The world moves fast these days. One year ago, no-one had heard of Gabriella Cilmi. Today, she was the big winner at the 2008 ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association) Awards.
Gabriella won awards for Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist - Single (Sweet About Me), Breakthrough Artist - Album (Lessons To Be Learned), Best Pop Release (Lessons To Be Learned), Highest Selling Single (Sweet About Me) and Single of the Year (Sweet About Me).The ARIA breakthrough for Gabriella comes us one week after she turned 17.
The Presets won the all important Album of the Year award for ‘Apocalypso’. They also won the awards for Best Group and Best Dance Release.
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu won Best World Music Album and Best Independent Album for ‘Gurrumul’.
Other awards were:
Best Rock Album - The Living End ‘White Noise’
Best Male Artist - Nick Cave
Best Adult Contemporary Award - The Panics ‘Cruel Guards’
Best Blues and Roots Album - The Audreys ‘When The Flood Comes’
Best Country Album - Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson ‘Rattlin’ Bones’
Highest Selling Album - Delta Goodrem - Delta
Best Music DVD - Across The Great Divide - Silverchair and Powderfinger
Best Comedy Release - Shaun Micallef ‘The Expurgated Micallef Tonight: The Very Best of Shaun Micallef’s Short-Lived but Brilliant Tonight’
