ARIA Awards: Controversies and Scandals

Madonna was accused of lip-syncing during her performance of "Hung Up" at the 2005 ARIA Awards. The controversy led to a public outcry and calls for her to be banned from future ARIA Awards ceremonies.

Lady Gaga was criticized for her controversial performance of "Judas" at the 2011 ARIA Awards. The performance featured Gaga dressed as a nun and simulating a crucifixion on stage. The performance was met with mixed reactions, with some praising it as a work of art and others condemning it as blasphemous.

Gotye was accused of plagiarism in his ARIA Award-winning song "Somebody That I Used to Know". The song was alleged to have similarities to the 1990 song "Seville" by the band New Radicals. Gotye denied the allegations, but the controversy led to a public debate about the nature of plagiarism in music.

Courtney Barnett was criticized for her acceptance speech at the 2015 ARIA Awards. In her speech, Barnett thanked her dog, which some people felt was inappropriate for a major music awards ceremony.

The Weeknd was accused of sexual assault in the lead-up to the 2017 ARIA Awards. The allegations were made by two women who claimed that The Weeknd had assaulted them in separate incidents. The Weeknd denied the allegations, but the controversy led to calls for him to be removed from the ARIA Awards lineup.

Billie Eilish was criticized for her performance of "Bad Guy" at the 2019 ARIA Awards. The performance was criticized for its dark and disturbing imagery, which some people felt was inappropriate for a mainstream music awards ceremony.

The Kid Laroi was accused of cultural appropriation in his ARIA Award-winning song "Stay". The song was criticized for its use of AAVE (African American Vernacular English), which some people felt was disrespectful and inauthentic.

Harry Styles was criticized for his acceptance speech at the 2022 ARIA Awards. In his speech, Styles thanked his fans for "accepting him" and for "making him feel safe". The speech was criticized by some people who felt that it was unnecessary and self-indulgent.

Nicki Minaj was accused of using a fake pregnancy to promote her album "Queen" in the lead-up to the 2018 ARIA Awards. Minaj denied the allegations, but the controversy led to a public debate about the ethics of using personal life events to promote music.

Miley Cyrus was criticized for her performance of "We Can't Stop" at the 2013 ARIA Awards. The performance featured Cyrus simulating a sexual act on stage, which some people felt was inappropriate for a mainstream music awards ceremony.

Justin Bieber was accused of lip-syncing during his performance of "Sorry" at the 2016 ARIA Awards. The controversy led to a public outcry and calls for Bieber to be banned from future ARIA Awards ceremonies.

Kanye West was criticized for his acceptance speech at the 2015 ARIA Awards. In his speech, West thanked his "haters" for motivating him to succeed. The speech was criticized by some people who felt that it was arrogant and disrespectful.

Ed Sheeran was accused of using autotune during his performance of "Shape of You" at the 2017 ARIA Awards. The controversy led to a public debate about the use of autotune in live performances.

Madonna was criticized for her performance of "Like a Virgin" at the 1984 ARIA Awards. The performance featured Madonna wearing a controversial outfit that included a white wedding dress and a large crucifix. The performance was criticized by some people who felt that it was blasphemous.