Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Wins ARIA Award

The ARIA Awards (Australia's leading music awards) celebrated their 25th anniversary on Sunday 27 November with a star studded ceremony held at the Allphones Arena in Sydney Olympic Park.   

Nominated for Best World Music Album were:

• Slava & Leonard Grigoryan, Joseph & James Tawadros with 'Band Of Brothers' (ABC Music) 
• Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupinguwith 'Rrakala' (Skinnyfish / MGM Distribution)
• Shaolin Afronauts with 'Flight Of The Ancients' (Freestyle / Fuse)
• Saltwater Band with 'Malk' (Skinnyfish Music)
• David Bridie, Hein Arumisore, Jacob Rumbiak, Ronny Kareni & Donny Roem with 'Strange Birds In Paradise: A West Papuan Soundtrack'  (Wantok Musik / Planet)

And the winner was... (if you hadn't already guessed by the image and title of this post!) the sensational Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu with 'Rrakala'. A member of the Gumatj clan on Elcho Island, off the coast of tropical North East Arnhem Land, Gurrumul has truly captured the musical minds of Australia and beyond with his sweet, intimate and enchanting songs. A well deserved winner!