Troye Sivan won big at the Aria Awards, while Kylie Minogue's Padam Padam won best pop release on Australia's biggest night in music.
Sivan took home four awards, including song of the year for Rush and best solo artist, at the ceremony in Sydney.
“This has been the most insane week of my life, like ever,” he said accepting the award for song of the year.
It comes days after the singer received two Grammy nominations for best pop dance recording and best music video. Sivan said: “I try and play it cool like this is all normal, but it's really tripping me out, and it's so exciting.
“I've been doing this for like ten, eleven years at this point and so to feel this much energy and love – I'm confused but so happy.” The Perth-raised singer, along with his producer Styalz Fuego, also won best engineered release and best produced release.
This year the 28-year-old's album Something To Give Each Other was not eligible for album of the year category as it was released after nominations were finalised, making it a potential for the award next year. Minogue won her first Aria award in 21 years beating Sivan to win best pop release for her hit single Padam Padam.
“This is just unbelievable, and I am super super happy,” she said accepting the award in a video in another location. The award brings Minogue's number of Aria Music awards to seventeen. In February, she will be facing-off against Sivan again after she also received a Grammy nomination for best pop dance recording.
Earlier in the night, Taylor Swift took home most popular international artist – voted for by fans. The ceremony was also marked by calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
“There are atrocious things happening in the world right now that I think as a community we should be putting our minds, heart and bodies behind to stop it any junction that we can,” said Genesis Owusu who won album of the year and best hip-hop release with Struggler.
“Ceasefire now… free Palestine,” he added.
Nic Cester, frontman of rock band Jet who were honoured with an induction into the Aria Hall of Fame, also touched on the conflict: “It's impossible to turn on the news at the moment and not to be confronted by the destruction being committed through war, racism and politics.”
The organisers of the Aria Awards bill it as the “premier event” in Australian music.
— CutC by bbc.com
