# ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album

The ARIA Music Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), an organisation whose aim is "to advance the interests of the Australian record industry." The award is given to an Australian group or solo artist who has had an album appear in the ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart between the eligibility period, and is voted for by a judging academy, which comprises 1000 members from different areas of the music industry. However, "artists and groups are not eligible if they, or any member of the group, has previously been a final five (5) nominee in any ARIA Awards category with an album, or if they have been in a group that has previously been a final five (5) nominee with an album, or if they have had a previous Top 50 Album in the ARIA Album Chart."
The award for Breakthrough Artist – Album was first presented to 1927 and Rockmelons in 1989 for their albums ...Ish (1988) and Tales of the City (1988), respectively. Boy & Bear were the last act to receive the accolade in 2011 for their album Moonfire (2011). This, and the ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single was merged in 2012 to form a single award for Breakthrough Artist – Release.

## 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. All reliable sources used in this article make no mention of nominees prior to 1992.
| Year | Winner(s) | Album Title |
| 1989 (3rd) | 1927 | ...Ish |
| 1989 (3rd) | Rockmelons | Tales of the City |
| 1989 (3rd) | Catfish | Unlimited Address |
| 1989 (3rd) | Kylie Minogue | Kylie |
| 1989 (3rd) | Schnell Fenster | The Sound of Trees |
| 1990 (4th) | Ian Moss | Matchbook |
| 1990 (4th) | Gyan | Gyan |
| 1990 (4th) | Johnny Diesel & The Injectors | Johnny Diesel & The Injectors |
| 1990 (4th) | The Hummingbirds | loveBUZZ |
| 1990 (4th) | Max Q | Max Q |
| 1991 (5th) | Margaret Urlich | Safety in Numbers |
| 1991 (5th) | Absent Friends | Here's Looking Up Your Address |
| 1991 (5th) | Wendy Matthews | Émigré |
| 1991 (5th) | Archie Roach | Charcoal Lane |
| 1991 (5th) | Southern Sons | Southern Sons |
| 1992 (6th) |
| 1992 (6th) | Baby Animals | Baby Animals |
| 1992 (6th) | Clouds | Penny Century |
| 1992 (6th) | Deborah Conway | String of Pearls |
| 1992 (6th) | Richard Pleasance | Galleon |
| 1992 (6th) | Ratcat | Blind Love |
| 1993 (7th) |
| 1993 (7th) | Frente! | Marvin the Album |
| 1993 (7th) | Chris Wilson | Landlocked |
| 1993 (7th) | Company of Strangers | Company of Strangers |
| 1993 (7th) | The Dukes | Harbour City |
| 1993 (7th) | Rick Price | Heaven Knows |
| 1994 (8th) |
| 1994 (8th) | The Badloves | Get On Board |
| 1994 (8th) | Peter Andre | Peter Andre |
| 1994 (8th) | The Sharp | This Is the Sharp |
| 1994 (8th) | Things of Stone and Wood | The Yearning |
| 1994 (8th) | Tiddas | Sing About Life |
| 1995 (9th) |
| 1995 (9th) | Silverchair | Frogstomp |
| 1995 (9th) | Christine Anu | Stylin' Up |
| 1995 (9th) | D.I.G. | Dig Deeper |
| 1995 (9th) | Max Sharam | A Million Year Girl |
| 1995 (9th) | Vika and Linda | Vika and Linda |
| 1996 (10th) |
| 1996 (10th) | Regurgitator | Tu-Plang |
| 1996 (10th) | Ammonia | Mint 400 |
| 1996 (10th) | Deni Hines | Imagination |
| 1996 (10th) | Merril Bainbridge | The Garden |
| 1996 (10th) | Pollyanna | Long Player |
| 1997 (11th) |
| 1997 (11th) | Savage Garden | Savage Garden |
| 1997 (11th) | The Earthmen | Love Walked In |
| 1997 (11th) | Human Nature | Telling Everybody |
| 1997 (11th) | Leonardo's Bride | Angel Blood |
| 1997 (11th) | Rebecca's Empire | Way of All Things |
| 1998 (12th) |
| 1998 (12th) | Natalie Imbruglia | Left of the Middle |
| 1998 (12th) | Cordrazine | From Here to Wherever |
| 1998 (12th) | Grinspoon | Guide to Better Living |
| 1998 (12th) | Jebediah | Slightly Odway |
| 1998 (12th) | The Superjesus | Sumo |
| 1999 (13th) |
| 1999 (13th) | The Living End | The Living End |
| 1999 (13th) | Bachelor Girl | Waiting for the Day |
| 1999 (13th) | Gerling | Children of Telepathic Experiences |
| 1999 (13th) | Marie Wilson | Real Life |
| 1999 (13th) | Not from There | Sand on Seven |
| 2000 (14th) |
| 2000 (14th) | Killing Heidi | Reflector |
| 2000 (14th) | Alex Lloyd | Black the Sun |
| 2000 (14th) | Sonic Animation | Orchid for the Afterworld |
| 2000 (14th) | Taxiride | Imaginate |
| 2000 (14th) | Vanessa Amorosi | The Power |
| 2001 (15th) |
| 2001 (15th) | The Avalanches | Since I Left You |
| 2001 (15th) | 28 Days | Upstyledown |
| 2001 (15th) | Augie March | Sunset Studies |
| 2001 (15th) | John Butler Trio | Three |
| 2001 (15th) | Lo-Tel | Planet of the Stereos |
| 2002 (16th) |
| 2002 (16th) | George | Polyserena |
| 2002 (16th) | 1200 Techniques | Choose One |
| 2002 (16th) | Dan Brodie and the Broken Arrows | Empty Arms, Broken Hearts |
| 2002 (16th) | Eskimo Joe | Girl |
| 2002 (16th) | The Vines | Highly Evolved |
| 2003 (17th) |
| 2003 (17th) | Delta Goodrem | Innocent Eyes |
| 2003 (17th) | Amiel | Audio Out |
| 2003 (17th) | Pete Murray | Feeler |
| 2003 (17th) | The Sleepy Jackson | Lovers |
| 2003 (17th) | The Waifs | Up All Night |
| 2004 (18th) |
| 2004 (18th) | Jet | Get Born |
| 2004 (18th) | The Cat Empire | The Cat Empire |
| 2004 (18th) | Dallas Crane | Dallas Crane |
| 2004 (18th) | Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males | Sing the Tabloid Blues |
| 2004 (18th) | Xavier Rudd | Solace |
| 2005 (19th) |
| 2005 (19th) | Missy Higgins | The Sound of White |
| 2005 (19th) | Evermore | Dreams |
| 2005 (19th) | Lior | Autumn Flow |
| 2005 (19th) | Little Birdy | BigBigLove |
| 2005 (19th) | Sarah Blasko | The Overture & the Underscore |
| 2006 (20th) |
| 2006 (20th) | Wolfmother | Wolfmother |
| 2006 (20th) | The Grates | Gravity Won't Get You High |
| 2006 (20th) | Hilltop Hoods | The Hard Road |
| 2006 (20th) | Rogue Traders | Here Come the Drums |
| 2006 (20th) | The Veronicas | The Secret Life Of... |
| 2007 (21st) |
| 2007 (21st) | Sneaky Sound System | Sneaky Sound System |
| 2007 (21st) | Airbourne | Runnin' Wild |
| 2007 (21st) | Expatriate | In the Midst of This |
| 2007 (21st) | Josh Pyke | Memories & Dust |
| 2007 (21st) | Kate Miller-Heidke | Little Eve |
| 2008 (22nd) |
| 2008 (22nd) | Gabriella Cilmi | Lessons to Be Learned |
| 2008 (22nd) | Angus & Julia Stone | A Book Like This |
| 2008 (22nd) | Midnight Juggernauts | Dystopia |
| 2008 (22nd) | Operator Please | Yes Yes Vindictive |
| 2008 (22nd) | Sam Sparro | Sam Sparro |
| 2009 (23rd) |
| 2009 (23rd) | Ladyhawke | Ladyhawke |
| 2009 (23rd) | Jessica Mauboy | Been Waiting |
| 2009 (23rd) | Lisa Mitchell | Wonder |
| 2009 (23rd) | Sia | Some People Have Real Problems |
| 2009 (23rd) | The Temper Trap | Conditions |
| 2010 (24th) |
| No award given ||
| 2011 (25th) |
| 2011 (25th) | Boy & Bear | Moonfire |
| 2011 (25th) | Drapht | The Life of Riley |
| 2011 (25th) | Gypsy & The Cat | Gilgamesh |
| 2011 (25th) | Oh Mercy | Great Barrier Grief |
| 2011 (25th) | The Middle East | I Want That You Are Always Happy |