Anniversary of Archie Roach’s ARIA Hall of Fame Induction

25 November 2020

Cultural advice: this page names Aboriginal people who have died. Linked resources may also contain their images and voices.

Recognising an extraordinary storyteller

Archie Roach was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 25 November 2020. The date marks the induction at that year’s ARIA Awards, recognising a substantial musical career and his contribution as a songwriter and storyteller.

The ceremony took place thirty years after his debut album Charcoal Lane. ARIA’s record of the evening also lists his awards for Best Male Artist and Best Adult Contemporary Release for Tell Me Why. Those awards and the Hall of Fame induction were distinct honours received during the same event.

Listening to a lifetime of work

Roach’s music brought personal experience into public listening with care and artistic purpose. His songs include accounts connected with the Stolen Generations. Listeners should choose whether and when to engage with that material; an achievement anniversary need not require playing distressing content to every audience.

ARIA records his performance of Took the Children Away from Warrnambool with fellow musicians during the 2020 event. This entry recognises the induction and the wider body of work, rather than reducing Roach’s career to a single song or treating an award as the beginning of his contribution.

A learning activity could explore how a songwriter is recognised over time. Use authorised recordings, credit the composer and performers, and discuss the difference between appreciating an artist’s storytelling and claiming another person’s experiences as our own.

Reflecting and learning

What can a national award tell us about an artist’s public recognition? What other sources help us understand the work, relationships and community contribution that precede it? Start with the artist’s recordings and the official record of the honour.

When planning a school or workplace activity, explain the chosen material in advance and make participation thoughtful and voluntary. There are many ways to recognise a musician: listening, reading an interview, studying a career milestone or supporting properly licensed releases.

Sources and further reading

• Archie Roach to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame — ARIA
• And the 2020 ARIA Awards Go To… — ARIA
• Archie Roach wins an ARIA Award for Charcoal Lane — National Film and Sound Archive

Our related products and resources

We do not currently offer products or learning resources specifically for this date. The reading links above are provided for background and further learning. Suitable items from our range will be added here as they become available.