The ARIA Awards 2012

It's almost time for the 2012 Arias. Will they live up to the infamy of the 2010 ARIA Awards?

Once again the list of nominees is baffling. The big question that jumps out in all categories is WHO THE HELL IS THAT? Is this a local battle of the bands, or are these the biggest acts in the country?

Every year an artist emerges from the Breakthrough Artist category to have nominations in pretty much every other award, which would seemingly make them the biggest Australian music act of the year. But every year, the artist is more obscure than the last, which is funny in an industry driven by popularity. Last year it was Boy and Bear, and this year it's an artist known only as 360.

Breakthrough Artist - Release
360 – Falling & Flying
Alpine – A Is For Alpine
Lanie Lane – To The Horses
Matt Corby – Brother
San Cisco – Awkward

Is it a good thing? Or does it point to lack of consistent talent – evidently none of them have the ability to stick around long enough for an invite to next year's awards. And mostly people have never heard of them, before or after the awards, and whether or not they win.

That's not the only oddity in the Album of the Year category this year… The baffling continues…

Album of the Year
360 – Falling & Flying
Gotye – Making Mirrors
Missy Higgins – The Ol' Razzle Dazzle
The Jezabels – Prisoner
The Temper Trap – The Temper Trap

Missy Higgins? Is she still around? Her nomination is for both Album of the Year and best Adult Contemporary. Wow. Is Australia's music taste is that bland that adult contemporary is actually popular? Is the soundtrack to parties and road trips around the country… adult contemporary? Does everyone wear chinos and eat cucumber sandwiches as well? Razzle Dazzle indeed.

And what about the Jezabels… They're also up for best Independent Release. What does that mean? How can the biggest album of the year also be an independent release? Isn't the definition of an independent release mean it's a small, localised release? That's a lot of km's around the country in the old Kombi Van…

And as for the other categories, the confusion continues.

Best Male Artist
360 – Falling & Flying
Angus Stone – Broken Brights
Gotye – Making Mirrors
Guy Sebastian – Battle Scars
Keith Urban – For You
Matt Corby – Into The Flame

Keith Urban is up for Best Male Artist, which is strange because he's not up for any country awards or any other awards. No doubt the guy is a legit big deal in the country scene, but if he hasn't released any albums or singles recently, how is he Best Male Artist? Does going on a TV show count? Is it that ARIA hasn't announced the award for best musician in a TV show as yet?

As for the rest of the categories, they're all full of surprises as expected. Blues and Roots should also be known as the award for 'We Don’t Know to Put Them' – I wonder if they just had a spare table at the ceremony to fill? Over in the 'Are They Still Alive' category, Cold Chisel are up for two awards, and Frenzal Rhomb are in there too. The other categories are filled with the usual mix of reality TV show contestants, and groups who you could swear ARIA just made up for the hell of it.

So what will be the story of the 2012 ARIAs? Which new group will emerge and disappear just as quick? Does anyone even know or care that they are on, now that they're on Channel Go?