ARIA Music Awards of 1988
The Second Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 29 February 1988 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney.[1][2][3] Cliff Richard was the host, with Bryan Ferry, Feargal Sharkey and Ian "Molly" Meldrum included as presenters of the 21 awards.[1] There were no live performances and the awards were not televised.[1] A fracas developed between manager Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and former Countdown compere Meldrum who was presenting.[1]
Some significant changes were made for the second ARIA Awards. In addition to the categories for the inaugural year, "Best Children's Album" was added.[1] The ARIA Hall of Fame was also created, with six acts being inducted: AC/DC, Slim Dusty, Col Joye, Johnny O'Keefe, Dame Joan Sutherland and Vanda & Young.[1] Finally an "Outstanding Achievement Award" was created and first awarded to John Farnham.[1]
Ceremony details
Midnight Oil won "Best Cover Art" for Diesel and Dust and both "Best Single" and "Best Song" for "Beds Are Burning".[1][2] A fracas developed between manager Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and former Countdown compere Ian "Molly" Meldrum who was presenting:[1][2]
I think Molly was a little precious. He was in awe of Bryan [Ferry], whereas I had an attitude about bringing over offshore artists to present at a local awards [...] I said something like, 'The Poms look at us as being pretty archaic down here, but we've got room service. You could have ordered an iron, mate'.[4]— Gary Morris
Meldrum objected to Morris' political commentary from the podium and making jokes at the expense of Bryan Ferry who was wearing a (deliberately) crumpled suit:[1][2]
I pointed out that Gary was staying in one of the very expensive hotel rooms, on behalf of Midnight Oil [...] Then I said, 'If we're talking about disrespect, what was he doing up here accepting the awards and not Midnight Oil'. Then it all boiled over.[4]— Ian Meldrum
Karen Middleton of The Canberra Times was disappointed by the ceremony where "[i]nsults flowed almost as freely as the wine and all three of the international guest presenters fell victim to flimsy jokes and foolishness".[2] She felt that Morris was "winner of the unofficial prize for least-liked personality. ... [he] aimed a poor one-liner at British presenter Bryan Ferry".[2] However the "greatest revelation of the evening proved that there are more sore losers in the business than the small screen would lead us to believe. When a winner happened to be a little unpopular, the beautiful people booed".[2]
Awards and nominations
Winners are listed first and bolded, other final nominees (where known) are listed alphabetically.[1][2][5]
ARIA Awards
- Album of the Year
- Single of the Year
- Highest Selling Album
- Highest Selling Single
- Best Group
- Best Female Artist
- Best Male Artist
- Best New Talent
- Best Country Album
- Flying Emus – This Town
- Best Indigenous Release
- Gondwanaland – Gondwanaland
- Australia all Over – Australia all Over
- Flying Emus – This Town
- Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust
- Warumpi Band – Go Bush
- Gondwanaland – Gondwanaland
- Best Adult Contemporary Album
- John Farnham – "Touch of Paradise"
- Best Comedy Release
Fine Arts Awards
- Best Jazz Album
- Vince Jones – It All Ends Up in Tears
- Best Classical Album
- Voss – Voss
- Best Children's Album
- Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording
- Original Australian Cast Recording – Nine
Artisan Awards
- Song of the Year
- Midnight Oil – "Beds Are Burning"
- Icehouse – "Crazy"
- Midnight Oil – "Beds Are Burning"
- Producer of the Year
- Engineer of the Year
- David Nicholas – Richard Clapton – Glory Road, INXS – Kick
- Best Video
- Claudia Castle – Paul Kelly – "To Her Door"
- Best Cover Art
- Ken Duncan, Creative Type Wart, Gary Morris, Midnight Oil – Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust
Outstanding Achievement Award
ARIA Hall of Fame inductees
The inaugural Hall of Fame inductees were:[1][2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Winners by Year 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Middleton, Karen (3 March 1988). "Music Awards: A Scratch on the Record". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) (National Library of Australia). p. 23. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ↑ "Australia 1988 ARIA Awards". ALLdownunder.com. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- 1 2 Jenkins, Jeff; Ian Meldrum (2007). Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia. Melbourne, Vic: Wilkinson Publishing. p. 228–229. ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
- ↑ "GOOD Times.". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) (ACT: National Library of Australia). 11 February 1988. p. 23. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
- 1 2 "The Oil Is Burning Brightly.". Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney). 1 March 1988. p. 5.