Around 700,000 people tuned in to watch the ARIA Awards on Channel 9 last night. That was down around 400,000 viewers on last year when the show was screened on Channel 10.
The ARIA Awards had a bizarre choice of hosts with Underbelly star Gyton Grantley and soapie TV actor Kate Ritchie both looking totally out of place fronting the event.They were not enough to keep the audience entertained and the momentum of the show moving. The ARIA Awards came in 16th place in overall viewing for last night.
The Thursday night timeslot was also a change for the awards show. It had previously been held on a Sunday night.
Budget cuts also contributed to the quality of the program with industry insiders suggesting the budget for this year was half what it was last year. It showed.
The ARIA Awards also drew criticism for allowing New Zealander Ladyhawke to qualify for some awards. She walked away with two at the expense of Jessica Mauboy who was nominated for seven and only won one.
AC/DC was also a questionable choice of “Australian act”. AC/DC has not recorded and album in Australia for the 70s and has not been based in Australia for 30 years.
Last night’s ARIA’s hit a new low for the industry. Some even suggest they are now as useful as the Logies which may explain why two actors where hosting the show.
Nevertheless, it was good to see the major awards go to Empire of the Sun, Daniel Merriweather and Sarah Blasko.
