Flume, The Kid LAROI, Sampa The Great Win Big At APRA Music Awards

27 April 2023 | 9:30 pm | Staff Writer

You can view all the winners from the 2023 APRA Awards here.

(Flume by Nick Green, Sampa The Great by Travys Owen, The Kid LAROI by Daniel Prakopcyk)

More Flume More Flume

The 41st APRA Music Awards were held at the Sydney ICC, Darling Harbour, tonight with hosts Celia Pacquola, Fred Leone and Henry Wagons.

The biggest awards of the evening – Peer-Voted Song Of The Year, Songwriter Of The Year, Breakthrough Songwriter Of The Year, and Most Performed Australian Work go to a diverse bunch of Australian artists, representing the most successful artists in Australia in 2023.

The Kid LAROI won the award for Most Performed Australian Work with STAY featuring Justin Bieber, and with how prevalent the song remains on the radio, streaming services’ playlists, and television, it’s not a big surprise.

Taking out the Song Of The Year is Flume, with co-writer Sarah Aarons also nabbing the honour for Say Nothing ft MAY-A. “Thank you very much for voting for this song,” Flume said upon accepting the award.


“We’re shocked by how well this song has done with the Hottest 100 thing and now the APRA Song Of The Year award. It’s really crazy. So, thank you so much for voting. 

"This song came about during Covid. We were in different places - Sarah was in London, I was in Byron, and we were just kind of sending stuff back and forth. This song was done from all corners of the globe, in all different cities and ram shackled together to be something that has obviously connected with people -  we’re really grateful to make something that does that.”

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Aarons added, “This is so crazy. As Harley said, very unexpected for both of us. I think making songs during Covid was definitely hard and we definitely had a bit of a Covid connection as some would say. And I can’t believe something this cool came of it. Very exciting.”

Meanwhile, RÜFÜS DU SOL won the Songwriter Of The Year Award, with the trio commenting, “Thank you so much for this award. Songwriter Of The Year is a pretty ridiculous accolade to get! We feel really blessed and grateful we can get the nod from the room and everyone in Australia. 

"There’s so much talent coming out of Australia and there has been for as long as music’s been around, I guess. But seeing the list of artists that have received this award before, it is really surreal to put our name next to those artists. So, thank you so much. It really means, so, so, so much.”


Sampa The Great won Breakthrough Songwriter Of The Year and reminded the audience that her newest album, As Above, So Below, is about representing her culture. She said, “I’m honoured to receive the APRA AMCOS Breakthrough Songwriter Of The Year Award. As Above, So Below is my first album done fully in my home country Zambia. It also happens to be the first album I have my first producer credits, so this is very special to me.

“I choose to share my culture. I choose to share stories from my country, and I choose to share them in my language with this album and I’m thankful for APRA for recognising and appreciating that. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you guys tonight in person, hopefully creating the next great album but I hope you have an amazing night. Thank you so much.”


As previously reported, Colin Hay and the late trailblazing music promoter Colleen Ironside were honoured by the APRA Awards, with the two receiving the prestigious Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.

You can view all the winners from the 2023 APRA Awards below.

COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS 2023 APRA MUSIC AWARDS


Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year 
Title:                 Say Nothing (feat. MAY-A) 
 
Artist:                Flume 
Writers: Flume* / Sarah Aarons
 
Publishers:        Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic* / Sony Music Publishing

 

Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
 
Colin Hay

Colleen Ironside
  

Songwriter of the Year  

RÜFÜS DU SOL
 
Jonathon George / James Hunt / Tyrone Lindqvist
 
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing 

  

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year 

Sampa the Great  
 
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing 


Most Performed Australian Work 

Title:                 STAY 
 
Artist:                The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber 
 Writers:             The Kid LAROI / Justin Bieber* / Isaac De Boni# / Omer Fedi* / Magnus Hoiberg^ /
                           Michael Mule# / Charlie Puth+ / Subhaan Rahman^ / Blake Slatkin*
 Publishers:         Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing* / 

                          Warner Chappell Music^ / Kobalt Music Publishing+ / Concord Music Publishing#

 

Most Performed Alternative Work 

Title:                  Hurtless 
 
Artist:                 Dean Lewis
 
Writers:              Dean Lewis / Jon Hume*
 
Publishers:         Kobalt Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing*


Most Performed Blues & Roots Work 

Title:                 We Deserve To Dream 

Artist:                 Xavier Rudd
 
Writer:                Xavier Rudd
 
Publisher:           Sony Music Publishing

 

Most Performed Country Work 

Title:                  God Took His Time On You 
 
Artist:                 Casey Barnes
 
Writers:              Casey Barnes / Kaci Brown* / Samuel Gray*
 
Publishers:          Mushroom Music / Kobalt Music Publishing*

Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work 

Title:                 On My Knees 

Artist:                 RÜFÜS DU SOL
 
Writers:              Jonathon George / James Hunt / Tyrone Lindqvist / Jason Evigan*                        
 
Publishers:         Kobalt Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing*

Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work 

Title:                   LET’S TROT! 
 
Artist:                  Brothers & Joel Fletcher
 
Writers:               Brothers / Joel Fletcher*                
 
Publisher:           120 Publishing*

 

Most Performed Pop Work 

Title:                  STAY 
 
Artist:                 The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
 Writers:              The Kid LAROI / Justin Bieber* / Isaac De Boni# / Omer Fedi* / Magnus Hoiberg^ /
                           Michael Mule# / Charlie Puth+ / Subhaan Rahman^ / Blake Slatkin*
 Publishers:         Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing* / 

                          Warner Chappell Music^ / Kobalt Music Publishing+ / Concord Music Publishing#

 

Most Performed R&B / Soul Work 

Title:                 Still Dream 
 
Artist:                 Miiesha
 
Writers:              Miiesha* / Lucy Blomkamp* / Stephen Collins                  
 
Publisher:           Sony Music Publishing*

 

Most Performed Rock Work 

Title:                   Struck By Lightning 
 
Artist:                  The Chats
 
Writers:               Matthew Boggis / Joshua Hardy / Eamon Sandwith
 
Publisher:            Universal Music Publishing

 

Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
 
Title:                       Dance Monkey

Artist:                    Tones And I
Writer:                  Tones And I
Publishers:             Kobalt Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music 

 

Most Performed International Work 

Title:                  As It Was 
 
Artist:                 Harry Styles
 
Writers:              Harry Styles / Thomas Hull / Tyler Johnson*
 
Publishers:         Universal Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing*

Licensee of the Year 
 
Triple M