The 2021 ARIA Award nominations have been announced, with ABC Classic dominating the Classical category with four of the five nominees.

In the Classical category, wunderkind violinist Christian Li was nominated for his album of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – the youngest soloist to record the famous works. In our September issue Li spoke to Jo Litson about recording with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and his incredible career to date.

Emily Sun and Andrea Lam were nominated for their album of French repertoire, Nocturnes, which Will Yeoman called “a beautiful recital” in his four-star review. In our August issue, Sun spoke with Deputy Editor Hugh Robertson about the stresses of recording one’s debut album, particularly in the middle of a global pandemic.

Emily Sun. Photo © Shi-Joong Kim.

Genevieve Lacey and Marshall McGuire have been nominated for their lockdown recording project, Bower, an extraordinary juxtaposition of Baroque and new experimental compositions that Will Yeoman described as “the perfect antidote to cabin fever” in his four-and-a-half star review.

Perennial nominees Slava and Leonard Grigoryan are nominated again for their album This is Us: A Musical...