A.B. Original
A.B. Original is an Australian hip hop duo made up of Briggs and Trials. A.B. Original stands for Always Black, Original. Both members are Indigenous Australians; Briggs is a Yorta Yorta man and Trials is Ngarrindjeri.[1] Their music is overtly political and has been described as "angry, polemical, brutally frank and meant to inspire a response, good or bad".[2]
A.B. Original | |
---|---|
Origin | Australia |
Labels | Golden Era Bad Apples Music |
Members | Briggs Trials |
A.B. Original's single "January 26" (featuring Dan Sultan), released in August 2016, which comments on the use of that date for Australia Day.[3] This was followed up by an album entitled Reclaim Australia in November.[1] The provocatively titled[2][4] album features many guests including Thelma Plum, G. Yunupingu and Archie Roach.[4]
At the 2017 AIR independent Music Awards, the duo won five awards; Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year, Best Independent Hip Hop Album, Best Independent Single, Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Album or EP.[5] At the APRA Music Awards of 2018 the duo won Songwriter of the Year.[6]
Discography
Albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
AUS [7] | ||
Reclaim Australia |
|
10 |
Singles
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"2 Black 2 Strong"[8] | 2016 | Reclaim Australia |
"Dead in a Minute" (featuring Caiti Baker) [9] | ||
"Firing Squad" (featuring Hau) [10] | ||
"Take Me Home" (featuring Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu) [11] | ||
"January 26" (featuring Dan Sultan) [12] | ||
"Dumb Things" (featuring Paul Kelly) [13] | 2017 | Like a Version |
"Blaccout"[14] | 2018 | non-album single |
Awards and Nominations
APRA Music Awards
The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
APRA Music Awards of 2018[6] | themselves | Songwriter of the Year | Won |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
ARIA Music Awards of 2017[15] | Reclaim Australia | ARIA Award for Album of the Year | Nominated |
ARIA Award for Best Group | Nominated | ||
ARIA Award for Best Urban Album | Won | ||
ARIA Award for Best Independent Release | Won | ||
ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist - Release | Nominated | ||
Daniel Rankine for Reclaim Australia | ARIA Award for Producer of the Year | Nominated |
Music Victoria Awards
The Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005 (although nominee and winners are unknown from 2005-2012).[16][17]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | themselves | Best Band | Nominated |
Best Live Act | Nominated | ||
Best Aboriginal Act | Won | ||
Reclaim Australia | Best Album | Won | |
Best Hip Hop Album | Won | ||
"January 26" | Best Song | Nominated |
National Indigenous Music Awards
The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. They commenced in 2004.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | themselves | New Talent of the Year | Nominated |
"Dead in a Minute" | Song of the Year | Nominated | |
"2 Black 2 Strong" | Nominated | ||
2017 | themselves | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
Reclaim Australia | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
"January 26" (with Dan Sultan) | Song of the Year | Won | |
Film Clip of the Year | Won | ||
2018 | themselves | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
References
- Byron, Tim (25 November 2016), "A.B. Original: 'We wrote the hardest shit we could write, and it's being supported'", Sydney Morning Herald
- Zuel, Bernard (27 November 2016), "A.B. Original album Reclaim Australia is a necessary shock to the system", Canberra Times
- Pat McGrath and Andy Burns, (26 January 2017), Band A.B. Original on their song January 26, 7.30, ABC Television Retrieved 4 July 2017
- Butler, Josh (16 November 2016), "'It's Shit Being A Black Man In Australia' -- A.B. Original Talk Racism, Reclaim Australia And Rap", The Huffington Post
- "2017 AIR independent Music Awards". AIR. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- "Songwriter of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- "australian-charts.com - A.B. Original - Reclaim Australia". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- "2 Black 2 Strong single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- "Dead in a Minute single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- "Firing Squad single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- "Take Me Home single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- "January 26 single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- "Dumb Things (Like a Version) single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- "Blaccout single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- "Search A.B. Original at ARIA Awards". ARIA Awards. 11 August 2020.
- "Previous Nominess". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- "Previous Winners". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.