Charlotte Foster
Music

No more boys versus girls at the ARIA awards

The ARIA Awards has decided to majorly reform how the event takes place at a time of upheaval in the industry over gender and racial equality.

Australia’s major music awards has decided to get rid of gendered categories such as Best Male Artist and Best Female Artist for its upcoming November awards, organisers said. 

Instead, the awards will be replaced with one all-inclusive award of Best Artist with 10 nominees in the running instead of five in each of the previous categories.

"The time for separating artists based on gendered categories that exclude non-binary artists altogether has passed," Annabelle Herd, chief executive of ARIA, said in a statement.

"The music industry is demanding a more equal, inclusive, safe and supportive space for everyone and ARIA is working hard to achieve that across the ARIA Awards and everything we do."

The change to the awards will be put into effect for the November 2021 ceremony, which will be a digital-only event due to the ongoing pandemic. 

The inclusive move embraces celebrated Aussie artist such as Tash Sultana and G Flip, who both identify as non-binary.

ARIA is the latest organisation to demand more gender equality within the Australian entertainment industry. 

In May, artist Jaguar Jonze spoke out about the sexual harassment she endured at the hands of two producers she was working with. 

Anonymous allegations on social media about a variety of workplaces gathered pace, bringing further attention to the issue.

Sony Music’s Australian boss Denis Handlin, one of the most powerful figures in the local industry and the chair of ARIA's board, abruptly left the business in June amid a slew of allegations of toxicity in the workplace culture. 

ARIA has worked to establish a safe group to try to devise a way to make the industry — long associated with romantic notions of sex, drugs and rock and roll — a fairer and safer place to work.

"The important thing is to get everybody involved because real change doesn't happen unless you get change across the board," Annabelle Herd said.

Image credits: Getty Images

Tags:
ARIA Awards, music, non-binary, gender equality