The global dance anthem Rush by Troye Sivan and co-writer Styalz Fuego has been voted song of the year at the 2024 APRA awards.
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The lead single from Sivan's album Something to Give Each Other has already earned a Grammy nomination and a swag of gongs at the 2023 ARIA music awards.
Sivan picked up the latest gong at the APRA awards night in Sydney on Wednesday, where songwriting partners Josh and Sam Teskey of The Teskey Brothers were together named songwriter of the year.
Currently on tour in the US, the duo sent a video message saying they were honoured.
"We're there in spirit sending you all a bunch of love and absolutely honoured and really excited to win this award, it's really special," they said.
Dean Lewis' How Do I Say Goodbye won two gongs - most performed pop work and most performed Australian work, taking his tally of APRA gongs to six.
Indie pop artist grentperez, who started off four years ago posting acoustic covers on YouTube, was named the inaugural Emerging Songwriter of the Year.
"Thank you all for believing in me and creating this foundation of love which allowed me to grow into this," the Filipino Australian artist said in his recorded acceptance speech.
Coming from western Sydney, "the creativity is emerging from everywhere," he said.
Casey Barnes won most performed country work for the second year running for Summer Nights, most performed alternative work went to Birds of Tokyo for Daylight, and rock work went to Sydney duo Polish Club.
The night ended with a tribute to No Fixed Address frontman Bart Willoughby, the 2024 recipient of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.
The gong has previously gone to Paul Kelly, Slim Dusty, The Seekers, Cold Chisel and the late Archie Roach, and before accepting the award Willoughby said he was proud to be in such company.
"It's hitting the bullseye - like winning the lottery," Willoughby told AAP.
"It's amazing to be accepted into one of the most terrific gangs of songwriters."
Willoughby took to the stage alongside Don Walker, Stephen Pigram, Tjimba Possum-Burns, Yvonne Rigney and Djindu Willoughby for a rendition of the groundbreaking 1981 No Fixed Address song "Black Man's Rights".
Australian Associated Press
