Helen Reddy to receive highest honour at 2021 APRA Music Awards

Organisers have also revealed this year's hosts and some category changes

To coincide with International Women’s Day today (March 8), organisers of the 2021 APRA Music Awards have announced the late Helen Reddy will be the first of two recipients of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at this year’s ceremony.

According to a press statement, the singer-songwriter – who died last September, age 78 – was due to receive the recognition last year before the pandemic meant a change of platform to a shorter virtual ceremony.

Called the queen of ’70s pop, her best-known anthemic single, ‘I Am Woman’, topped charts worldwide in 1972, earning her a Grammy Award. A biopic of Reddy’s life and career, I Am Woman, was released last year.

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Her daughter, Traci Donat, said, “I am so honoured to be accepting the Ted Albert Award on behalf of my mother who devoted her life and career to equal rights for all people.

“In honouring her, you honour not just her music but also what she stood for.”

The second recipient of the award will be revealed next month ahead of the ceremony, scheduled to take place at Sydney’s International Convention Centre Grand Ballroom on Wednesday April 28.

Organisers have also revealed this year’s hosts. Leading the evening will be comedienne and presenter Julia Zemiro, who will be joined at the podium by Ziggy Ramo and All My Exes Live In Texas’ Georgia Mooney.

The ceremony’s musical director will be PJ Harding, who will curate the evening’s yet-to-be-revealed live performances. Last month Harding released his debut single, ‘Dear August’, a collaboration with Noah Cyrus.

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Additionally, several changes to the traditional categories have been announced. The Most Performed Urban Work category has been replaced with two new genre categories, Most Performed Hip Hop/Rap Work and Most Performed R&B/Soul Work.

With nominees to be announced on Thursday March 25, you can find the full category list below.

Last year, the 2020 Virtual APRA Music Awards was hosted by Briggs, with artists such as Tones and I, Hilltop Hoods and KIAN taking home awards in several categories.

The 2021 APRA Music Awards Categories are:

Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music
Breakthrough Songwriter of Year
Songwriter of the Year
Most Performed Alternative Work
Most Performed Australian Work
Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Most Performed Country Work
Most Performed Dance Work
Most Performed Hip Hop/Rap Work
Most Performed International Work
Most Performed Pop Work
Most Performed R&B/Soul Work
Most Performed Rock Work

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