Keith Urban Confirmed As Host For 2018 ARIA Awards

Keith Urban has been confirmed as the host of the 2018 ARIA Awards. The country superstar and five-times ARIA winner is all set to oversee the proceedings for the 32nd annual awards ceremony, due to be held on 28 November in Sydney.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Urban had this to say: “I’m really looking forward to coming home and celebrating an incredible year of Australian music. There’s been so many impressive releases this year, it’s gonna be a tough competition but we get to recognize and honor the best of the best at Aussie music’s night of nights.”

“ARIA is honored and excited to welcome back superstar Keith Urban to join us in Sydney to celebrate the 2018 ARIAs,” comments Dan Rosen, CEO for ARIA. “To have one of Australia’s biggest stars host this year’s ceremony is just phenomenal. Australian music fans are in for a real treat.”

Urban was born in Whangerei, New Zealand and spent his formative years in Queensland, Australia before heading to Nashville in his teens. Prior to leaving Australia, he began making inroads into the Australian country music scene, with regular appearances on the Reg Lindsay Country Homestead TV Program, Mike McClellan’s Music Program, and various other TV programs performing duets with local Brisbane girl Jenny Wilson. They won a Golden Guitar award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

At present, Keith Urban is Spotify’s most-streamed country artist born outside the United States. Earlier this year, the singer’s 10th studio album Graffiti U debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart, for his seventh top 10 result. Its predecessor, Ripcord, hit No. 1 after its release in May 2016.

Urban last graced the stages of the Australian recording industry’s flagship night when he delivered the opening performance of the 2009 ceremony.

The nominations for this year’s gala will be revealed at an event next month in Sydney.

Explore Our Keith Urban Artist Page.

Format: UK English