ARIA supports #VaxTheNation campaign

More than 400 of Australia’s biggest artists and performers (see list below) have joined forces with leading tour promoters, music festivals, venues, ticketing agencies, record labels, comedy producers, theatre, opera and dance companies, media outlets, industry associations, peak bodies and global brands like YouTube and TikTok launch #VAXTHENATION – a new campaign asking Australians to help ‘stop the interruptions’ and get vaccinated... now!

Spearheaded by the newly established LIVE Alliance (Live Industry Venues + Entertainment) – which includes representatives from organisations Association of Artist Managers (AAM), Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC), Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), APRA AMCOS, Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), Australian Festivals Association (AFA), Frontier Touring/Mushroom Group, the Live Entertainment Industry Forum, Live Nation, Live Performance Australia (LPA), Secret Sounds and TEG – #VAXTHENATION has brought our country’s Live Events Industry together as never before.

Lending their names to #VAXTHENATION are over 225 performers including Powderfinger, Jimmy Barnes, Tim Minchin, Courtney Barnett, Celeste Barber, Vance Joy, Paul Kelly, Archie Roach, Em Rusciano, Guy Sebastian, Dave Thornton, Adam Harvey, Amy Shark, Iva Davies, Gina Jeffreys, John Williamson, Courtney Act, Birds Of Tokyo, Tom Gleeson, Amyl & The Sniffers, Hilltop Hoods, Nazeem Hussain, Marcia Hines, Midnight Oil, Judith Lucy, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Christian Hull, Troy Cassar-Daley, Nina Las Vegas, Briggs, Judith Lucy, Daryl Braithwaite, Human Nature, Melinda Schneider and countless more. See pages below for the full list of organisations and artists supporting this incredible call-out.

ARIA and PPCA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said "ARIA is proud to put our support behind #vaxthenation. After such a difficult year for the music industry and for all of us, this campaign is about reminding Australians that the path back to happiness and the magic of being in a crowd watching your favourite artist perform live is to get vaccinated ASAP!”

#VAXTHENATION kicks off today with a national television campaign – watch the TVC here – soundtracked by multi-Platinum ARIA winners Powderfinger, who donated the use of their iconic hit single “My Happiness”.

The Live Entertainment Sector has been dealt a massive blow over the past 18 months, with thousands of performances disrupted, postponed or cancelled, and tens of thousands of workers stood down (or unable to work at all). Billions of dollars lost to the Australian economy – no shows means no fans spending at nearby restaurants, bars, retail or accommodation, or booking flights just to make a weekend of it. Prior to the most recent lockdowns, live music activity was at just 12 per cent of pre-COVID levels as larger shows and tours remain uneconomic without full venue capacities and uncertainty around both domestic and international border restrictions. Two thirds of industry jobs (79,000) were gone by the end of 2020*, plus $23.6 billion of economic output and $10.7 billion of added value also lost.

Help us stop the interruptions and get vaxxed as soon as you can. Every jab makes a difference, and every Australian can play their part.

Let’s get our live industry back on the road!