Latin-esque ska hip-hoppers The Cat Empire have won an early 2006 ARIA Award for 'Cities'.
Surprisingly, this is the first ARIA that The Cat Empire have won, despite hitting number one with 2005's 'Two Shoes' album and packing out concerts nationwide with their saucy mix of latin, ska, funk, reggae and hip-hop. They have been nominated in varied categories since their breakthrough in 2003: rock, urban and world. The 'Cities' project, originally a commission for the Commonwealth Games, has finally snared them a pointy statuette.The group also note that they are celebrating their 500th show in five years, a huge achievement for most bands but almost expected from The Cat Empire since their popularity has been built on their feel-good live show. Over half of these shows have been outside Australia, as the band are completing another international touring jaunt, playing 45 sold out shows across Europe, North America and Asia.
The band now announce their first Australian tour in a year. From November 17 to December 30 they play Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Mullimbimby, Coolangatta, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth and Margaret River. They report that tickets are already 80% sold. Head to their dot com to get yours.
