Savage Garden receives Billions Award for “Truly Madly Deeply”
Presented to Darren Hayes at Support Act’s Music In The House event by APRA Chair Jenny Morris MNZM OAM
The song received multiple APRA Music Awards and reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones are the latest songwriters to be honoured with a place on APRA AMCOS’s coveted 1,000,000,000 List for their global hit “Truly Madly Deeply”.
The ‘Billions Award’ is given to APRA AMCOS songwriter members and their publishers in recognition of a song surpassing one billion streams, taking into account streaming numbers from major services Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Written to express the love he felt for his former wife, Colby Taylor, while he was away from her, “Truly Madly Deeply” struck a chord with audiences upon its release in 1997. The song went straight to No. 1 on the ARIA Charts and launched Savage Garden to international success.
It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US in January 1998, spending two weeks at the top and a full year inside the top 30. Over in the UK, it became the 10th biggest-selling song of the year.
The song went on to receive multiple APRA Music Awards, picking up Most Performed Australian Work Overseas for two consecutive years in 1999 and 2000, with Hayes and Jones also being awarded Songwriters of the Year in both 1998 and 2000.
In 2001 it featured in APRA’s Top 30 Australian Songs of all time, then in 2019, it was inducted into the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia due to its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance and relevance.
Songwriter Darren Hayes was awarded the Billions Award at Support Act’s Music In The House event in Sydney last night, where he also received the charity’s Excellence in the Community Award.
Jenny Morris MNZM OAM, Chair of APRA, who presented Hayes with his award, added: “When APRA’s founding publishers first met 100 years ago, they could never have imagined we’d be here in 2026 celebrating songwriters and publishers for reaching one billion streams. It’s an extraordinary achievement, a testament to the staying power and connection of the song.
“I’m thrilled to announce that Savage Garden’s “Truly Madly Deeply” has reached that major milestone and will be added to our coveted Billions List."
Publisher Damian Trotter from Sony Music Publishing also received an award. He said: “On behalf of Sony Music Publishing Australia, we couldn’t be more proud to represent the catalogue of music written by Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, and to see them join that rarified space, occupied by those whose songs have been streamed over one billion times.
““Truly Madly Deeply” is a song of heartfelt, unapologetic and unconditional love and hope that has stood the test of time, and after nearly 30 years, still means so much to so many people worldwide, especially in these troubling times. Heartfelt congrats also to Darren for receiving the Support Act Excellence In The Community Award.”
