Sia Makes APRA Awards History

In addition, the Adelaide-born singer-songwriter and her collaborator Jesse Shatkin took out the peer-voted songwriters of the year gong for the Grammy-nominated “Chandelier.” The publicity-shy Sia, who last year sent her mother to pick up her award, this year sent a video greeting with Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz dressed as her and delivering her thank you.

Sheppard, whose Bombs Away album is climbing the US Top 40, won pop work and most played Australian work for the track “Geronimo.” Their trophies were collected by manager Michael Chugg with Greg Sheppard, father of three of the members. Chugg told the audience that Sheppard Sr. “put his life savings on the line to support his children, this band.” Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” again won most played Australian work overseas.

Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” took international work of the year. Other winners were the Rick Rubin-produced sibling duo Angus and Julia Stone (roots), Grammy-nominated rapper M-Phazes and Illy (urban), Stonefield (rock), Adam Eckersley Band (country) and Joel Fletcher (dance). The Ted Albert award for outstanding services to Australian music went to Fifa Riccobono, longtime head of Alberts (then Albert Records and Publishing), which launched the global careers of AC/DC, The Easybeats, John Paul Young, The Angels and Rose Tattoo.

The no-nonsense Riccobono, the first woman CEO of an Australian music company, said, “In the early days I shared the same cockroach-infested hotels as my touring bands, and eventually we worked our way up to 5 star accommodation. We looked out for each other in just the same way as families do.” The awards saw former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns make an anticipated live debut of new single “Preach.” In the tradition of the APRAs, each song of the year nominees were given a different interpretation by other acts.