Peter Garrett MP
Member for Kingsford Smith
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Reconciliation and the Arts

The 2005 ARIA Awards, held last night in Sydney, saluted the best and most successful contemporary music acts in the country.

“This year’s awards, dominated by Missy Higgins and Ben Lee, prove that the Australian recording industry is creating young, independently-minded artists who are able to enjoy commercial success. That these performers make distinctive music and build substantial audiences is a great credit to our local music scene”, Labor Spokesman for the Arts, Peter Garrett, said today.

“Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. It is particularly pleasing to see that many of the successful albums were both written and performed by the artist, which means that the performance and song-writing royalties stay in the country and make a real contribution to the health of the Australian music industry.”

“On a personal note the induction of Jimmy Barnes into the ARIA Hall of Fame is a terrific recognition for one of the most enduring and successful artists of his generation. Jimmy is an original and I’m thrilled a mate was given this award by an industry to which he has contributed so much.”

Contact: Andrew Palfreyman 02 9349 6007