News 26 January 2017

Australia Day honours for music community

Paul Kelly, Nick Cave and Jimmy Barnes among those honoured.

Australia Day honours for music community

Paul Kelly, Nick Cave and Jimmy Barnes among those honoured.

Members of the Australian music community have featured prominently in the 2017 Australia Day Honours list. Among those recognised were ARIA Hall Of Fame members Paul Kelly, Jimmy Barnes and Nick Cave, who were all awarded Officer of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO).

Kelly received his AO for "distinguished service to the performing arts and to the promotion of the national identity through contributions as a singer, songwriter and musician". He was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame in 1997.

2005 Hall Of Fame inductee Barnes was awarded the AO for his "distinguished service to the performing arts as a musician, singer and songwriter, and through support for not-for-profit organisations, particularly to children with a disability".

Cave, who was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2007, received an AO for "distinguished service to the performing arts as a musician, songwriter, author and actor, both nationally and internationally, and as a major contributor to Australian music culture and heritage".

Other musical Australia Day honour recipients include Barnes' brother, John Archibald 'Swanee' Swan, who received a Medal of the Order of Australia "for service to music as a performer, and to the community through charitable organisations". Opera/theatre performer Anthony Warlow became a Member of the Order of Australia, as did Queensland Conservatorium Of Music's director Judith Brown and opera conductor Brian Castles-Onion.

The late Eric Robinson, former CEO of JPJ Audio, received an OAM “for service to business in the area of professional audio and lighting equipment”.