America has its Grammy Awards. The Australian equivalent is the ARIAs.
Billboard charts rank the most popular songs made in the USA (and elsewhere). ARIA charts serve the same purpose in the Land Down Under.
Australia also inducts acclaimed local acts into its own Hall of Fame, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame does in the US. This year, however, was pretty special for this Esteemed Australian Music Club. Here’s why.
PART 267 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
In 2019, I visited the Australian Music Vault, which forms part of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
It was like the perfect Aussie music fan’s playground – literally. Full of rare paraphernalia and packed with fun facts about the Aussie industry and its history. It even included hands-on experiences, like building your own playlist as you visited the exhibition, which was emailed to you as a souvenir after the visit.
Aside from all those nostalgic gadgets, there was another “exhibit” that caught my attention.
There was a wall dedicated to local acts inducted into the so-called ‘ARIA Hall of Fame‘. Back then, I didn’t know very well what that meant, but there were heaps of names on it already. From Aussies who broke through overseas (like AC/DC, INXS, Nick Cave or Kylie Minogue) to the ones whose monikers didn’t ring a bell for me at all at the time.
Since my visit to the Australian Music Vault, more incredible artists have been inducted, amongst them Archie Roach (2020), JET (2023) and Missy Higgins (2024).
In case you’re wondering, the criteria for this honour are quite straightforward. To be eligible, an artist needs to have “significant and lasting influence on Australian popular music culture.” And if you’re an avid fan of the local music scene, then you’ll surely agree that there is no shortage of musicians fitting those requirements in the Land Down Under.
Maybe that’s why not one but six amazing acts were inducted all at once on June 11, 2026.
But this year’s ceremony was a pretty big deal for another reason, too. It’s ARIA‘s 40th Anniversary, after all. So the 2026 gala reflected the true essence of its Hall of Fame: a rad celebration of all the music legends that have shaped the Australian scene over the years.
Memorable performances, moving speeches and beautiful tributes all contributed to making it a pretty unique occasion. It was also the first time the industry came together to celebrate it live on such a high note, although plans for making it happen had apparently been in place even before this anniversary.
So let me share a few personal highlights from it.
Gurrumul’s legacy brings Australians together
If there’s one First Nations artist that everybody in the Australian music industry holds in high regard, it’s definitely Gurrumul. Dr G. Yunupingu passed away in 2017, but his distinct voice, signature guitar playing (upside down), the path he has carved for other Indigenous musicians and the cultural legacy he has left behind are unequivocal. So it was high time he was recognised by the ARIA Hall of Fame induction.
But our Western ways of celebrating beloved figures are not always aligned with the First Nations protocols. In Aboriginal culture, “it’s common practice that when there is a member of the community that has deceased, the person’s name is changed due to cultural beliefs and the images of that person are suppressed.”
So ARIA reached out to Gurrumul’s family, who “has given permission for his name and image to be used publicly to ensure that his legacy will continue to inspire both his people and Australians more broadly.” Some of Gurrumul’s relatives have also performed to his music at the Gala. And it was one of the most touching moments in Australian music that I have watched in a while.
Is Jenny Morris a Kiwi or an Aussie musician?
The Kiwis might argue that Jenny Morris belongs to their scene. But the New Zealand-born singer-songwriter has had a very successful career in the Land Down Under, too. She’s collaborated with INXS, her music has topped ARIA charts, and she’s won an ARIA Music Award for Best Female Artist twice in a row.
To top it all, at the induction ceremony, she was introduced by none other than the former Kiwi prime minister Jacinda Ardern herself.
So, to settle this matter once and for all, let me quote the Federal Minister for the Arts, Hon Tony Burke MP: “You can’t imagine the soundtrack to life in Australia without these artists. And yeah, I know Jenny was born in New Zealand, but we’re claiming her too.”
Kate Ceberano passes on the baton (in a way)
We’re pretty much used to seeing musicians celebrate other musicians. But when those artists paying tribute are family members, it’s a whole different story.
Kate Ceberano has been in this business for over four decades, perfecting her signature sound – a blend of rock, soul, jazz, and pop. But you could tell that performing with her daughter, singer-songwriter Gypsy Lee, made her emotional and proud, too.
And while sonically they might live in different houses, I just can’t get over how much the young artist takes after her mother. It’s like seeing younger Kate take the stage. So if an intergenerational collab is on the cards, I can’t wait to hear it!
Spiderbait share a well-kept secret
Typically, you don’t choose family members. It’s also a good idea not to have any business dealings with your fave people. Building and nurturing any type of relationship between human beings is hard yakka, after all.
We rarely wonder about what it takes to be in a band, though. Spending heaps of time with the same people. Sometimes, in pretty challenging circumstances. And especially when you’re in a rock outfit.
Spiderbait actually brought that up at their ARIA Hall of Fame acceptance speech. Drummer Kram put it this way: “We’re very much a collective. And music is about the art form; it’s beautiful, but it’s also about the friendship. And the better friends you make together, the more you kick arse. And no one kicks arse more than these two.” Amen!
The Living End jokingly invoke their raucous beginnings
When accepting their Hall of Fame trophy, The Living End mentioned The Sydney Morning Herald’s review, which elicited a humorous reaction from the crowd. (FYI – the Aussie newspaper is not your usual, serious music publication, to put it diplomatically.)
The quote referred to one of the band’s most famous songs, “Prisoner of Society”, which – as the title suggests – has a pretty unruly and anti-establishment vibe. All those years ago, the tabloid claimed there was no chance on Earth the musos would play it when they were grown men and seasoned artists.
Well, that turned out to be a false prophecy. Today, the track has over 33 million streams on Spotify itself. And it’s still very much a permanent item on the punk legends’ gig setlists. So eat that, Sydney Morning Herald!
Vika & Linda get real about an artist’s mission
Sometimes, I wonder what keeps artists going for so long. Doesn’t it get mundane after a while, when that dream of a creative pursuit becomes a regular job in a sense? It’s surely a challenge to continue pleasing fans for years, too. And if they want you to make the same sort of music all the time, then it can turn into an inspiring career.
That’s exactly the question Tait McGregor, who hosted the Red Carpet on the night, asked the blues/soul sisters, Vika & Linda. Nine albums in, there must be a secret to their constant reinvention, right?
Vika’s reply hit home for me. “While we’ve still got a voice, it’s important, especially now, that we really choose carefully what we want to sing about and the stories we want to tell.” It’s one of those things artists embrace even more these days. Their role is no longer just releasing songs – many (young) people look up to them as role models. And what they stand for in their lyrics is as important as the catchy melodies.
Some other interesting parts of the ceremony happened on that Red Carpet, too. The inductees revealed the advice they’d give their younger selves and shared some longevity tips for emerging acts.
Finally, a few people were asked about who they’d wanna see inducted in the years to come. As you can imagine, the replies were as diverse as the Aussie music scene itself, from BARKAA and Guy Sebastian to Silverchair and Troy Cassar-Daley.
So if ARIA decide to keep the Hall of Fame event “a bit less of a sausage fest” permanently, as Janet English from Spiderbait funnily pointed out, then we should be able to find out already next year.
Find out more about ARIA (the Australian Recording Industry Association) from these posts:
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