She wasn't there, not even hiding under the paper bag she is fond of donning for photos, but Sia sealed a year of incredible achievement by picking up a bagful of prizes at the Australian music industry's ARIA Awards on Wednesday.
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On the day she was named the most powerful artist in Australian music, ranked behind only two veteran tour promoters on an industry powerlist, Sia Furler became the most awarded – if elusive and reclusive – artist in the country too.
The singularly named Sia was crowned best female artist, collected the album of the year and best pop release for her international No 1, 1000 Forms Of Fear, and already had the best video prize for the massively successful single, Chandelier.
In terms of sales no one compared with Adelaide's Sia in 2014 and the same goes for pointy-tipped ARIA awards as the most nominated artist, Melbourne electronic singer/producer Chet Faker, arrived with the chance of nine prizes but left with only two to add to a collection which already included producer of the year, best cover art and engineer of the year for his debut album, Built On Glass.
If that was a bit disappointing for Faker (real name Nick Murphy) who hoped to go a step further than last year's multi-nominated electronic artist Flume and win best album, it was still not a bad couple of prizes. Faker was named best male artist and his album was the best independent release.
Sia's paper bag, useful for the hyperventilating, would have come in handy on a night when pop music's basic ingredients of teen lust, catchy tunes and ear piercing screams were in the mix via a UK v Australia musical test. In that game it was a draw with honours shared between boy bands One Direction (best international artist for the third straight year) and Sydney's 5 Seconds Of Summer (song of the year for their international No 1, She Looks So Perfect), who each revved up the red carpet and then bounced the stages in livewire performances.
Only slightly older than the boy bands was the family-based group, Sheppard, whose freshly scrubbed visages and cheery optimism helped them win best group ahead of hard rock's representative, Violent Soho, hip-hop crew Hilltop Hoods, dancefloor favourites RUFUS and 5 Seconds of Summer.
You could probably not have found a greater contrast with the young and unlined than that provided by two veterans in Neil Finn and Paul Kelly, whose Goin' Your Way was the best adult contemporary album. Except maybe with two even older men, Denis Handlin, the Sony Music supremo who was named an industry icon, and the Countdown host, interviewer and friend of the stars, Ian "Molly" Meldrum, who was inducted into the ARIA hall of fame.
But Meldrum, a lifelong fan of pop, would have been pleased to see a night where rock'n'roll was pushed aside by more tunes and teenage tears of joy than you could fit in any paper bag.
ARIA winners
SIA - 1000 FORMS OF FEAR Telstra Album Of The Year, Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release, Best Video presented by YouTube - Directed by Sia and Daniel Askill
CHET FAKER - BUILT ON GLASS Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release
SHEPPARD - BOMBS AWAY Best Group
IGGY AZALEA - THE NEW CLASSIC Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA
5 SECONDS OF SUMMER - SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT ARIA Song Of The Year
NEIL FINN AND PAUL KELLY - GOIN' YOUR WAY Best Adult Contemporary Album
JOHN BUTLER TRIO - FLESH AND BLOOD Best Blues and Roots Album
THE WIGGLES - APPLES & BANANAS Best Children's Album
BUDDY GOODE - IT'S A BUDDY GOODE CHRISTMAS Best Comedy Release
KASEY CHAMBERS - BITTERSWEET Best Country Album
PEKING DUK FEATURING NICOLE MILLAR - HIGH Best Dance Release
DZ DEATHRAYS - BLACK RAT Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
DAN SULTAN - BLACKBIRD Best Rock Album
HILLTOP HOODS - WALKING UNDER STARS Best Urban Album
KEITH URBAN Best Live Australian Act
ONE DIRECTION Best International Artist
MOLLY MELDRUM AND COUNTDOWN ARIA Hall Of Fame
DENIS HANDLIN ARIA Industry Icon Award
smh.com.au
