Australian Eurovision and ‘Eurovision - Australia Decides’ artists are set to join a star-studded list of female Australian artists at the 2020 ARIA Awards (which are Australia’s premium music awards) paying tribute to iconic Australian trailblazer Helen Reddy after her passing in September this year.
ARIA Hall Of Fame inductee, Helen Reddy, was born in Melbourne in 1941. She lived her life as a true pioneer who united music with a deep passion for gender equality, impacting an entire social movement and leaving a profound mark on history with her 1972 feminist anthem, ‘I Am Woman’.
Artists performing in this tribute include Australia’s Eurovision 2018 representative Jessica Mauboy and Eurovision 2020 and 2021 representative Montaigne. They will be joined by Amy Shark, Christine Anu, Delta Goodrem, Emma Watkins, Kate Cebrano, Marcia Hines, The McClymonts and Tones And I.
Joining in the tribute as part of the virtual chorus are Australia’s Eurovision 2016 representative Dami Im, Eurovision 2019 representative Kate Miller-Heidke and Amy Sheppard who is part of Sheppard from ‘Eurovision - Australia Decides 2019’. They will be joined together in the chorus with Christie Wheelan-Browne, Clare Bowen, Emma Donovan, Erika Heynatz, Fanny Lumsden, GRAACE, Katie Noonan, KLP, Missy Higgins, Mo’Ju, Odette, Samantha Jade, Teeny Tiny Stevies, Thandi Phoenix and Wendy Matthews.
Reddy passed away this year on September 29 in Los Angeles, aged 78. Last year she was recently portrayed in a biographical film about her life titled ‘I Am Woman’.
The song ‘I Am Woman’ was written by Helen Reddy along with Australian Ray Burton and was released as an official single in 1972. It sold over one million copies worldwide and reached No. 1 in the singles chart in the United States, Canada and No. 2 in Australia.
The songs huge success in the United States made Reddy the first Australian born artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. ‘I Am Woman’ was also the first Australian written song to win a Grammy Award. Reddy won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1973 at the 15th Grammy Awards. During her acceptance speech she famously thanked “God, because She makes everything possible”. She beat the likes of Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon and Barbra Streisand in that category.
A couple Australian Eurovision artists are up for a few awards this years ARIA’s. Jessica Mauboy is up for Album of the Year for 'Hilda' while Guy Sebastian is up for Male Artist of the Year and Best Video for 'Standing With You’.
UPDATE: You can watch the ARIA performance below:
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