Australian rockers Wolfmother stole the show at the Australian Recording Industry Association Awards in Sydney on Sunday night, winning three awards, for Best Group, Best Breakthrough Album and Best Rock Album, while wowing the awards show's audience with a live performance of 'Joker And The Thief'. Commenting on his band's wins, Wolfmother frontman Andrew Stockdale said: "It's kind of blown out the roof. It feels really good. We've done a lot of shows and it's nice to know that it's connecting to people on a bigger scale."
Other multiple winners on the night included Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning who took two prizes for his recent solo project 'Tea + Sympathy' - he won Album Of The Year and Best Male Artist. Eskimo Joe, up against Wolfmother in several categories, still managed to take two prizes, Single Of The Year for 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine' and Best Music DVD. The surprise win of the evening went to Melbourne based Clare Bowditch, who beat favourite Kasey Chambers to the Best Female Artist gong. Meanwhile, Aussie rockers Midnight Oil were inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame, with U2's Bono delivering a recorded message honouring the band, and Silverchair performing a musical tribute.
For fans of full lists of winners, here's the full list of winners.
2006 Aria Hall Of Fame Recipient: Midnight Oil
Album Of The Year: Bernard Fanning: Tea + Sympathy
Best Group: Wolfmother - Wolfmother
Best Male Artist: Bernard Fanning - Tea + Sympathy
Best Female Artist: Clare Bowditch - What Was Left
Single Of The Year: Eskimo Joe - Black Fingernails - Red Wine
Best Pop Release: The Veronicas - The Secret Life Of...
Best Independent Release: Hilltop Hoods - The Hard Road
Best Urban Release: Hilltop Hoods - The Hard Road
Best Comedy Release: Lano And Woodley - Sing Songs
Best Country Album: Troy Cassar-Daley - Brighter Day
Best Children's Album: The Wiggles - Racing To The Rainbow
Best Music Dvd: Eskimo Joe - Eskimo Joe - The Dvd
Breakthrough Artist: Single: Youth Group - Forever Young
Breakthrough Artist: Album: Wolfmother - Wolfmother
Best Blues And Roots Album: The Audreys - Between Last Night And Us
Best Dance Release: TV Rock Featuring Seany B - Flaunt It
Highest Selling Single: TV Rock Featuring Seany B - Flaunt It
Highest Selling Album: Human Nature - Reach Out: The Motown Album
Best Adult Contemporary Artist: Bob Evans - Suburban Songbook
Best Rock Album: Wolfmother - Wolfmother.
I say Wolfmother stole the show, actually a lot of the media coverage from the awards centred not on a winner, but on one of the people presenting an award. Aussie TV presenter Axle Whitehead, presenting the awards for highest selling single and album, somehow, possibly deliberately, managed to expose himself on stage, and on the large screens at the awards event. The awards show doesn't air live on Australian TV, so viewers at home were spared the sight of Whitehead's genitals, but he still seems to be in a bit of trouble over the whole thing.
A spokesman for the Ten Network TV station, which broadcasts the awards, as well as the music TV show Whitehead presents, told reporters: "In an incident that was not telecast, last night Axle momentarily exposed himself to the ARIAs. His behaviour was inappropriate and Ten and ARIA producers, Roving Enterprises, do not condone it. We are addressing this issue with Axle and will make no further comments at this stage".
Meanwhile Radio DJ Jabba, who was presenting the awards with Whitehead, provided this eye witness account: "My understanding is that he wasn't wearing any undies, his fly was open and some of his lunch meat fell out of the sandwich".