The 2025 ARIA Awards ceremony in Sydney witnessed a triumphant night for the ferocious pub rock band Amyl and the Sniffers, who dominated the proceedings by securing an impressive four awards, including the coveted Album of the Year.
A Night of Rock and Roll Dominance
Amyl and the Sniffers were the undeniable stars of the evening at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion. The band's critically acclaimed record, Cartoon Darkness, propelled them to victory in the categories of Best Group, Album of the Year, Best Rock Album, and Best Cover Art.
Frontwoman Amy Taylor provided some of the most memorable and characteristically unfiltered acceptance speeches of the night. Upon accepting the award for Album of the Year, she quipped, "As the new prime minister of Australia, I’d like to say: all immigrants welcome. I’d like to say: land back, the dole’s going up, and every pub gets a million dollars." She also humorously noted that the album's success meant she "Probably won’t have to work at IGA ever again!"
Her candid remarks continued throughout the ceremony. When collecting the prize for Best Cover Art, she shouted to the audience, "I know you just like it because I was flashing my titties!" Later, she confessed the band's discomfort with formal speeches, settling on a pithy motto: "Fuck the world!"
This victory marks the second time Amyl and the Sniffers have won Best Group, having previously taken home the award in 2022. It is also their third win for Best Rock Album, following successes with Comfort to Me in 2022 and their self-titled debut in 2019.
Electronic Breakthroughs and Industry Recognition
While rock music celebrated a major win, the electronic scene also had a spectacular showing. The artist Ninajirachi emerged as another big winner, claiming three awards from a leading eight nominations. She secured the titles of Best Solo Artist and Best Independent Release for her debut album, I Love My Computer.
"This is absurd!" the 26-year-old musician laughed while accepting Best Solo Artist. "A lot of people here have probably never heard of me before tonight. I put out my first album this year... most of it was just written and produced by me." Her ARIA success caps a mammoth year that also saw her win Triple J’s album of the year and the prestigious Australian Music Prize.
Fellow dance artist Dom Dolla, who received seven nominations, was recognised with the award for Best Dance/Electronic Release for his track Dreamin'. Prior to the ceremony, he was also announced as the recipient of the inaugural Global Impact Award, honouring his breakthrough international success.
In a nod to the challenging climate for live events, a new category for Best Music Festival was introduced and won by the long-running Laneway Festival. The award comes at a time when Australian festivals are grappling with climate issues, rising costs, and complex artist booking landscapes.
Established Icons and Other Notable Winners
The ceremony also celebrated the continued success of established Australian artists. Kevin Parker, the mastermind behind Tame Impala, added two more ARIA trophies to his collection, bringing his total to an astounding 15. He won for Best Engineered Release and Best Produced Release.
Other former winners who returned to the podium included:
- The Kid Laroi for Song of the Year with Girls.
- Thelma Plum for Best Pop Album.
- Troye Sivan, who won the publicly-voted Best Live Act category.
- The Teskey Brothers, Kasey Chambers, and the late Gurrumul were also among the honoured artists.
International superstar Taylor Swift continued her streak, winning the award for Best International Artist for the fifth time, underscoring her enduring popularity in the Australian market.
