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ARIA Nominations: Gang Of Youths And Paul Kelly Lead The Charge

Rock is back, Baby.
Dave Le'aupepe of the band Gang of Youths performs at Falls Festival on January 2, 2016 in Byron Bay, Australia. (Photo by Cassandra Hannagan/WireImage)
WireImage
Dave Le'aupepe of the band Gang of Youths performs at Falls Festival on January 2, 2016 in Byron Bay, Australia. (Photo by Cassandra Hannagan/WireImage)

After a few years of electronic music dominance, rock has made a comeback with Sydney band Gang Of Youths leading with eight nominations at this year's ARIA Awards and an early win for Producer of the Year.

Following close behind is Paul Kelly who has notched up seven nominations and two early wins for Engineer of the Year and Best Cover Art, for his first number one album, Life Is Fine.

It's a change of direction after electronic artist Flume's dominance at the ARIA Awards over the last few years.

The nominations were announced alongside the early Artisan, Fine Art and Comedy Release winners at the Art Gallery of NSW on Tuesday.

The late satirist John Clarke won the Best Comedy Release for the album Clarke's Classics.

Other early winners include singer songwriter Katie Noonan and classical guitarist Karin Schaupp, classical guitarist Slava Grigoryan and jazz musician James Morrison.

Gang of Youths released their second album Go Farther In Lightness this year, a sprawling rock album that garnered critical praise and ironically knocked Paul Kelly from the top spot to give the band their first number one.

They will round out the year with their eight ARIA nominations including Album of the Year, Beat Group, Best Rock Album and Best Australian Live Act.

Kelly's first number one album in his 40-year career harks back to the raw rock energy of his earlier work and gained him seven ARIA nominations.

Australian Music Prize winners, indigenous hip-hop duo A.B. Original were also recognised with six nominations for their album Reclaim Australia.

Gold Coast artist Amy Shark, whose song Adore was a surprise No.2 in the last triple J Hottest 100, was also nominated six times, along with Melbourne hip-hop artist Illy who has six nods for his record Two Degrees.

Jessica Mauboy is celebrating her seventh consecutive year as an ARIA nominee with six nominations, including Best Female Artist, at this year's awards.

Several of the nominees including Kelly, Gang of Youths and Shark missed the nominations event for their tours currently across the US and Europe.

* The ARIA Awards will take place in Sydney on November 28.

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