Now in its second year of operation, the ARIA Fine Art Awards were held in the Verbrugghen Hall at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music last night, Tuesday October 11th. Prizes awarded included ‘Best Classical Album’, ‘Best Jazz Album’ and ‘Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album’, the latter won by trailblazing Australian electronica star Tom Ellard, otherwise known under his Severed Heads guise.

Ellard won the award for the soundtrack he produced to local film The Illustrated Family Doctor. When receiving the award Ellard was critical of the current state of popular music in his acceptance speech, making special mention of the Crazy Frog ringtone which reached the number 1 position in the mainstream charts midway through 2005. “When a mobile phone single can be a number one single, that’s when we’ve reached lunatic heaven”, Ellard noted.

The ARIA Awards main event takes place on Sunday October 23rd at the Sydney Superdome, for more info check out http://www.ariaawards.com.au.