin, Hayden James - Just A Lover, LDRU - Keeping Score (ft Paige IV), RUFUS - Bloom, The Avalanches - Wildflower

Who will win? Flume - Skin

Who should win? Flume - Skin

Why? Flume and The Avalanches have each released two albums to date, and both of their debut sets were victorious in this category: Flume (2013); Since I Left You (2001). RUFUS won in 2015 for their You Were Right single. It's so weird that some of these ARIA Award categories put singles up against albums! But if you think Flume's not gonna win this one, you're dreamin'! Fun fact: Infusion (2004, 2005) and The Presets (2008, 2009) are both back-to-back Best Dance Release recipients.

BEST GROUP

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity RUFUS - Bloom, The Avalanches - Wildflower, The Veronicas - In My Blood, Violent Soho - WACO

Who will win? King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity

Who should win? King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity

Why? Some of us are rooting for Violent Soho, but it really is all about King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. This spectacular septet have released eight albums in five years and are making considerable inroads internationally. The mighty INXS hold a record three wins in this category.

BEST POP RELEASE

Flume - Never Be Like You (ft Kai), Illy - Papercuts (ft Vera Blue), Sia - This Is Acting, The Veronicas - In My Blood, Troye Sivan - Blue Neighbourhood

Who will win? Flume - Never Be Like You (ft Kai)

Who should win? Flume - Never Be Like You (ft Kai)

Why? Have you heard the track!? Matchless, understated beauty. We just wish we could dance like Storyboard P (from Drop The Game's music video) to adequately express how we feel about the song. And, unsurprisingly, our very own pop princess, Kylie Minogue, has been awarded Best Pop Release four times (once in collaboration with Nick Cave for Where The Wild Roses Grow). 

BEST URBAN ALBUM

Citizen Kay - With The People, Drapht - Seven Mirrors, Koi Child - Koi Child, L-FRESH The LION - Become, Urthboy - The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat

Who will win? Drapht - Seven Mirrors

Who should win? Koi Child - Koi Child

Why? We kinda reckon this one depends on whether the ARIA Awards judging panel are across the fact that Tame Impala's Kevin Parker mixed and produced Koi Child's self-titled set. Unfortunately history shows that Best Urban Album is more often awarded to more established acts, however. Hilltop Hoods have owned this category five times (and it's only been around since 2004). The Hard Road (2006) followed by The Hard Road Restrung (2007)? Come on now! So we suppose previous Best Urban Album winner Drapht (2011, The Life Of Riley) had better start penning an acceptance speech.

BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE

Flume - Skin, Jarryd James - Thirty One, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity, Sia - This Is Acting, Violent Soho - WACO

Who will win? Flume - Skin

Who should win? Violent Soho - WACO/King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity

Why? We were completely split down the middle with this one, but acknowledge it's unlikely for Flume to miss out on any of the ARIA Awards he's been nominated for this year. Violent Soho scored their first #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart for WACO, but Nonagon Infinity just continues to smoke our noodles in the best possible way. And John Butler Trio hold the record in this category with three pointy statuettes in the pool room. And Ed Kuepper and TISM have both collected a pair each over the Award ceremony's 30 years. 

BEST ROCK ALBUM

Ball Park Music - Every Night The Same Dream, Boy & Bear - Limit Of Love, Gang Of Youths - Let Me Be Clear, The Living End - Shift, Violent Soho - WACO

Who will win? The Living End - Shift  

Who should win? Violent Soho - WACO

Why? Somebody needs to say it: since when are Ball Park Music filed in the "Rock" section? Some of us thought it would be a good chuckle if they actually went on to win this, but the majority reckon Violent Soho are the worthiest Best Rock Album winners; they've been nominated for five awards this year, after all. But in saying that, The Living End have done well in this category previously (winning twice), so they'll probably get lucky again this year to join Powderfinger as three-time Best Rock Album winners. Tame Impala and Silverchair have also trotted up to the winner's podium twice each in the name of rock.        

BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM

Bernard Fanning - Civil Dusk, Bob Evans - Car Boot Sale, Paul Kelly - Seven Sonnets & A Song, Robert Forster - Songs To Play, Tina Arena - Eleven

Who will win? Paul Kelly - Seven Sonnets & A Song

Who should win? Paul Kelly - Seven Sonnets & A Song

Why? Because Shakespeare plus Paul Kelly is just about as adult as it gets. One of Australia's favourite songwriters, Kelly has already taken out Best Adult Contemporary Album three times (once together with Neil Finn for Goin' Your Way) and he really deserves to tie with Farnsie (who has picked up four gongs in this category).

BEST ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM

Jarryd James - Thirty One, Matt Corby - Telluric, Peter Garrett - A Version Of Now, Sarah Blasko - Eternal Return, The Temper Trap - Thick As Thieves

Who will win? Peter Garrett - A Version Of Now

Who should win? Matt Corby - Telluric

Why? Get angry about this result right now, 'cause you just know it's gonna come true. We'll still be crossing everything and praying for worthy winner Matt Corby to get up, though.   

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM

Adam Brand & The Outlaws - Adam Brand & The Outlaws, Bill Chambers - Cold Trail, Fanny Lumsden - Small Town Big Shot, Sara Storer - Silos, The Wolfe Brothers - This Crazy Life

Who will win? Bill Chambers - Cold Trail

Who should win? Adam Brand & The Outlaws - Adam Brand & The Outlaws

Why? Because we all recognise the name. The surname Chambers dominates this category, however, and so maybe 2016 is Bill's year. His daughter Kasey has taken home a colossal seven Best Country Album gongs (runner-up is Troy Cassar-Daley with four) so it's kinda high time.  

BEST HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL ALBUM

Hellions - Opera Oblivia, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity, Parkway Drive - Ire, The Amity Affliction - This Could Be Heartbreak, Twelve Foot Ninja - Outlier

Who will win? Parkway Drive - Ire

Who should win? The Amity Affliction - This Could Be Heartbreak

Why? This is The Amity Affliction's third album in a row to debut at #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, but Ire by previous winners Parkway Drive (2010, Deep Blue) also scored #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart in the US (and we all know how favourably ARIA judges look upon international success). But hang on; The Amity Affliction's This Could Be Heartbreak hit #1 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) chart. It's gonna be close. And DZ Deathrays hold the record in this category with two shiny pointy things decorating their dunnies.      

BEST BLUES & ROOTS ALBUM

Jimmy Barnes - Soul Searchin', Kev Carmody -  Recollections... Reflections... (A Journey), Russell Morris - Red Dirt Red Heart, The Cat Empire - Rising With The Sun, The Wilson Pickers - You Can't Catch Fish From A Train

Who will win? Jimmy Barnes - Soul Searchin'

Who should win? The Wilson Pickers - You Can't Catch Fish From A Train

Why? While we ache for Barnsie (what a legend!), we would prefer it if The Wilson Pickers collected this award because Barnes' Soul Searchin' is a covers album. John Butler Trio and The Audreys have both enjoyed three of these gongs.