ARIAs Fine Arts, Artisan, Best Comedy Nominees Announced For 2016

Commemorative artwork by 2016 ARIA Hall Of Fame inductee, Nick Seymour from Crowded House unveiled.

The first ARIA Awards for 2016 will proudly be presented at the ARIA Nominations Event on Wednesday, October 5 at the Telstra Customer Insight Centre, Sydney. At last year's event the #ARIAs hashtag trended at #1 on Twitter nationally and continued to trend the following day reaching almost 3 million people.

ARIA Chairman and Chairman & CEO Australia & New Zealand, and President, Asia, Sony Music Entertainment, Denis Handlin AM, said:

“Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees in the Fine Arts, Artisan and Best Comedy Awards. To be nominated for an ARIA is a wonderful achievement and is a credit to their talent, dedication and passion to their craft.”

The ARIA Nominations Event honours our impressive 2016 ARIA Nominees for the Fine Arts and Artisan Award categories including; Best Classical Album, Best Jazz Album, Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album, Best World Music Album along with Producer Of The Year, Engineer Of the Year and Best Cover Art. The category of Best Comedy Release will also be presented at this year's Nominations Event.

The ARIA Nominations Event heralds the beginning of the 2016 ARIA celebrations leading up to ARIA Week festivities from November 18 and the 2016 ARIA Awards Presented By Telstra on Wednesday, November 23 at The Star, Sydney that will be broadcast on Ten.

ARIA is thrilled to continue the tradition of unveiling commemorative artwork to celebrate the ARIAs and we are honoured to announce that 2016 ARIA Hall Of Fame inductee, Nick Seymour from Crowded House has designed this year's commemorative artwork to celebrate the 30th Annual ARIA Awards.

ARIA CEO, Dan Rosen added:

“We are very excited to be launching The 30th ARIA Award Presented By Telstra celebrations by recognising the incredible nominees for the Fine Arts, Artisan & Comedy Awards.”

“We are also thrilled to have Nick Seymour, founding member of 2016 ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Crowded House, design this year’s commemorative artwork. The captivating design features the instantly recognisable Nick Seymour style that has been showcased across each of the Crowded House album covers.”

This is the fourth year an Australian artist has created unique commemorative artwork to celebrate the ARIAs. The inaugural ARIAs commemorative artwork was revealed in 2013, designed by much-loved Australian artist and ARIA Hall Of Fame recipient, Reg Mombassa. In 2014, Australian icon, Ken Done (A.M.) perfectly captured the spirit of the Awards with his colourful and bold take on the commemorative artwork. Last year, 2015 Archibald Prize finalist, Koori visual artist, Blak Douglas created a striking and thought-provoking take on the commemorative artwork.

The ARIA Awards and ARIA Week are proudly supported by the NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

ARTISAN AWARDS | NOMINATED ARTISTS

Producer Of The Year

Harley Streten for Flume - Skin (Future Classic)

M-Phazes for Illy - Papercuts (ft. Vera Blue) (Warner Music Australia)

Tony Buchen for Montaigne - Glorious Heights (Wonderlick Recording Company)

Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi for The Avalanches - Wildflower (Modular / EMI)

Alex Hope for Troye Sivan - Blue Neighbourhood (EMI)

Engineer Of The Year

Nick DiDia for Bernard Fanning - Civil Dusk (Dew Process/Universal)

Eric J Dubowsky and Harley Streten for Flume - Skin (Future Classic)

M-Phazes for Illy - 'Papercuts (ft. Vera Blue) (Warner Music Australia)

Tony Espie and Robbie Chater for The Avalanches - Wildflower (Modular / EMI)

Alex Hope for Troye Sivan - Blue Neighbourhood (EMI)

Best Cover Art

Karen Lynch for Bernard Fanning - Civil Dusk (Dew Process/Universal)

Kristen Doyle for Delta Goodrem - Wings of the Wild (Sony Music Australia)

Jonathan Zawada for Flume - Skin (Future Classic)

Jack Vanzet for RÜFÜS - Bloom (Sweat It Out / Sony Music Australia)

Lost Art for The Avalanches - Wildflower (Modular / EMI)

FINE ARTS AWARDS | NOMINATED ARTISTS

Best Classical Album

Flight Facilities - Live with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Future Classic)

Joe Chindamo & Zoe Black - The New Goldberg Variations (AlFi Records / Planet)

Katie Noonan & Brodsky Quartet - With Love And Fury (Kin Music/Universal Music)

Nicole Car - The Kiss (ABC Classics/Universal Music)

Richard Tognetti | Australian Chamber Orchestra - Mozart's Last Symphonies (ABC Classics/Universal Music)

Best Jazz Album

Don Burrows & James Morrison - In Good Company (ABC Jazz/Universal Music)

Emma Pask - Cosita Divina (Independent/Emma Pask Music)

Stu Hunter - The Migration (The Habitat Productions)

The Idea of North - Ballads (ABC Jazz/Universal Music)

Vince Jones & Paul Grabowsky - Provenance (ABC Jazz/Universal Music)

Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album

Josh Pyke & The Sydney Symphony Orchestra - Live at the Sydney Opera House (ABC Music/Universal Music)

Kate Miller-Heike - The Rabbits (Original Live Cast Recording) (ABC Classics/Universal Music)

Queensland Symphony Orchestra - Gallipoli Symphony (ABC Classics/Universal Music)

Various Artists - The Divorce (Original Cast Recording) (Universal Music Australia)

Various Artists - Velvet : The Original Cast Recording (Social Family Records/Universal Music Australia)

Best World Music Album

Melbourne Ska Orchestra - Sierra Kilo Alpha (FOUR FOUR/Universal Music)

Gawurra - Ratja Yaliyali (CAAMA Music/Rocket)

Joseph Tawadros - World Music (Independent / Planet)

Paul Grabowsky | Monash Art Ensemble | David Ngukurr Boy Wilfred | David Yipininy Wilfred - Nyilipidgi (ABC Jazz/Universal Music)

Seaman Dan - An Old Man Of The Sea (An Old Man Of The Sea)

BEST COMEDY RELEASE | NOMINATED ARTISTS

Kate Miller-Heike - I'm Growing A Beard Downstairs For Christmas (feat. The Beards) (Cooking Vinyl Australia)

Luke Heggie - You're Not Special/Anythink is Possible (Century Entertainment)

Matt & Alex - Play It Out (ABC Music/Universal Music)

Roy & HG - This Sporting Life (ABC Music/Universal Music)