The ARIA Hall of Fame event will move to Sydney after five years in Melbourne as part of a revamped ARIA Awards line up.
The ARIA Hall of Fame is an annual stand-alone event that honours performers, songwriters and producers whose achievements have had a significant impact on music culture in Australia and around the world.
The first ARIA Awards were held at Sydney’s Sheraton in 1987. They have been held in Sydney since, with the exception of 2003 when they were held in Melbourne.
The annual ARIA Awards are held in front of a live audience of more than 7,500 and are watched by more than 1.5 million people across Australia through a live television broadcast.
The revamped ARIA Awards will include giant screens broadcasting the Awards ceremony to thousands of music fans gathered on the Sydney Opera House forecourt along with live performances by nominees and ARIA Award winners.
Minister for Major Events, Kevin Greene, today joined ARIA Chairman, Ed St John, and representatives from Australia’s music industry to announce NSW had secured the full ARIA Awards program.
“Sydney is the natural home of the ARIA Awards,” Mr Greene said.
“The ARIA Awards recognise Australia’s top music artists, songwriters and producers and this year’s awards will be bigger and better.
“It’s great to have the full ARIA Awards program in Sydney, with the prestigious ARIA Hall of Fame coming to our global city.
“NSW is a hub for Australia’s leading recording industry with the four major record labels - Universal Music, Sony Music, EMI and Warner Music – having established their headquarters right here in Sydney.
“NSW is the creative capital of Australia with 37 per cent of Australia’s creative industry located in the State.”
In 2006 the NSW music sector directly employed 8,000 people, 42 percent of employment in the sector nationally.
ARIA Chairman, Ed St John, said both events honour the wealth of wonderful music produced in Australia and celebrate the achievements of our thriving creative community.
"ARIA is proud to stage the two peak events of the Australian music industry calendar - the annual ARIA Awards and the legendary Hall of Fame induction ceremony,” Mr St John said.
“We are thrilled to be announcing such significant changes to both these events in 2010 and very proud to have the NSW Government through Events NSW as our partner."
The ARIA Awards program joins a prestigious line up of events for NSW including the Inside Film Awards, Tamworth Country Music Awards, The Helpmann Awards, Sydney Film Festival Jury Prize, Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) Conference, X-Media Lab and Song Summit.
Earlier this year, the NSW Government also announced the Australian Film Institute Awards (AFIs) will return to Sydney in 2011 after 10 years in Melbourne.
Mr Greene, said securing creative industry events such as the ARIA Awards program is a real coup for Sydney, adding to the vibrant and diverse NSW Master Events Calendar.
“The 2010 ARIA Awards will be held at the Sydney Opera House for the first time later this year and it will be much more than just a red carpet experience,” Mr Greene said.
“For the first time, music fans will be able to interact with the event in a new way through live performances and take in the lively atmosphere on the Opera House forecourt.
“The NSW Government, through Events NSW, has continued our outstanding record of securing a range of new events for the State within the last 12 months.
“Already in 2010 we have hosted 45 events - 34 we directly invest in through Events NSW.”
