The ARIA Awards have come and gone for another year, and it's fair to say it was a historic night for Australian music. Genesis Owusu became the first hip-hop artist to win Album Of The Year, receiving the award for his debut album Smiling With No Teeth.

In his acceptance speech, Genesis Owusu said, “This is insane. I used to get side-eyed a lot when I was younger for the way I dressed and the things I did … But all the people I loved and respected always stood firm, immovable, unshakeable because we knew the power in who we were and what we created.

"I’m lost for words honestly. this means so much for me ... It’s not for us to change for people; it’s up to them to catch up, and see what they’ve been missing out on.” He also won the award for Best Hip Hop Release, Best Independent Release and Best Cover Art.

It was also a huge night for The Kid LAROI, who won the Best Artist and Best Pop Release awards. There might be more on the way, too, with LAROI nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. 

Fellow Grammy nominees RÜFÜS DU SOL won ARIAs for Best Dance Release and Best Group, off the back of the release of their fourth album, Surrender. The band's been busy overseas becoming one of the most sought-after live acts worldwide, but they'll be returning for a huge Australian tour in late 2022.

It was a different looking ARIA Awards this year, being live-streamed from Sydney's Taronga Zoo. However, it was also a reminder of the rising stars of Australian music, with Budjerah winning an ARIA for his debut self-titled EP, winning the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist award, introduced by Ed Sheeran. His speech was hands down one of the most heartwarming moments of the night, so if you want to squeal over it, check it out below. 

READ MORE: PREMIERE: Wesley Black's 'Better With You' Video Captures The Aftermath Of A Prom

You can check out all of the ARIA Award winners below. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees - it was a ceremony that proved that Australian music is in a great place heading into 2022 and beyond.

2021 ARIA Award Winners

Album Of The Year
WINNER: GENESIS OWUSU
Amy Shark - Cry Forever 
Genesis Owusu - Smiling with No Teeth 
Midnight Oil & First Nations Collaborators - The Makarrata Project 
The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You  
Tones and I - Welcome to the Madhouse 

Best Artist
WINNER: THE KID LAROI 
Amy Shark - Cry Forever 
Budjerah - Budjerah 
Genesis Owusu - Smiling with No Teeth 
Keith Urban - The Speed Of Now Part 1 
Kylie Minogue - Disco 
Masked Wolf  - Astronaut In The Ocean 
Ngaiire - 3 
The Kid LAROI - Stay 
Tones and I - Welcome to the Madhouse 
Vance Joy - Missing Piece 

Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist
WINNER: BUDJERAH
Budjerah - Budjerah 
Gretta Ray - Begin To Look Around 
Masked Wolf - Astronaut In The Ocean 
MAY-A -Don't Kiss Ur Friends 
Ngaiire - 3 

Best Pop Release
WINNER: THE KID LAROI 
Amy Shark - Cry Forever 
The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You 
The Kid LAROI - Stay 
Tones and I - Fly Away 
Vance Joy - Missing Piece 

Best Hip Hop Release Presented By Menulog
WINNER: GENESIS OWUSU
B Wise - jamie 
Genesis Owusu - Smiling with No Teeth 
Masked Wolf - Astronaut In The Ocean 
The Kid LAROI - WITHOUT YOU 
Youngn Lipz - Area Baby 

Best Independent Release Presented by PPCA
WINNER: GENESIS OWUSU
Archie Roach - The Songs Of Charcoal Lane  
Ball Park Music - Ball Park Music 
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover 
Genesis Owusu - Smiling with No Teeth 
Vance Joy - Missing Piece 

Best Soul/R&B Release
WINNER: TKAY MAIDZA
Budjerah - Budjerah 
Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant 
Ngaiire - 3 
Tash Sultana - Terra Firma 
Tkay Maidza - Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3 

Best Dance Release
WINNER: RÜFÜS DU SOL
Cosmo's Midnight - Yesteryear 
Dom Dolla - Pump The Brakes 
Jolyon Petch - Dreams 
KLP & Stace Cadet - People Happy 
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Alive 

Best Group 
WINNER: RÜFÜS DU SOL
AC/DC - Power Up 
Gang Of Youths - The Angel of 8th Ave. 
Midnight Oil & First Nations Collaborators - The Makarrata Project 
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Alive 
The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You 

Best Rock Album
WINNER: MIDDLE KIDS
AC/DC - Power Up 
Ball Park Music - Ball Park Music 
Holy Holy - Hello My Beautiful World 
Middle Kids - Today We're The Greatest 
Midnight Oil & First Nations Collaborators - The Makarrata Project 

Best Adult Contemporary Album
WINNER: CROWDED HOUSE
Big Scary – Daisy 
Crowded House - Dreamers Are Waiting 
Kylie Minogue - Disco 
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage 
Odette - Herald 

Best Country Album
WINNER: TROY CASSAR-DALEY
Brad Cox - My Mind's Projection 
Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham - The Song Club 
Shane Nicholson - Living In Colour 
The Wolfe Brothers - Kids On Cassette 
Troy Cassar-Daley - The World Today 

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
WINNER: TROPICAL F**K STORM
Alpha Wolf - A Quiet Place To Die 
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound What Reality? 
Tropical F**k Storm - Deep States 
Yours Truly - Self Care 
A. Swayze & the Ghosts - Paid Salvation 

Best Blues & Roots Album
WINNER: ARCHIE ROACH
Archie Roach - The Songs Of Charcoal Lane 
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover 
Josh Teskey & Ash Grunwald - Push The Blues Away
Martha Marlow - Medicine Man 
Ziggy Alberts  Searching For Freedom 

Best Children's Album 
WINNER: BLUEY
Amber Lawrence - The Kid's Gone Country 2 
Bluey - Bluey The Album 
Diver City - Dance Silly 
The Wiggles - Lullabies With Love 
Various Artists - The Moon, The Mouse & The Frog: Lullabies from Northern Australia 

PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS

Best Video presented by YouTube Music
WINNER: MISSING PIECE - VANCE JOY, ANNELISE HICKEY
24k - Tkay Maidza, Nicholas Muecke 
Astronaut In The Ocean - Masked Wolf, Daniele Cernera 
could cry just thinkin about you - Troye Sivan & Jesse Gohier-Fleet 
Dance - Julia Stone, Jessie Hill 
First Nation - Midnight Oil 
Higher - Budjerah, Mick Soiza 
Love Songs Ain't for Us - Amy Shark, James Chappell 
Missing Piece - Vance Joy, Annelise Hickey 
The Divine Chord - The Avalanches, Jonathan Zawada 
Won't Sleep - Tones and I, Nick Kozakis, Liam Kelly 

Best Australian Live Act presented by Heaps Normal 
WINNER: LIME CORDIALE
Amy Shark - Cry Forever Tour 2021 
Ball Park Music - The Residency 
Budjerah - Budjerah 2021 Aus Tour 
Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth Album Tour 
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Micro Tour 
Lime Cordiale - Relapse Tour 
Midnight Oil & First Nations Collaborators - Makarrata Live 
The Avalanches - The Avalanches Live 
The Teskey Brothers - The Teskey Brothers (Headline Shows + Festivals) 

Song of the Year presented by YouTube Music 
WINNER: SPACEY JANE
Amy Shark Feat. Keith Urban - Love Songs Ain't For Us 
Dean Lewis - Falling Up 
Hooligan Hefs - Send It! 
Keith Urban & P!nk - One Too Many 
Masked Wolf - Astronaut In The Ocean 
Sam Fischer & Demi Lovato - What Other People Say 
Spacey Jane - Booster Seat 
The Kid LAROI with Miley Cyrus - Without You 
Tones and I - Fly Away 
Vance Joy - Missing Piece 

Most Popular International
WINNER: TAYLOR SWIFT
Ariana Grande - Positions 
Doja Cat - Planet Her 
Justin Bieber - Justice 
Kanye West - Donda 
Luke Combs - What You See Ain't Always What You Get 
Machine Gun Kelly - Tickets To My Downfall 
Miley Cyrus - Plastic Hearts 
Olivia Rodrigo - Sour 
Pop Smoke - Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon 
Taylor Swift - Evermore 

Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award 
WINNER: ZOË BARRY - SACRED HEART SCHOOL, MELBOURNE VIC
Aaron Silver - Wodonga Primary School, Regional VIC
Ashley Baxter - Pimlico State High School, Townsville QLD
Daniel Wilson - Star Struck, Newcastle NSW
Zoë Barry - Sacred Heart School, Melbourne VIC

ARTISAN AWARDS

Best Cover Art
WINNER: KOFI ANSAH & BAILEY HOWARD for GENESIS OWUSU
Ngaiire Joseph & Dan Segal for Ngaiire - 3 
Eben Ejdne for Odette - Herald 
Kofi Ansah & Bailey Howard for Genesis Owusu - Smiling with No Teeth 
Jonathan Zawada for The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You 
Giulia Giannini McGauran & Mitchell Eaton for Tones and I - Welcome to the Madhouse 

Engineer Of The Year 
WINNER: KONSTANTIN KERSTING
Chris Collins
Eric J Dubowsky
Konstantin Kersting
Matt Corby
Tony Espie

Producer Of The Year
WINNER: KONSTANTIN KERSTING & THE RUBENS
Andrew Klippel, Dave Hammer
Konstantin Kersting & The Rubens
M-Phazes
Matt Corby
Robert Chater

FINE ARTS AWARDS

Best Classical Album
WINNER: GENEVIEVE LACEY and MARSHALL MCGUIRE
Christian Li - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons 
Emily Sun & Andrea Lam - Nocturnes  
Genevieve Lacey and Marshall McGuire - Bower 
Grigoryan Brothers - This is Us: A Musical Reflection of Australia 
Nat Bartsch - Hope  

Best Jazz Album 
WINNER: MILDLIFE
Australian Art Orchestra, Reuben Lewis, Tariro Mavondo & Peter Knight - Closed Beginnings 
Kristen Beradi, Sean Foran & Rafael Karlen - Haven 
Mildlife - Automatic 
Petra Haden & The Nick Haywood Quintet - Songs from my Father 
Vazesh - The Sacred Key 

Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
WINNER: ANGUS & JULIA STONE
Angus & Julia Stone - Life Is Strange 
Antony Partos - Rams 
Caitlin Yeo, Maria Alfonsine, Damian de Boos-Smith - Wakefield Season One Official Soundtrack 
Sia - Music Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture 
Yve Blake - Fangirls  

Best World Music Album
WINNER: JOSEPH TAWADROS
Bob Weatherall & Halfway, with William Barton - Restless Dream 
Bukhu - Bukhchuluun Ganburged - The Journey 
Eishan Ensemble - Project Masnavi 
Joseph Tawadros  - Hope In An Empty City  
Kuya James - ISA