ARIA Award for Best Female Artist explained

ARIA Award for Best Female Artist
Presenter:	Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)
Country:	Australia
Year:	1987
Year2:	2020

The ARIA Music Award for Best Female Artist, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres",^[1] since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), an organisation whose aim is "to advance the interests of the Australian record industry."^[2]

To be eligible, the female artist must meet one of the following criteria: be an Australian citizen; be born in Australia; be a permanent resident or have applied for permanent residency (having lived in Australia for at least six months for two consecutive years prior to the awards and signed to an Australian record label in the case of an applicant); if they are from New Zealand they must have lived in Australia for at least six months for two consecutive years prior to the awards and signed to an Australian record label.^[3]

The ARIA Award for Best Female Artist is given to a female artist who have had a single or an album appear in the ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart between the eligibility period, and is voted for by a judging academy, which consists of 1000 members from different areas of the music industry.

The award for Best Female Artist was first presented to Jenny Morris in 1987. Wendy Matthews, Sia and Kasey Chambers hold the record for the most wins, with three each, followed by Morris, Kate Ceberano, Natalie Imbruglia, Missy Higgins and Kimbra with two. Kylie Minogue has received 14 nominations, more than any other artist, winning one in 2001 for her album Light Years (2000).

This, and the ARIA Award for Best Male Artist was merged in 2021 to form a single award for Best Artist.This change is designed to ensure that the ARIA Awards reflect and embrace equality and the true diversity of the music industry in 2021. In making this change the number of nominees for Best Artist will be ten.^[4]

Winners and nominees

In the following table: the years in the "Year" column are listed as per the ARIA Award ceremony; in the "Winner" column the winner for that particular year is always listed first and highlighted in a separate colour, in bold face and with a double dagger ; the nominees are placed alphabetically beneath the winner and are not highlighted or in bold face; the "Album/single title" column lists the title of the album or single that the artist was nominated for (no reliable sources lists the works that Kate Ceberano, Sharon O'Neill and Shona Laing were nominated for in 1988).

Table key

Indicates the winner

Year	Winner	Album/single title	Ref.
1987 (1st)
	Jenny Morris	"You're Gonna Get Hurt"	^[5]
	Jean Stafford	Burning Bright
	Jo Kennedy	The Pack of Women
	Renée Geyer	Renée Live at the Basement
	Wendy Matthews	"Dancing Daze"
1988 (2nd)
	Jenny Morris	Body and Soul	^[6]
	Anne Kirkpatrick	Come Back Again
	Kate Ceberano
	Sharon O'Neill
	Shona Laing
1989 (3rd)
	Kate Ceberano	You've Always Got the Blues	^[7]
	Marcia Hines	"The Lord's Prayer"
	Wendy Matthews	You've Always Got the Blues
		Kylie
	Sharon O'Neill	"We're Only Human"
1990 (4th)
	Kate Ceberano	Brave	^[8]
	Robyne Dunn	Labour of Liberty
	Gyan	Gyan
	Kylie Minogue	Enjoy Yourself
	Jenny Morris	Shiver
1991 (5th)
	Wendy Matthews	Émigré	^[9]
	Kate Ceberano	Like Now
	Grace Knight	Come in Spinner
	Jenny Morris	"Piece of My Heart"
	Margaret Urlich	Safety in Numbers
1992 (6th)
	Deborah Conway	String of Pearls	^[10]
	Jenny Morris	Honeychild
	Kate Ceberano	Think About It!
	Kylie Minogue	Let's Get to It
	Wendy Matthews	"Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do)"
1993 (7th)
	Wendy Matthews	Lily	^[11]
	Deborah Conway	"Release Me"
	Deni Hines	"That Word (L.O.V.E.)"
	Kate Ceberano	"I Don't Know How to Love Him"
	Margaret Urlich	Chameleon Dreams
1994 (8th)
	Wendy Matthews	"Friday's Child"	^[12]
	Anne Kirkpatrick	Game of Love
	Deborah Conway	Bitch Epic
	Kate Ceberano	"You've Got a Friend"
	Margaret Urlich	"Burnt Sienna"
1995 (9th)
	Tina Arena	Don't Ask	^[13]
	Christine Anu	Stylin Up
	Kylie Minogue	Kylie Minogue
	Max Sharam	A Million Year Girl
	Merril Bainbridge	"Mouth"
1996 (10th)
	Christine Anu	"Come On"	^[14]
	Deni Hines	Imagination
	Kate Ceberano	"Change"
	Max Sharam	"Is It OK?/Huntinground"
	Tina Arena	"Wasn't It Good"
1997 (11th)
	Monique Brumby	"Mary"	^[15]
	Annie Crummer	Seventh Wave
	Deni Hines	"I'm Not in Love"
	Nikka Costa	"Get Off My Sunshine"
	Wendy Matthews	"Then I Walked Away"
1998 (12th)
	Natalie Imbruglia	Left of the Middle	^[16]
	Kate Ceberano	Pash
	Kylie Minogue	Impossible Princess
	Monique Brumby	Thylacine
	Tina Arena	In Deep
1999 (13th)
	Natalie Imbruglia	"Wishing I Was There"	^[17]
	Kasey Chambers	The Captain
	Kylie Minogue	"Cowboy Style"
	Lisa Miller	As Far As Life Goes
	Suze DeMarchi	Telelove
2000 (14th)
	Kasey Chambers	"The Captain"	^[18]
	Christine Anu	"Sunshine on a Rainy Day"
	Diana Ah Naid	I Don't Think I'm Pregnant
	Kylie Minogue	"Spinning Around"
	Vanessa Amorosi	"Absolutely Everybody"
2001 (15th)
	Kylie Minogue	Light Years	^[19]
	Christine Anu	Come My Way
	Jodi Phillis	In Dreams I Live
	Leah Haywood	"Takin' Back What's Mine"
	Vanessa Amorosi	The Power
2002 (16th)
	Kasey Chambers	Barricades & Brickwalls	^[20]
	Holly Valance	"Kiss Kiss"
	Kylie Minogue	Fever
	Lisa Miller	Car Tape
	Natalie Imbruglia	White Lilies Island
2003 (17th)
	Delta Goodrem	Innocent Eyes	^[21]
	Amiel	Audio Out
	Kylie Minogue	"Come into My World"
	Renée Geyer	Tenderland
	Sarah Blasko	Prelusive
2004 (18th)
	Kasey Chambers	Wayward Angel	^[22]
	Delta Goodrem	"Not Me, Not I"
	Kylie Minogue	Body Language
	Lisa Miller	Version Originale
	Missy Higgins	"Scar"
2005 (19th)
	Missy Higgins	The Sound of White	^[23]
	Kylie Minogue	"I Believe in You"
	Mia Dyson	Parking Lots
	Natalie Imbruglia	Counting Down the Days
	Sarah Blasko	The Overture & the Underscore
2006 (20th)
	Clare Bowditch	What Was Left	^[24]
	Holly Throsby	Under the Town
	Jade MacRae	Jade MacRae
	Jen Cloher	Dead Wood Falls
	Kasey Chambers	"Nothing at All"
2007 (21st)
	Missy Higgins	On a Clear Night	^[25]
	Kasey Chambers	Carnival
	Kate Miller-Heidke	Little Eve
	Katie Noonan	"Time to Begin"
	Sarah Blasko	What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have
2008 (22nd)
	Gabriella Cilmi	Lessons to Be Learned	^[26]
	Clare Bowditch	The Moon Looked On
	Holly Throsby	A Loud Call
	Kylie Minogue	X
	Missy Higgins	"Peachy"
2009 (23rd)
	Sarah Blasko	As Day Follows Night	^[27]
	Jessica Mauboy	Been Waiting
	Kate Miller-Heidke	Curiouser
	Ladyhawke	Ladyhawke
	Lisa Mitchell	Wonder
2010 (24th)
	Washington	I Believe You Liar	^[28]
	Clare Bowditch	Modern Day Addiction
	Kylie Minogue	Aphrodite
	Lisa Mitchell	"Oh! Hark!"
	Sia	We Are Born
2011 (25th)
	Kimbra	"Cameo Lover"	^[29]
	Adalita	Adalita
	Clare Bowditch	"Are You Ready Yet?"
	Kasey Chambers	Little Bird
	Washington	"Holy Moses"
2012 (26th)
	Kimbra	Vows	^[30]
	Jessica Mauboy	"Gotcha"
	Lanie Lane	To the Horses
	Missy Higgins	The Ol' Razzle Dazzle
	Washington	Insomnia
2013 (27th)
	Jessica Mauboy	"To the End of the Earth"	^[31]
	Abbe May	Kiss My Apocalypse
	Emma Louise	vs Head vs Heart
	Missy Higgins	"Set Me on Fire"
	Sarah Blasko	I Awake
2014 (28th)
	Sia	1000 Forms of Fear	^[32]
	Adalita	All Day Venus
	Iggy Azalea	The New Classic
	Jessica Mauboy	Beautiful
	Kasey Chambers	Bittersweet
2015 (29th)
	Courtney Barnett	Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit	^[33]
	Jessica Mauboy	"Can I Get a Moment?"
	Meg Mac	MegMac EP
	Megan Washington	There There
	Sia	"Elastic Heart"
2016
	Sia	This Is Acting	^[34]
	Delta Goodrem	Wings of the Wild
		"This Ain't Love"
	Montaigne	Glorious Heights
	Sarah Blasko	Eternal Return
2017
	Sia	"The Greatest" (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
		Night Thinker
	Jessica Mauboy	The Secret Daughter (Songs from the Original TV Series)
	Julia Jacklin	Don't Let the Kids Win
	Meg Mac	Low Blows
2018
	Amy Shark	Love Monster
	Alison Wonderland	Awake
	Courtney Barnett	Tell Me How You Really Feel
	Sia	"Flames"
	Tash Sultana	Flow State
2019
	Tones and I	"Dance Monkey"
	Amy Shark	"Mess Her Up"
	Jessica Mauboy	"Little Things"
	Julia Jacklin	Crushing
	Thelma Plum	Better in Blak
2020
	Sampa the Great	The Return
	Amy Shark	"Everybody Rise"
	Miiesha	Nyaaringu
	Sia	"Together"
	Tones and I	"Bad Child"/"Can't Be Happy All the Time"

Multiple wins and nominations

The following individuals received two or more Best Female Artist awards:

Wins	Artist
3	Kasey Chambers
Wendy Matthews
Sia
2	Kate Ceberano
Missy Higgins
Natalie Imbruglia
Kimbra
Jenny Morris

The following individuals received two or more Best Female Artist nominations:

Nominations	Artist
14	Kylie Minogue
9	Kate Ceberano
8	Kasey Chambers
Jessica Mauboy
7	Wendy Matthews
Sia
6	Sarah Blasko
Missy Higgins
5	Jenny Morris
4	Christine Anu
Clare Bowditch
Natalie Imbruglia
Amy Shark
Megan Washington
3	Tina Arena
Deborah Conway
Delta Goodrem
Deni Hines
Lisa Miller
Margaret Urlich
2	Adalita
Vanessa Amorosi
Courtney Barnett
Monique Brumby
Renée Geyer
Kimbra
Anne Kirkpatrick
Meg Mac
Kate Miller-Heidke
Lisa Mitchell
Sharon O'Neill
Max Sharam
Julia Jacklin
Holly Throsby
Tones and I

See also

• List of music awards honoring women

Notes and References

1. Web site: ARIA Awards 2011 overview. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 15 April 2012.
2. Web site: What We Do . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 15 April 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120129113827/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/what-we-do.htm . 29 January 2012.
3. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20170104084756/http://aria.com.au/pages/documents/ARIAAwards2016Eligibility-FINAL.pdf . ARIA Awards 2016 - Eligibility Criteria and Category Definitions . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 4 January 2017 . 4 January 2017 .
4. Web site: 2021 ARIA Awards to partner with YouTube Music for a digital show. Media Week. 15 September 2021. 15 September 2021.
5. Web site: ARIA Awards 1987.mov . YouTube. ARIA Official YouTube Account . 13 November 2011 . 17 January 2017 .
6. 1988 ARIA Awards:
   • Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235720/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=1988 . Winners by Year 1988 . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 26 September 2007 . 17 January 2017 .
   • News: Music Awards: A Scratch on the Record . Middleton . Karen . Karen Middleton (journalist) . . 3 March 1988 . 17 January 2017. 23 . .
   • News: GOOD Times. . . 11 February 1988 . 17 January 2017 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
7. Web site: Winners by year - 1989 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
8. Web site: Winners by year - 1990 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
9. Web site: Winners by year - 1991 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
10. Web site: Winners by year - 1992 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
11. Web site: Winners by year - 1993 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
12. Web site: Winners by year - 1994 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
13. Web site: Winners by year - 1995 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
14. Web site: Winners by year - 1996 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
15. Web site: Winners by year - 1997 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
16. Web site: Winners by year - 1998 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
17. Web site: Winners by year - 1999 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
18. Web site: Winners by year - 2000 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
19. Web site: Winners by year - 2001 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
20. Web site: Winners by year - 2002 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
21. Web site: Winners by year - 2003 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
22. Web site: Winners by year - 2004 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
23. Web site: Winners by year - 2005 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
24. Web site: Winners by year - 2006 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017. 17 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20071212125336/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=2006. 12 December 2007. dead.
25. Web site: Winners by year - 2007 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
26. Web site: Winners by year - 2008 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017. 17 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20090813152819/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=2008. 13 August 2009. dead.
27. Web site: Winners by year - 2009 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
28. Web site: Winners by year - 2010 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017. 17 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20120421080110/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2010. 21 April 2012. dead.
29. Web site: Winners by year - 2011 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
30. Web site: Winners by year - 2012 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
31. Web site: Winners by year - 2013 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
32. Web site: Winners by year - 2014 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
33. Web site: Winners by year - 2015 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.
34. Web site: Winners by year - 2016 ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 January 2017.