2024 APRA Music Awards winners

Troye Sivan, Sia, Dean Lewis, The Teskey Brothers, and a host of debutants are winners of the 2024 APRA Music Awards!

First-time winners accepted awards in seven categories

APRA AMCOS has tonight announced the winners of the 2024 APRA Music Awards which were held in Sydney, Gadigal land, in a room filled with Australian songwriters, their publishers and music industry guests.

Taking out the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year is Troye Sivan and co-writer Styalz Fuego with Rush, the lead single from Sivan’s third studio album Something to Give Each Other. The song was an instant hit becoming an upbeat summer anthem around the world and gave Sivan his first GRAMMY nominations earlier this year. In 2017 Sivan was named the APRA Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, while Fuego received the same honour in 2013.

Dean Lewis takes home two APRA Music Awards for How Do I Say Goodbye. The song, which expresses the love, fear, and shock that followed his father’s cancer diagnosis has resonated widely and is the Most Performed Australian Work and Most Performed Pop Work. These awards take Dean’s tally to six APRA Music Awards since he made his songwriting debut in 2016.

The Teskey Brothers have been named Songwriter of the Year by the APRA Board of Writer and Publisher Directors. The songwriting partnership of Josh and Sam Teskey is a rare musical gem. Embracing the timeless essence of the Motown sound, they seamlessly blend soul and blues, crafting a unique musical identity distinctly their own. The duo has received widespread acclaim for their albums Half Mile Harvest and Run Home Slow and have taken their classic soul sound and strong songwriting from Melbourne to the world.

First-time winners accepted awards in seven categories. Kicking off the cavalcade of debutants is grentperez, the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Songwriter of the Year award. The Western Sydney indie pop artist started posting acoustic covers on YouTube before turning his hand to writing gems like the bossa nova inspired earworm Cherry Wine. His nostalgic, soulful original songs about love, losing love and growing up have struck a chord with listeners globally.

Daylight by Birds of Tokyo is the Most Performed Alternative Work. With their sweeping and dynamic songs, they have cemented their place as Australia’s most successful contemporary band.

Winning back-to-back awards in the Most Performed Country Work category is Casey Barnes, who with first-time winning songwriting / production duo Michael De Lorenzis and Michael Paynter created Summer Nights.

Taking out the inaugural Most Performed Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work category are Byron Bay metal legends and APRA Music Awards debutants Parkway Drive with Darker Still.

Each receiving their first APRA Award is Sydney duo Polish Club (with writer and producer Robby De Sa) for their upbeat Good Time which is the Most Performed Rock Work.

Ziggy Alberts’ Dancing in the Dark has scored the win for Most Performed Blues & Roots Work. The song is the title track from his sixth studio album that Ziggy describes as ‘future folk’.

ONEFOUR (with co-writers Bailey Pickles, Chandler Hammond, Hugo Hui and Caleb Tiedemann) take out their first APRA Music Award in Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work for COMMA’s featuring CG.

Australian-New Zealand electronic music duo Shouse (Jack Madin and Ed Service) score their first APRA Music Award for Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work for Never Let You Go which features American hitmaker Jason Derulo. Also receiving his first APRA Award is JKING, whose song Cinderella is the Most Performed R&B / Soul Work.

Rounding out the Most Performed categories is Sia, who for the fifth time has the Most Performed Australian Work Overseas, this year with Unstoppable from her seventh studio album This Is Acting, and Taylor Swift who was recognised as the International Work of the Year recipient for Anti-Hero, the lead single from her tenth studio album, Midnights.

APRA AMCOS CEO, Dean Ormston said:

“Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, each of them outstanding songwriters and music creators who are the living epitome of what it is to be born global in their success. It was a memorable night where we honoured several first-time winners as well as established national treasures, including the extraordinary Bart Willoughby.

“In recognising the incredible talent in Australia's music landscape, it’s important to acknowledge that as an organisation that champions gender diversity through advocacy, funding and creative opportunities, there’s more to do to address the disparity in the industry of male to women, non-binary and gender diverse award winners.

“We must continually question the absence of diversity in every facet of the industry—whether in rooms, executive offices, on stages, or across airwaves and streaming platforms—and commit to amplifying the entirety of Australia's musical brilliance.”

Legendary No Fixed Address singer, songwriter and drummer Bart Willoughby was presented the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music by long-time friends Stephen Pigram and Don Walker.

The 2024 APRA Music Awards was hosted by Tom Gleeson with special guest presenters Jen Cloher, Bumpy and Jimmy Barnes, who presented Songwriter of the Year to friends Josh and Sam Teskey. New Musical Director Julian Hamilton, alongside Milan Ring, assembled stellar performances for the evening, kicking off with a musical tribute to influential label Elefant Traks featuring Hermitude, The Herd, ANESU, OKENYO, L-FRESH the LION and Urthboy who performed a medley of their biggest hits. The five nominated compositions for the APRA Song of the Year were lovingly reimagined with Cub Sport putting their pop spin on Letting Go by Angie McMahon, while Sweet Talk took on The Worst Person Alive by G Flip and Aidan Hogg. Bad//Dreems delivered their interpretation of If Not Now by Paul Kelly and David McComb, while newcomer Ashli performed Therapy by Sarah Aarons. Haiku Hands with vocalist Thandi Phoenix turned up the fire with their version of Rush, the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year written by Troye Sivan and Styalz Fuego. And finally, delivering their tribute to the Ted Albert honouree was recipient Bart Willougby alongside Don Walker, Stephen Pigram, Tjimba Possum-Burns, Yvonne Rigney and Djindu Willoughby with Bart’s ground-breaking song Black Man’s Rights.

See the full list of winners