Australian singer-songwriter, Archie Roach was today (Nov 19th) named the Double J Australian Artist of the Year for 2020. Capping off what has been and extraordinary year for the iconic artist, the news follows an announcement earlier this month that he is set to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. 

The Double J Australian Artist of the Year award is bestowed upon an artist deemed to have had a  standout year in “making a valued contribution to Australian arts and culture through their work.”

When accepting the award today, Roach told Double J’s Zan Rowe how much the recognition meant to hm, saying: "Something like this means a lot to me because I've been doing it for a while – playing music professionally and recording – and just to be recognised at all for what you do, it means you're still contributing to society through your music.” 

"I wasn't expecting it. You never expect any sort of awards or winning anything like that. You just hope that, what you do, people like it and see it as a positive thing. It keeps you going and gives me the idea that I must be doing something right." Listen to the full interview, here. 

Archie Roach | “Took The Children Away” 

Congratulations Archie! 

Earlier this month, ILYOS compiled some recently uploaded videos of some of Archie’s classic early recordings. Celebrate both his win and profound catalogue of work with a look back at some beautiful visions to accompany beautiful songs - HERE.

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