The 2024 ARIA Awards lit up Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Nov. 20, celebrating the best in Australian music— but it was Troye Sivan and Sydney duo Royel Otis who were the big winners of the evening.
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Fresh off his SWEAT tour with Charli XCX, Sivan dominated for the second consecutive year, taking home three major awards: Album of the Year and Best Pop Release for Something to Give Each Other and Best Solo Artist. It follows his impressive performance at the 2023 ARIAs, where he collected four trophies, including Song of the Year.
The pop powerhouse said when receiving the coveted Album of the Year award, “I literally don’t have anything to say. Genuinely, totally, totally speechless, thank you guys, so, so much,” before delving into the deeply personal inspiration behind his record.
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“This album has completely, completely changed my life. It was inspired by the moments between lockdowns in Melbourne. I was single, and really depressed and lonely, and then those little glimpses of hope in between. I just started to go out and hook up with random people,” Sivan said.
The crowd erupted in cheers, but the camera quickly panned to his mother, who was seen covering her ears in mock horror. Sivan laughed and apologized: “Oh, my mum, sorry mum! Guys, my mum has seen the craziest s— at my shows, this is like, nothing for her.”
He went on to share a specific encounter that shaped the album’s direction: “So, I was going through the break-up, really, really depressed, and I meet this one guy. I have this one-night stand with him, right? And we have this incredible, incredible connection. And I’m like, oh my God, I thought the connection could only look like one thing, you know? And then I started to realise just how many people there are in the world and how many incredible connections of all kinds can feel, and how it can present in all of these different ways.”
Sivan added that he wrote the album “about this random stranger that I never saw again.” However, he later ran into the same man at a wine bar in Melbourne after the album’s release.
“The album is out at this point and it’s going really well,” he said. “And then the crazy thing is, that I said to him – the album is out at this point and it’s going really well – and I said to him, just so you know, it’s sort of about you,” adding that the man told him the album had helped him through a breakup.
The singer ended with: “So, music is just really, really cool. So yeah, go have a one-night stand with someone—you never know what could happen!”
Sivan’s latest album has been hailed as a defining moment in the pop powerhouse’s career. The record debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, marking his first-ever chart-topping album in Australia. It has garnered nearly 250 million streams globally, earned two Grammy nominations, and was shortlisted for the prestigious Australian Music Prize.
“Rush” not only debuted at No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 — marking Sivan’s first solo appearance on this chart since 2018 — but it also topped the Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs and Dance/Electronic Song Sales charts, amassing over 23.4 million global streams to date.
As Sivan prepares for his Something to Give Each Other Tour, his momentum shows no signs of slowing. The tour, kicking off in late 2024, includes stops in Australia and New Zealand, with highlights like back-to-back performances at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Nov. 28 and 29, marking a homecoming for the artist.
Beyond Troye Sivan’s big night, the 2024 ARIA Awards delivered plenty of standout moments. Royel Otis, consisting of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, pulled an impressive four-award haul, for Best Group presented by Stan, Best Rock Album, Engineer – Best Engineered Release (Chris Collins), and Producer – Best Produced Release (Chris Collins).
First Nations hip hop trio 3% — consisting of Nooky, Dallas Woods, and Angus Field — won Best Hip Hop/Rap Release for “KILL THE DEAD” and Best Cover Art (Daniel Boyd and Nomad Create).
Hardcore Sydney group SPEED, who are set to be part of the Coachella 2025 lineup, took out the gong for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album.
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers took home the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist Award and Dom Dolla nabbed the win for Best Dance/Electronic Release for “Saving Up,” marking his third ARIA Award. Meanwhile, Angie McMahon proved her indie prowess, snagging Best Independent Release for Light, Dark, Light Again.
The night also saw Missy Higgins inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, a heartfelt moment celebrating her incredible legacy, topped off with her win for Best Australian Live Act Presented by Destination NSW. G Flip struck a chord with fans, clinching Song of the Year for “The Worst Person Alive”, while Taylor Swift’s global dominance continued as she was crowned Most Popular International Artist.
The 2024 ARIA Awards were packed with show-stopping performances, showcasing the incredible talent and diversity of Australian music. Troy Cassar-Daley brought the crowd to its feet with a heartfelt performance featuring U.S. country star Kane Brown and a surprise appearance by Kasey Chambers. Jessica Mauboy teamed up with hip-hop standouts 3% and Julian Hamilton of The Presets for a high-energy rendition of “Won’t Stop” and “Our People.”
The night wasn’t short on surprises either—CYRIL, Becca Hatch, and Budjerah created a soulful, genre-blending moment that spotlighted Australia’s rising stars, while The Kid LAROI brought the house down with his high-energy set. Ava Max lit up the stage with a medley of her hits, and The Pixies stunned with a surprise world-exclusive TV performance of “Where Is My Mind” in support of Ausmusic T-Shirt Day.
Wrapping it all up in style was a performance from Missy Higgins, alongside Amy Shark, Angie McMahon, Gretta Ray, and G Flip, who landed Song of the Year for “The Worst Person Alive.”
More winners on the night included Tkay Maidza for Best Soul/R&B release, Emily Wurramara for Best Adult Contemporary Album, Mia Dyson for Best Blues & Roots Album, Bluey for Best Children’s Album, Tones And I (Nick Kozakis and Sela Vai) for Best Video Presented by YouTube, Missy Higgins for Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW, Taylor Swift for Most Popular International Artist, Midlife for Best Jazz Album and DOBBY for Best World Music Album.
ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said of the evening: “All of us at ARIA are so proud of this genuinely global-facing industry that proved tonight exactly how much Australia has to be proud of when it comes to homegrown music. I’m beyond excited for the future of Australian music after seeing the incredible talent of the winners, performers, and nominees at this year’s Awards. Thank you to YouTube, DNSW, all of our partners, and the incredible ARIAs team, especially broadcast EP Craig Campbell and Event Producer Brendan Maher. Here’s to another incredible year of Ausmusic in 2025!”
Mel Silva, VP, Google Australia on behalf of YouTube added: “Year after year, the ARIA Awards prove to be an incredible celebration of Australian music. Huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees – you’re absolutely crushing it! YouTube is honored to continue our partnership with ARIA, and to help connect fans around the world with their favourite artists – from the Red Carpet mirror-selfies, to the incredible content created by artists, to showcasing unforgettable performances and amazing talent like Missy Higgins’ Hall of Fame induction. You can check it all out on YouTube.”
See all the 2024 ARIA Award winners here.