Amy Shark and Josh Hannan perform for Our Soundtrack Our Ads

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) was thrilled to welcome Amy Shark and Josh Hannan to the Sony Music Entertainment Australia offices tonight to perform for over 120 leaders of the Australian advertising and music industries – as well as the Hon. John Graham and representatives from new music bodies Sound NSW and Music Australia – to celebrate Our Soundtrack Our Ads and the one-month countdown to entries opening for this year’s ARIA Awards for Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement.

Speaking on a panel at the event were Director of Licensing at Sony Music Australia, Hannah Marsh; Head of Brand at 72 & Sunny, Laura Popa; and Creative Director, Brand Strategist at Plate it Forward, Ricky Simandjuntak.

On the opportunity afforded by the use of Australian music in advertising, Ricky said: “It really helps me teach the artist that they can operate as a business, with multiple revenue streams and ways of making music. It’s a way to say to them here’s a way to think of how you can work with brands via a syncing agency and develop new ways to fund the project.

“But looking back, using Australian music isn’t just about using the artist, there’s a whole ecosystem around the artist and it has a knock-on effect for all sorts of jobs like art directors, creative directors, designers and videographers as well, it opens all these opportunities that may otherwise not happen.”

For the second year, ARIA Awards for Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement will be handed out for two categories: up to and over two minutes in duration. This year, the winners will be determined by an expanded judging academy, which will function similar to those that select other ARIA Awards.

Entries open 26 July at Our Soundtrack Our Ads - ARIA.

Last year’s winners were Innocean Australia and Australian Marine Conservation Society, for their Voice of the Seacampaign featuring music by John Williamson in the over two minute category; while 72andSunny with Campfire X took under two minutes, for Google Helping You Help Others with music from Baker Boy.

ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said: "Advertising forms a critical part of Australian culture that is too often overlooked when we consider who is telling our nation’s stories, we are proud to continue celebrating the relationship between musicians and advertisers, as well as the significant opportunity to continue soundtracking Australian stories with Australian music.

The new ARIA Awards for Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement were launched in 2022, as part of Our Soundtrack Our Ads: a joint initiative between Our Soundtrack Our Stories and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment. It is an extension of the existing Our Soundtrack Our Stories, launched in 2021 to promote the use of Australian music across the local business and media landscape.