UPDATE 24/11/2016 3.45pm: Fellow nominees Twelve Foot Ninja, The Amity Affliction and Parkway Drive have responded to King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard taking out the prize.
ORIGINAL STORY: The ARIA Awards have wrapped up for another year, but not without a stiff dose of controversy.
The internet has erupted overnight following King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard‘s win in the ‘Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album’ category, with Aussie metalheads fuming that the psych/garage outfit beat out their much heavier competition, which included metal titans Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction, Twelve Foot Ninja and Hellions.
“YO WHO THE FUCK IS KING GIZZARD?! THEY SOUND LIKE A COUNTRY SINGER THAT HAS AIDS,” one disgruntled fan tweeted, while others accused the ARIAs of snubbing Aussie metal, especially considering the fact that both Parkway & Amity went #1 on the ARIA charts with their latest albums and Parkway, Amity & Twelve Foot Ninja are all absolutely killing it overseas RN.
“Metal doesn’t get recognised,” argued one punter, while other rankled reactions included terms like “joke of the night”, “total disgrace” and “rigged”.
The whole thing has left many questioning WTF King Gizz — who are a great band in their own right — were doing in the heavy category at the ARIAs in the first place?
In our opinion there’s either a conspiracy afoot, or else this is just sheer laziness and/or indifference to the heavy genres on the part of the ARIAs, which is a truly bonkers state of affairs considering the fact that heavy music is one of Australia’s biggest musical exports (if not its biggest!) at the moment.
Legit, there’s no way King Gizz are heavier than ‘Best Rock’ category winners Violent Soho, so what on earth were they doing in the metal category?
Anyway, not to take anything away from the Gizz lads, who really are an excellent band, but this whole thing does seem to play into a larger narrative of heavy music getting snubbed at awards shows in favour of other acts that are more palatable for mainstream ears.
Like that time Lorde won the ‘Best Rock Song’ award at the VMAs.
Anyway, catch some Aussie metal fans’ reactions to King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal ARIA win, below.
Music Feeds has contacted King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard for comment.
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How tf do they beat out parkway and amity? Never heard of these jokers before @aarongonzo30 https://t.co/ZrcGN8hIFY
— Jared (@Jared_proudfoot) November 23, 2016
Hahaha Hey @ARIA_Official can you tell me how many Aus bands have three consecutive #1 records please? https://t.co/4FNUHCnV7L
— Joel Birch (@joelfcbirch) November 23, 2016
YO WHO THE FUCK IS KING GIZZARD?! THEY SOUND LIKE A COUNTRY SINGER THAT HAS AIDS.
— 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ GENERAL (@RealYungYogi) November 23, 2016
this isn't legit surely? who tf are they?? lol https://t.co/pu0uCFgK9y
— princess brooke (@_purelypoison) November 23, 2016
I don't care what anyone says @parkwayofficial were robbed… #ARIAs #ParkwayDrive #IRE
— Paul 'Browny' Brown (@brownypaul) November 23, 2016
IMO the whole show is a joke. @parkwayofficial @amityaffliction didn't win? Total disgrace. Best bands in OZ since ACCA???????
— Mutley (@brad_mulder) November 23, 2016
Considering Parkway Drive released the best metal album WORLDWIDE last year – the #arias have seriously snubbed them
— KJ Draven (@KjDraven) November 23, 2016
Still heaps fucked that @parkwayofficial dont win best live album every year #ARIAS
— Mark Houston (@Mark1Houston) November 23, 2016
We need @parkwayofficial or @inheartswake 2 perform next yr @ARIA_Official make it happen @Telstra @channelten metal doesn't get recognised
— Sam (@yma6rocks) November 23, 2016
Why isn't there a metal award it's the genre that Australia is best at TBH, parkway drive, TAA, Northlane etc #ARIAS
— Brandy (@Drizzy_Baked) November 23, 2016
who ?
— Max (@ByTheGrave) November 23, 2016
parkway should have won internationally killing it absolute banger
— Tudgey (@Tudgey4) November 23, 2016
As much as I was barracking for @TwelveFootNinja to win that award for Outlier, I'm surprised that Parkway and Amity who had #1's didn't win
— Higgo (@Higgo74) November 23, 2016
https://twitter.com/vongiles16/status/801347219551088640
what a joke?
— Leigh Nairn (@nairnzy) November 23, 2016
https://twitter.com/MRDCOLD793/status/801426471856111620
