Dean Lewis Withdrawn From ARIA And TikTok Awards Following Allegations Of Inappropriate Behaviour

Dean Lewis will no longer be up for notable awards this month, with the artist withdrawing from the events following allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

In late September, Lewis received a nomination for Song Of The Year for With You at the 2025 ARIA Awards, which are scheduled to take place in Sydney on November 19th.

As The Daily Telegraph reports, Lewis will no longer be up for the award, with ARIA confirming to the publication that the nomination has since been withdrawn.

“ARIA has been advised that the artist and his management have requested to withdraw from Song of the Year, which we have now actioned,” a spokesman told the publication.

Likewise, Lewis will no longer be in contention for Music Artist Of The Year at the TikTok Awards when they're handed out in Sydney on November 26th. He had been nominated alongside the likes of Keli Holiday, Larissa Lambert, Lance Savali, and Max Jackson.

"To present Dean with a genuine opportunity to step back and focus on his wellbeing, TikTok has agreed to remove Dean from nomination for their annual awards at our request," a spokesperson said.

While Lewis himself has not commented publicly regarding this news, a statement was issued by Universal Music Group, noting "We are aware of reports online regarding the behaviour of Dean Lewis, an artist signed to one of our domestic labels." 

"We take these matters very seriously and are currently reviewing the situation," the statement continued. "As this is ongoing it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."

In late October, Lewis addressed allegations that had been circulating across TikTok over the previous week, with a number of female fans taking to the platform to allege inappropriate behaviour, including direct messages, sexting, and sexual encounters. It is alleged that the singer used social platforms to contact and in some cases arrange meet ups with fans.

There is no allegation of any criminal wrongdoing or illegality in Lewis’ actions.

In a post shared on social media, Lewis did however admit that, while the relationships were between consenting adults, that he “should have been more sensitive that not everyone might look at our interactions the way I often did”.

TikTok allegations have included screenshots of text messages and recordings of phone calls between Lewis and numerous fans, with him offering an apology to “not only the women who have spoken up, but those who haven’t and felt hurt by my words or behaviour”.

Lewis also addressed the TikTok pile-on, not excusing his behaviour, but noting that the platform also carries “fabricated accounts” and “gross misrepresentations” of things that occurred in the past. He also pledged to create a “new set of rules so there’s never confusion or questions about my intent when I’m engaging with fans or responding to messages in the future”.

Lewis' post did not address the power imbalance inherent in relationships between artists and fans, but he did note he has enrolled himself in “intense therapy” to make better choices and “dramatically shift” his approach to dating. Lewis claims that losing his private life as a celebrity creates a need for connection amid loneliness and isolation.