ARIA Awards Announces New Category To Recognise Adland

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has announced a new award category to recognise and celebrate the best use of Australian music in the creative and advertising industry, debuting at the 2023 ARIA Awards.

The new award coincides with the announcement of Our Soundtrack Our Ads, in partnership with Our Soundtrack Our Stories and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment. The new initiative is an extension of the existing Our Soundtrack Our Stories, launched in 2021 to promote the use of Australian music across the local business and media landscape.

Our Soundtrack Our Ads calls on the Australian creative and advertising industry to pledge their support of homegrown music by elevating its work with local voices, sounds and stories; encouraging creatives to invest music budgets in to homegrown artists and, in doing so, gain eligibility for the award.

The news arrives one year after songwriter, recording artist and advocate Jack River – real name Holly Rankin – posted a viral call-to-arms for local media and business to get behind homegrown music that evolved into an open invitation from the music community to discover, champion, share and consume more local music in both a commercial and mainstream landscape.

Jack River said: “Our Soundtrack Our Ads is an exciting opportunity for brands, creatives and the music industry to unite with a common goal of championing local music and local storytelling.

“We have such amazing talent here in our backyard, so getting to hear new and upcoming voices across more commercials, social media campaigns and creative content is exciting for the next generation of artists, brands and music lovers alike.”

ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said: “Advertising has such an important role in impacting change across society. It creates ideas and tells stories that leave an important mark on culture. Music is no different. I’m thrilled to celebrate talent and creativity across the two industries with this first-of-its-kind award in 2023.

“With the support and influence of Australia’s advertising industry, we can continue to create opportunities for Australian music to be heard in all its forms, by all who create it. Australia already has many internationally-acclaimed artists who have featured in successful campaigns across the world; it’s time to recognise that on our own shores and soundtrack Australian lives with Australian music.”

Saynaree Oudomvilay, PR & communications senior account director at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, said: “In our line of work, we get the privilege to work on some of the country’s biggest and most loved brands, and we all work so hard at what we do to produce world–class advertisements, content and campaigns that entertain and influence Australians.

“Our work can play a role in discovering and partnering with artists and music that become the backing tracks to iconic moments in Australia’s culture, and can be heard and recognised in almost every Aussie household. It only makes sense that we give our homegrown talent the opportunity to feature in our work, and get the recognition they deserve.

“We formed Our Soundtrack Our Ads to give the industry an opportunity to commit to investing its stock music budgets to champion up and coming artists, and show our support for the future of the Australian musicians and artists,” she said.

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