She’s set to become Australia’s most decorated songwriter. Sia Furler, responsible for the 2015 global smash, Chandelier, has been named songwriter of the year at the Australasian Performing Right Association (Apra) awards for the third year in a row.

Apra chief executive Brett Cottle called the Adelaide musician “one of the most successful and acclaimed songwriters of her era” and said of her hat-trick: “This is an unprecedented, and very likely, a never-to-be-repeated achievement.”

The win caps off a stunning year for the 39-year-old, in which her sixth studio album, 1000 Forms of Fear debuted at No 1 in the Australian and US charts. The record picked up four Aria awards on her home turf, including album of the year, and both record and song of the year Grammy nominations.

Alongside her solo career, Furler has been the writer behind some of the biggest pop hits of the past decade, including Diamonds (made famous by Rihanna), and Titanium, written in conjunction with dance music producer David Guetta. Her work has featured on the albums of Christina Aguilera, Ne-Yo, Katy Perry, Jessie J, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Kylie Minogue.

Consistent with previous public appearances over the past year, the reluctant celebrity enlisted a friend to stand-in and accept her award. Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy, dressed in a platinum blonde wig, appeared in a video message thanking Apra for the award, and of the triple win joked “I’m the Michael Jordan of the Apras.”

Furler, along with Chandelier co-writer Jesse Shatkin, also collected the peer-voted song of the year at the Apra awards ceremony in Sydney on Tuesday night, bringing her Apra awards total to six during the course of her career. Chandelier was also honoured on the night with a unique rendition by Australian pub rockers Jimmy Barnes and Diesel.

It was not the only cover of the night, with Andy Bull and Thelma Plum performing Dan Sultan’s Kimberley Calling, and Jon Hume, Mark Vincent and Julie Lea Goodwin playing You Ruin Me by the Veronicas. Former grunge rocker Daniel Johns showcased live his surprising new foray into smooth R&B with a performance of Preach, taken from his first release in eight years, Aerial Love EP.

Dan Sultan on the inspiration behind his Apra-nominated song, Kimberley Calling. Guardian

It was a strong year for pop music with the award for breakthrough songwriter of the year going to power-pop boy band 5 Seconds of Summer. Brisbane pop rock group Sheppard were awarded pop work of the year as well as most played Australian work.

Taking out the urban category was Illy and M-Phazes for their track Tightrope, as featured on Illy’s latest album Cinematic. The win came just a month after producer M-Phazes picked up a Grammy award for his contributions to the Eminem release The Marshall Mathers LP 2. And his latest collaborator? None other than Johns.

Daniel Johns performing at the 2015 Apra music awards. Photograph: Tony Mott

Music industry stalwart and former CEO of Albert Music, Fifa Riccobono, was recognised for her four decade-long service to Australian music with the Ted Albert award. During her time at Albert Music, she worked with some of the most recognisable names in Australian rock, including AC/DC, the Angels, Rose Tattoo and the Easybeats.

The win was all the more meaningful in light of Riccobono’s long-lasting working relationship with the man whom the award is named after. “I worked with Ted for 20 years and admired him greatly for his sense of fairness and his absolute passion for Australian music,” said Riccobono last week following the award announcement. “He gave me my start in the industry and encouraged me through every aspect of my career.”



Riccobono was the first woman to run a record company in Australia, having started out in a secretarial position at the tender age of 16 before rising through the ranks of the influential label and studio. In 2006 Riccobono established her own publishing company called Viola Jade Music and continues to work with Albert Music as a consultant.

Full list of Apra winners

Song of the year

Chandelier – Sia

Writers: Sia Furler and Jesse Shatkin

Songwriter of the year

Sia

Breakthrough songwriter of the year

Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood and Ashton Irwin (5 Seconds of Summer)

Ted Albert award for outstanding services to Australian music

Fifa Riccobono

Most played Australian work

Geronimo – Sheppard

Writers: Jason Bovino, Amy and George Sheppard

Blues and roots work of the year

Heart Beats Slow – Angus & Julia Stone

Writers: Angus and Julia Stone

Country work of the year

Give Her the World – Adam Eckersley Band

Writers: Adam Eckersley, Danelle Leverett and Jason Reeves

Dance work of the year

Swing (Joel Fletcher Remix) – Joel Fletcher feat Savage

Writers: Joel Fletcher Allan, Demetrius Savelio, Nathan Holmes and Aaron Ngawhika

Pop work of the year

Geronimo – Sheppard

Writers: Jason Bovino, Amy and George Sheppard

Rock work of the year

Love You Deserve – Stonefield

Writers: Amy, Hannah, Holly and Sarah Findlay (Stonefield)

Urban work of the year

Tightrope – Illy feat Scarlett Stevens

Writers: Illy and M-Phazes

Most played Australian work overseas

Somebody That I Used To Know – Gotye feat Kimbra

Writers: Wally de Backer (Gotye) and Luiz Bonfa

International work of the year

Happy – Pharrell Williams

Writer: Pharrell Williams