1989 ARIA Music Awards

The Third Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) was held on 6 March 1989 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney.^[1][2] First Australian host Greedy Smith of Mental As Anything was assisted by presenters George Martin, Jono & Dano, Barry Bissell of Take 40 Australia, Peter Collins, Peter Jamieson, Jonathan King and Brian Smith to distribute 24 awards.^[1][3] There were no live performances and the awards were not televised.^[1]

Some significant changes were made for the third ARIA Awards. In addition to previous categories, Best Independent Release, Breakthrough Artist – Single and Breakthrough Artist – Album were added.^[1][3] The ARIA Hall of Fame inducted two artists: Dame Nellie Melba and Ross Wilson.^[1] An Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to INXS.^[1] Music journalist, Anthony O'Grady cited ARIA spokesperson Peter Rix, who had felt that The Church's win Single of the Year with "Under the Milky Way" was a highlight.^[3] Rix elaborated, "the industry was capable of judging music on its merit, not by who'd recorded it. The Church were no one's darlings but they had written a great song."^[3]

The ARIA Awards ceremony was hosted by singer-songwriter Greedy Smith from Mental as Anything.^[3] Presenters were:

Winners for each category are bolded with nominees provided below each winner.^[4][5][6]

• Album of the Year
  • Crowded House – Temple of Low Men
    • 1927 – ...ish
    • Big Pig – Bonk
    • The Black Sorrows – Hold On To Me
    • John Farnham – Age of Reason
• Single of the Year
  • The Church – "Under the Milky Way"
    • 1927 – "That's When I Think of You"
    • Crowded House – "Better Be Home Soon"
    • John Farnham – "Age of Reason"
    • INXS – "Never Tear Us Apart"
• Best Group
  • INXS – "Never Tear Us Apart"
    • The Black Sorrows – Hold On To Me
    • Crowded House – Temple of Low Men
    • The Go-Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane
    • Midnight Oil – "Dreamworld"
• Best Female Artist
  • Kate Ceberano – You've Always Got the Blues
    • Marcia Hines – "The Lord's Prayer"
    • Wendy Matthews – You've Always Got the Blues
    • Kylie Minogue – Kylie
    • Sharon O'Neill – "We're Only Human"
• Best Male Artist
  • Jimmy Barnes – Barnestorming
    • Stephen Cummings – A Life Is a Life
    • John Farnham – Age of Reason
    • Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls – "Forty Miles to Saturday Night"
    • James Reyne – "Motor's Too Fast"
• Best New Talent
  • Johnny Diesel & the Injectors – "Don't Need Love"
    • Died Pretty – Lost
    • Go 101 – "Build It Up"
    • Roaring Jack – The Cat Among the Pigeons
    • The State – "Real Love"
• Breakthrough Artist – Album
  • 1927 – ...ish
  • Rockmelons – Tales of the City
    • Catfish – Unlimited Address
    • Kylie Minogue – Kylie
    • Schnell Fenster – The Sound of Trees
• Breakthrough Artist – Single
  • 1927 – "That's When I Think of You"
    • Catfish – "When You Dance"
    • Go 101 – "Build It Up"
    • The Hippos – "Dark Age"
    • Johnny Diesel & the Injectors – "Don't Need Love"
    • Schnell Fenster – "Whisper"
• Best Country Album
  • John Williamson – Boomerang Café
    • Flying Emus – "I Just Want to Dance With You"
    • Slim Dusty – G'day, G'day!
    • Smoky Dawson & Trevor Knight – "High Country"
    • Jenine Vaughan – "Gypsy Man"
• Best Indigenous Release
  • Weddings Parties Anything – Roaring Days
    • Kev Carmody – Pillars of Society
    • Flying Emus– "This Town" / "Darling Street"
    • Midnight Oil – "Dreamworld"
    • Dave Steel – "The Hardest Part"
• Best Adult Contemporary Album
  • Crowded House – Temple of Low Men
    • The Black Sorrows – Hold On To Me
    • Kate Ceberano & Wendy Matthews – You've Always Got the Blues
    • John Farnham – Age of Reason
    • Little River Band – Monsoon
• Best Comedy Release
  • The Comedy Company – The Comedy Company Album
    • Austen Tayshus – "Highway Corroboree"
    • Club Veg – Members & Guests & Things
    • Con the Fruiterer – "A Cuppla Days"
    • Kylie Mole – "So Excellent" / "I Go I Go"
    • Rodney Rude – Not Guilty
• Best Independent Release
  • TISM – "Apathy"
    • Eric Bogle – Something of Value
    • Flederman – Flederman
    • Larry Sitsky – Contemporary Australian Piano
    • The Spliffs – "Sixteen"
• Highest Selling Album
  • John Farnham – Age of Reason
    • The Comedy Company – The Comedy Company Album
    • Crowded House – Temple of Low Men
    • 1927 – ...ish
    • Kylie Minogue – Kylie
    • Various – Australia All Over Vol. 2
• Highest Selling Single
  • Kylie Minogue – "I Should Be So Lucky"
    • 1927 – "If I Could"
    • Australian Olympians – "You're Not Alone"
    • Crowded House – "Better Be Home Soon"
    • John Farnham – "Age of Reason"
    • Go 101 – "Build It Up"

• Best Jazz Album
  • Wizards of Oz – Soundtrack
    • Kate Ceberano & Wendy Matthews – You've Always Got the Blues
    • Cool Dudes – Cool Dudes
    • James Morrison – Postcards from Down Under
    • Various Artists – Jazz Live At Soup Plus
• Best Classical Album
  • Flederman – Flederman
    • George Dreyfus – Rush, The Adventures of Sebastian the Fox and Other Goodies
    • Jennifer McGregor – The Jennifer McGregor Album
    • Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra, Joan Carden, John Howard – Australia Day / Child of Australia
    • Various Artists – Tropic of Capricorn
• Best Children's Album
  • Peter Combe – Newspaper Mama
    • Darryl Cotton – Just for Kids
    • Noni Hazlehurst – Shout and Whisper
    • Harold G Raffe and Co – Harold and Friends
    • John Schumann – John Schumann Goes Looby-Loo
    • Don Spencer – Australian Animal Songs
    • The Wayfarers – Home Among the Gum Trees – Songs for Aussie Kids
    • Fay White – Did You See The Wind Today?
• Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording
  • Various (Kate Ceberano and Wendy Matthews) – You've Always Got the Blues (songs from the ABC TV series Stringer)
    • Various artists – Rikky and Pete (original soundtrack)
    • David Reeves – Seven Little Australians (original Australian cast)
    • Bruce Rowland – The Man from Snowy River II (original soundtrack)
    • Various artists– Boulevard of Broken Dreams (original soundtrack)

• Song of the Year
  • Neil Finn – "Better Be Home Soon" (Crowded House)
    • Andrew Farriss / Michael Hutchence – "Never Tear Us Apart" (INXS)
    • Robert Forster / Grant McLennan – "Streets of Your Town" (The Go-Betweens)
    • Todd Hunter / Johanna Pigott – "Age of Reason" (John Farnham)
    • Steve Kilbey / Karin Jansson – "Under The Milky Way" – (The Church)
• Producer of the Year^[7]
  • Ross Fraser – Age of Reason – John Farnham, "When the Word Came Down" – Separate Tables and "Real Love" – The State
    • Joe Camilleri & Jeff Burstein – Hold On To Me – The Black Sorrows
    • Charles Fisher – "That's When I Think of You" – 1927 and Fingertips – The Cockroaches
    • Simon Hussey – Edge – Daryl Braithwaite
    • Les Karski & Guy Gray – "Dark Age" – The Hippos and "Clarity of Mind" – Spy vs Spy
• Engineer of the Year
  • Doug Brady – "Iron Lung" – Big Pig (remix), Hold Onto To Me – The Black Sorrows, Age of Reason – John Farnham, "River" – Dragon, Children of the Western World – Steve Grace, "Cars and Planes" – Machinations (remix), "Change My Sex" – Separate Tables, "When the Word Came Down" – Separate Tables, "Real Love" – The State, "So Lonely Now" – The State
    • Jim Bonnefond – ...ish – 1927 and Fingertips – The Cockroaches
    • Guy Gray – "Dark Age" – The Hippos, "Pick You Up" – Tony Llewellyn, "Dreamworld" – Midnight Oil, "Clarity of Mind" – Spy vs Spy
    • Ian McKenzie – Chantoozies – Chantoozies
    • David Price – Groove – Eurogliders and "Home" – Noiseworks
• Best Video
  • Richard Lowenstein – "Never Tear Us Apart" – INXS
    • Claudia Castle – "Big Hotel" – Big Pig
    • Andrew de Groot – "Dreamworld" – Midnight Oil
    • Paul Elliott – "When You Come" – Crowded House
    • Stephen Priest & Steve Hopkins – "Age of Reason" – John Farnham
• Best Cover Art
  • Nick Seymour – Temple of Low Men – Crowded House
    • The Add Agency – Up from Down Under – Tommy Emmanuel
    • Bruce Goold – Wild Desert Rose – Coloured Stone
    • Phil Judd – The Sound of Trees – Schnell Fenster
    • Malpass & Burrows – Age of Reason – John Farnham
    • Robyn Stacey & Richard Allan – Lost – Died Pretty
    • Eric Weideman – ...ish – 1927

• INXS^[8]

The Hall of Fame inductees were:

• Dame Nellie Melba
• Ross Wilson

• ARIA Awards official website
• List of 1989 winners