The ARIA Music Award for Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Album is an award presented within the Fine Arts Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA Awards recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", and have been given by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) since 1987.
Original soundtrack albums and cast/show albums by solo artists, groups and various artist compilations are eligible. This includes recordings of existing or planned theatrical productions and soundtracks, scores and underscores for existing or planned film and television productions. Compilation soundtracks must contain over 50% of previously unreleased material by tracks and/or time and all artists must meet the artist eligibility criteria. It is judged by a specialist judging school of representatives experienced with the genre.
The ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album has been awarded since the inaugural ARIA Awards in 1987, and was originally named Best Australian Original Soundtrack or Cast Recording. Between 1999 and 2003, separate awards were given for Best Original Soundtrack Album and Best Original Show/Cast Album.
Winners and nominees In the following table, the winner is highlighted in a separate colour and in boldface; the nominees are those that are not highlighted or in boldface. Nominees in 1988 are not available in published sources.ARIA Award previous winners.
Year Winner(s) Album title 1987(1st) Robyn Archer The Pack of Women Martin Armiger Dancing Daze Nathan Waks For Love Alone Peter Best "Crocodile" Dundee Peter Carey, Martin Armiger Illusion 1988(2nd)Original Australian Cast RecordingNine Mario Millo The Lighthorsemen 1989(3rd) Kate Ceberano and Wendy Matthews You've Always Got the Blues (songs from the ABC TV series Stringer)|- | Various Artists | Rikky and Pete |- | David Reeves | Seven Little Australians |- | Bruce Rowland | The Man from Snowy River II |- | Various Artists | Boulevard of Broken Dreams |- |rowspan="6" align="center" | 1990(4th) |- style="background:#FAEB86" | Original Australian Cast Recording| Anything Goes Australian Cast Recording 42nd Street Various Artists Sons of Steel Various Artists Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds Various Artists The Navigator 1991(5th)Jon English and David Mackay ParisBrian MayBloodmoonBruce SmeatonWendy Cracked a WalnutMichael Askill & Nigel WestlakeRoads to Xanadu - The Genius That Was ChinaVince Jones & Grace KnightCome in Spinner 1992(6th) Mario Millo Brides of Christ Jan Castor Red Express Not Drowning, Waving Proof Original Australian Cast Return to the Forbidden Planet Philip Judd Death in Brunswick 1993(7th) John Clifford White Romper Stomper Australian Cast Recording Jesus Christ Superstar Ricky Fataar & Others Spotswood Paul Grabowsky The Last Days of Chez Nous Various Strictly Ballroom Nigel Westlake AntarcticaThis nomination is not listed on the ARIA Award's website, but is in ARIA's March 1993 media release and list of nominees. 1994(8th) Original Cast Recording Hot Shoe Shuffle The Australian Opera, Giacomo Puccini La bohème Michael Easton, Michael Atkinson (original soundtrack) Snowy Carl Vine Bedevil John Waters, Lennon & McCartney Looking Through a Glass Onion 1995(9th) Cast Recording The Pirates of Penzance Martin Armiger Fornicon Guy Gross The Priscilla Companion Original Score Various Heartland Various Metal Skin Various Once in a Blue Moon 1996(10th) Australian Cast Recording Beauty and the Beast Australian Cast Recording The Secret Garden Iva Davies The Berlin Tapes Cezary Skubiszewski Lilian's Story Nigel Westlake Babe 1997(11th) Blixa Bargeld, Nick Cave, Mick Harvey To Have & to HoldMario MilloG.P. Various Idiot Box Various Love and Other Catastrophes Various What I Have Written 1998(12th) Original Cast Recording The Boy From Oz The Necks The Boys Cezary Skubiszewski The Sound of One Hand Clapping Various A Little Bit of Soul Various To Hal and Bacharach 1999(13th)Soundtrack David Hirschfelder Elizabeth Felicity Fox Afrika - Cape Town to Cairo David Hirschfelder The Interview Various Praise Various Two Hands 1999(13th) Cast/Show Judi Connelli & Suzanne Johnston Perfect Strangers Bananas in Pyjamas It's Show Time! Opera Australia, Christine Douglas & Suzanne Johnston Hansel & Gretel State Orchestra of Victoria Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote 2000(14th)Soundtrack David Bridie In a Savage Land Iva Davies The Ghost of Time Paul Grabowsky Siam Sunset Various Soft Fruit Various The Wog Boy David Hirschfelder & Various Artists What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? 2000(14th) Cast/Show Australian Cast Recording The Sound of Music John Farnham Live at the Regent State Orchestra of Victoria, John Lanchbery The Merry Widow Various Happy Days - The Arena Mega Musical 2001(15th)Soundtrack Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Various Music from the Motion Picture – The Dish David Hirschfelder, Various Better Than Sex - Original Soundtrack Lisa Gerrard with Hans Zimmer More Music from Gladiator Richard Pleasance, Various The Very Best of SeaChange Single Gun Theory The Monkey's Mask Various Sydney 2000 The Games of the XXVII Olympiad - Official Music from the Opening Ceremony 2001(15th)Cast/Show Original Cast Recording Shout! The Legend Of The Wild One Australian Concert Orchestra, Queensland Pops Orchestra, Harper Scotland the Brave David Chesworth Wicked Voice Janet Seidel Doris and Me Various Sydney 2000 The Games of the XXVII Olympiad - Official Music from the Opening Ceremony 2002(16th)Soundtrack Paul Kelly, Shane O' Mara, Steve Hadley, Bruce Haymes, Peter Luscombe Lantana Graham Tardif & Rolf de Heer (composers), Archie Roach (performer) The Tracker David Thrussell The Hard Word Mario Millo Changi Various Dirty Deeds 2002(16th)Cast/Show Various The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular Judi Connelli Back to Before Opera Australia, Simone Young Verdi: Requiem Original Australian Cast Recording The Wizard of Oz Play Act One Story of Abbey 2003(17th)Soundtrack Mick Harvey Australian Rules Cezary Skubiszewski After the Deluge (Original Television Mini-series Soundtrack) Dave Graney & Clare Moore Music from the Motion Picture - Bad Eggs The Saddle Club On Top of the World Various Artists The Secret Life of Us Volume 3 2003(17th)Cast/Show Various Long Way to the Top – Live in Concert 2004(18th) David Bridie Nautical Forlorn Australian Chamber Orchestra Musical Renegades Decoder Ring Somersault Elizabeth Drake Japanese Story Various Australian Idol Final 12 2005(19th) Severed Heads The Illustrated Family Doctor Art Phillips Outback House Ben Mingay & Deone Zanotto Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage Roger Mason The Extra Various Artists Deck Dogz 2006(20th) Paul Kelly, Dan Luscombe, Katie Brianna & the Stormwater Boys Jindabyne soundtrack David Bridie RAN – soundtrack Nick Cave, Warren Ellis The Proposition François Tétaz Wolf Creek – original motion picture soundtrack Various Little Fish – soundtrack 2007(21st) Choir of Hard Knocks Choir of Hard Knocks David Bridie Gone Monsieur Camembert Famous Blue Cheese David Bridie The Circuit Various The Countdown Spectacular Live 2008(22nd) Chris Lilley Summer Heights High soundtrack Cezary Skubiszewski Night – original soundtrack Cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical Ben Lee and Jessica Chapnik The Square – original soundtrack Various Countdown Spectacular 2 2009(23rd) Soundtrack Balibo Amanda Brown Son of a Lion – original soundtrack Soundtrack Samson and Delilah Soundtrack East of Everything – series two soundtrack album Tex Perkins, Murray Paterson Beautiful Kate 2010(24th) Triple J Before Too Long: Triple J's Tribute to Paul Kelly Burkhard Dallwitz Underbelly Christopher Gordon & Various Artists Mao's Last Dancer Various Artists Bran Nue Dae Various Artists Accidents Happen 2011(25th) Chris Lilley Angry Boys – Official Soundtrack Album Jed Kurzel Snowtown Stephen Pigram, Alan Pigram, Alex Lloyd Mad Bastards – Music from the Motion Picture Sydney Symphony & cast, Alexander Briger (conductor) Don John of Austria Various Artists – Original Australian Cast Recording Mary Poppins 2012(26th) Triple J Straight to You – Triple J's Tribute to Nick Cave Jane Rutter An Australian in Paris RocKwiz The RocKwiz Christmas Album Jon English & the Original Cast of the Rock Show The Rock Show Various Artists The Sapphires Original Soundtrack 2013(27th) Paul Kelly, James Ledger, Genevieve Lacey & ANAM Musicians Conversations with Ghosts David BridieSatellite Boy Nick Cave and Warren Ellis Lawless Tina Arena Symphony of Life Various Artists triple j's One Night Stand 2014(28th) Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Gurrumul: His Life And Music Glenn Shorrock & Brian CaddThe Story of Sharky and The Caddman Katie Noonan Fierce Hearts: The Music of Love-Song-Circus Various Artists Spirit Of Akasha Various Artists triple j's One Night Stand: Mildura 2015(29th)Various ArtistsBeat the Drum – Celebrating 40 Years of Triple JEd KuepperLast Cab to Darwin – Original Motion Picture SoundtrackMelbourne Symphony Orchestra / Nigel WestlakePaper Planes – Original Motion Picture SoundtrackOpera Australia (Brett Dean / Amanda Holden / Peter Carey)Bliss Various ArtistsThe Water Diviner – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2016(30th)Josh Pyke & the Sydney Symphony OrchestraLive at the Sydney Opera HouseKate Miller-HeidkeThe Rabbits (Original Live Cast Recording)Queensland Symphony OrchestraGallipoli SymphonyVarious ArtistsThe Divorce (Original Cast Recording)Various ArtistsVelvet (The Original Cast Recording) 2017(31st)Nigel Westlake & Sydney Symphony Orchestra, with Joseph Tawadros, Slava Grigoryan & LiorAli's Wedding (soundtrack)Australian Cast Recording feat. David CampbellDream LoverCezary SkubiszewskiRed Dog: True Blue (original soundtrack)Jessica MauboyThe Secret Daughter (Songs from the Original TV Series)Richard Tognetti & Australian Chamber OrchestraMountain 2018(32nd) Jimmy Barnes Working Class Boy: The Soundtracks Evelyn Ida Morris Acute Misfortune (Original Soundtrack) Jessica Mauboy The Secret Daughter Season Two (Songs for the Original 7 Series) Liars 1/1 (Original Soundtrack) Various Artists Muriel's Wedding: The Musical (The Original Cast Recording) 2019(33rd) Various Artists The Recording Studio (Music From The TV Series) Burkhard Dallwitz LOCUSTS: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Gang of Youths MTV Unplugged (Live in Melbourne) Luke Howard The Sand That Ate the Sea Trials Cargo 2020(34th) Chelsea Cullen I Am Woman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Dan Golding Untitled Goose Game (Original Soundtrack) Grigoryan Brothers A Boy Called Sailboat Matteo Zingales & Antony Partos Mystery Road (Original Score: Seasons 1-2) Sally Seltmann & Darren Seltmann The Letdown (Music from Seasons 1+2) 2021 Angus & Julia Stone Life Is Strange Antony Partos Rams (Original Motion Picture Score) Caitlin Yeo, Maria Alfonsine, Damian de Boos-Smith Wakefield (Season One Official Soundtrack) Sia Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture Yve Blake Fangirls 2022 Australian Chamber Orchestra and Richard Tognetti River (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Brett Aplin No Mercy, No Remorse (Original Score) In Hearts Wake Green Is the New Black Maria Alfonsine with Itunu Pepper Akoni (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Matteo Zingales A Fire Inside (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 2023 Various Artists John Farnham: Finding the Voice (Music from the Feature Documentary)|- | Brett Aplin and Burkhard Dallwitz | Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
| Helena Czajka | Unseen Skies (Original Score Soundtrack)
| Nigel Westlake, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northey | Blueback (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |- | Sophie Payton (Gordi), Jason Fernandez | Ride (Music from the Film) |- |rowspan="6" align="center" | 2024|-style="background:#FAEB86"