# ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album

The ARIA Music Award for Best Adult Contemporary 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."
Solo artists and groups are eligible if they are an Australian citizen, have resided in Australia for six months for two consecutive years prior to the awards, or signed to an Australian record label (if they have met the aforementioned criteria). Only album recordings in the adult contemporary genre are eligible. The nominees and winners are chosen by a judging academy which comprises 1000 members from different areas of the music industry.
John Farnham is the most successful artist in this category with four wins from ten nominations (including collaborations) for Whispering Jack (1987), "Touch of Paradise" (1988), Romeo's Heart (1996) and The Last Time (2003).

## 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.
| Year | Winner(s) | Album Title |
| 1987 (1st) |
| 1987 (1st) | John Farnham | Whispering Jack |
| 1987 (1st) | Dragon | Dreams of Ordinary Men |
| 1987 (1st) | Mondo Rock | Boom Baby Boom |
| 1987 (1st) | The Reels | "Bad Moon Rising" |
| 1987 (1st) | Vince Jones | Tell Me a Secret |
| 1988 (2nd) | John Farnham | "Touch of Paradise" |
| 1989 (3rd) |
| 1989 (3rd) | Crowded House | Temple of Low Men |
| 1989 (3rd) | The Black Sorrows | Hold On To Me |
| 1989 (3rd) | Kate Ceberano & Wendy Matthews | You've Always Got the Blues |
| 1989 (3rd) | John Farnham | Age of Reason |
| 1989 (3rd) | Little River Band | Monsoon |
| 1990 (4th) |
| 1990 (4th) | Stephen Cummings | A New Kind of Blue |
| 1990 (4th) | Dragon | Bondi Road |
| 1990 (4th) | Not Drowning, Waving | Claim |
| 1990 (4th) | Paul Kelly & The Messengers | So Much Water So Close To Home |
| 1990 (4th) | John Williamson | Warragul |
| 1991 (5th) |
| 1991 (5th) | Vince Jones and Grace Knight | Come In Spinner |
| 1991 (5th) | Andrew Pendlebury | Zing Went the Strings |
| 1991 (5th) | Marc Hunter | Night & Day |
| 1991 (5th) | Original Cast Recording | Paris |
| 1991 (5th) | Tommy Emmanuel | Dare to Be Different |
| 1992 (6th) |
| 1992 (6th) | Tommy Emmanuel | Determination |
| 1992 (6th) | Debbie Byrne | Caught in the Act |
| 1992 (6th) | Grace Knight | Stormy Weather |
| 1992 (6th) | Monica & the Moochers | Cotton on the Breeze |
| 1992 (6th) | John Williamson | Waratah St |
| 1993 (7th) |
| 1993 (7th) | Andrew Pendlebury | Don't Hold Back That Feeling |
| 1993 (7th) | Marina Prior | Aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber |
| 1993 (7th) | Various Artists | Stairways to Heaven |
| 1993 (7th) | Various Artists | Strictly Ballroom |
| 1993 (7th) | Anthony Warlow | On the Boards |
| 1994 (8th) |
| 1994 (8th) | Tommy Emmanuel | The Journey |
| 1994 (8th) | James Blundell | Touch of Water |
| 1994 (8th) | Grace Knight | Gracious |
| 1994 (8th) | Rick Price and Margaret Urlich | "Where Is the Love?" |
| 1994 (8th) | The Seekers | 25 Year Reunion Celebration |
| 1995 (9th) |
| 1995 (9th) | My Friend the Chocolate Cake | Brood |
| 1995 (9th) | The Black Sorrows | Lucky Charm |
| 1995 (9th) | Phil Emmanuel and Tommy Emmanuel | Terra Firma |
| 1995 (9th) | Dave Hole | Steel on Steel |
| 1995 (9th) | Wendy Matthews | The Witness Tree |
| 1996 (10th) |
| 1996 (10th) | John Farnham | Romeo's Heart |
| 1996 (10th) | Kate Ceberano | Change |
| 1996 (10th) | Stephen Cummings | Escapist |
| 1996 (10th) | Tommy Emmanuel | Classical Gas |
| 1996 (10th) | Mick Harvey | Intoxicated Man |
| 1997 (11th) |
| 1997 (11th) | My Friend The Chocolate Cake | Good Luck |
| 1997 (11th) | Annie Crummer | Seventh Wave |
| 1997 (11th) | Tommy Emmanuel | Can't Get Enough |
| 1997 (11th) | Ed Kuepper | Starstruck |
| 1997 (11th) | Vika and Linda | Princess Tabu |
| 1998 (12th) |
| 1998 (12th) | Archie Roach | Looking for Butter Boy |
| 1998 (12th) | David Campbell | Taking the Wheel |
| 1998 (12th) | Colin Hay | Transcendental Highway |
| 1998 (12th) | The Killjoys | Sun Bright Deep |
| 1998 (12th) | Wendy Matthews | Ghosts |
| 1999 (13th) |
| 1999 (13th) | Jimmy Little | Messenger |
| 1999 (13th) | Frank Bennett | Cash Landing |
| 1999 (13th) | The Black Sorrows | Beat Club |
| 1999 (13th) | John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow | Highlights from The Main Event |
| 1999 (13th) | Renée Geyer | Sweet Life |
| 2000 (14th) |
| 2000 (14th) | Karma County | Into the Land of Promise |
| 2000 (14th) | Marcia Hines | The Time of Our Lives |
| 2000 (14th) | Icecream Hands | Sweeter Than the Radio |
| 2000 (14th) | Michael Spiby | Ho's Kitchen |
| 2000 (14th) | Vika and Linda | Two Wings |
| 2001 (15th) |
| 2001 (15th) | Mark Seymour | One Eyed Man |
| 2001 (15th) | Jodi Phillis | In Dreams I Live |
| 2001 (15th) | John Farnham | 33+1⁄3 |
| 2001 (15th) | Stella One Eleven | In Your Hands |
| 2001 (15th) | Wendy Matthews | Beautiful View |
| 2002 (16th) |
| 2002 (16th) | Paul Kelly | Nothing But a Dream |
| 2002 (16th) | Archie Roach | Sensual Being |
| 2002 (16th) | Jimmy Little | Resonate |
| 2002 (16th) | Lisa Miller | Car Tape |
| 2002 (16th) | Vika and Linda | Love is Mighty Close |
| 2003 (17th) |
| 2003 (17th) | John Farnham | The Last Time |
| 2003 (17th) | Blackeyed Susans | Shangri-La |
| 2003 (17th) | David Bridie | Hotel Radio |
| 2003 (17th) | The Go-Betweens | Bright Yellow Bright Orange |
| 2003 (17th) | Renée Geyer | Tenderland |
| 2004 (18th) |
| 2004 (18th) | Paul Kelly | Ways & Means |
| 2004 (18th) | Diesel | Singled Out |
| 2004 (18th) | Jimmy Little | Life's What You Make It |
| 2004 (18th) | george | Unity |
| 2004 (18th) | Lisa Miller | Version Originale |
| 2005 (19th) |
| 2005 (19th) | The Go-Betweens | Oceans Apart |
| 2005 (19th) | Architecture in Helsinki | In Case We Die |
| 2005 (19th) | John Farnham and Tom Jones | Together in Concert |
| 2005 (19th) | Renée Geyer | Tonight |
| 2005 (19th) | The Church | El Momento Descuidado |
| 2006 (20th) |
| 2006 (20th) | Bob Evans | Suburban Songbook |
| 2006 (20th) | Human Nature | Reach Out: The Motown Record |
| 2006 (20th) | Tex, Don and Charlie | All Is Forgiven |
| 2006 (20th) | The Whitlams | Little Cloud |
| 2006 (20th) | Various Artists | She Will Have Her Way: The Songs of Tim & Neil Finn |
| 2007 (21st) |
| 2007 (21st) | Josh Pyke | Memories & Dust |
| 2007 (21st) | Art of Fighting | Runaways |
| 2007 (21st) | Lisa Miller | Morning in the Bowl of Night |
| 2007 (21st) | New Buffalo | Somewhere, Anywhere |
| 2007 (21st) | Paul Kelly | Stolen Apples |
| 2008 (22nd) |
| 2008 (22nd) | The Panics | Cruel Guards |
| 2008 (22nd) | Clare Bowditch | The Moon Looked On |
| 2008 (22nd) | Jimmy Barnes | Out in the Blue |
| 2008 (22nd) | Katie Noonan | Skin |
| 2008 (22nd) | Robert Forster | The Evangelist |
| 2009 (23rd) |
| 2009 (23rd) | Josh Pyke | Chimney's Afire |
| 2009 (23rd) | Bob Evans | Goodnight, Bull Creek! |
| 2009 (23rd) | David Campbell | Good Lovin! |
| 2009 (23rd) | Little Birdy | Confetti |
| 2009 (23rd) | Paul Dempsey | Everything Is True |
| 2010 (24th) |
| 2010 (24th) | Crowded House | Intriguer |
| 2010 (24th) | Angie Hart | Eat My Shadow |
| 2010 (24th) | Jimmy Barnes | The Rhythm and the Blues |
| 2010 (24th) | Lisa Miller | Car Tape 2 |
| 2010 (24th) | Perry Keyes | Johnny Ray's Downtown |
| 2011 (25th) |
| 2011 (25th) | Billy Thorpe | Tangier |
| 2011 (25th) | Colin Hay | Gathering Mercury |
| 2011 (25th) | Damien Leith | Roy |
| 2011 (25th) | John Farnham | Jack |
| 2011 (25th) | Mark Seymour & the Undertow | Undertow |
| 2012 (26th) |
| 2012 (26th) | Missy Higgins | The Ol' Razzle Dazzle |
| 2012 (26th) | Darren Hayes | Secret Codes and Battleships |
| 2012 (26th) | Husky | Forever So |
| 2012 (26th) | Josh Pyke | Only Sparrows |
| 2012 (26th) | Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp | Songs of the Southern Skies |
| 2013 (27th) |
| 2013 (27th) | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Push the Sky Away |
| 2013 (27th) | Bob Evans | Familiar Stranger |
| 2013 (27th) | Clare Bowditch | The Winter I Chose Happiness |
| 2013 (27th) | Josh Pyke | The Beginning and the End of Everything |
| 2013 (27th) | Sarah Blasko | I Awake |
| 2014 (28th) |
| 2014 (28th) | Neil Finn & Paul Kelly | Goin' Your Way |
| 2014 (28th) | Gossling | Harvest of Gold |
| 2014 (28th) | Kate Miller-Heidke | O Vertigo! |
| 2014 (28th) | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Live from KCRW |
| 2014 (28th) | Tina Arena | Reset |
| 2015 (29th) |
| 2015 (29th) | Oh Mercy | When We Talk About Love |
| 2015 (29th) | John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John | Two Strong Hearts Live |
| 2015 (29th) | Megan Washington | There There |
| 2015 (29th) | Paul Kelly | The Merri Soul Sessions |
| 2015 (29th) | Szymon | Tigersapp |
| 2016 (30th) |
| 2016 (30th) | Bernard Fanning | Civil Dusk |
| 2016 (30th) | Bob Evans | Car Boot Sale |
| 2016 (30th) | Paul Kelly | Seven Sonnets & a Song |
| 2016 (30th) | Robert Forster | Songs to Play |
| 2016 (30th) | Tina Arena | Eleven |
| 2017 (31st) |
| 2017 (31st) | Paul Kelly | Life Is Fine |
| 2017 (31st) | Bernard Fanning | Brutal Dawn |
| 2017 (31st) | D.D Dumbo | Utopia Defeated |
| 2017 (31st) | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | Skeleton Tree |
| 2017 (31st) | Pete Murray | Camacho |
| 2018 (32nd) |
| 2018 (32nd) | Vance Joy | Nation of Two |
| 2018 (32nd) | Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile | Lotta Sea Lice |
| 2018 (32nd) | Dan Sultan | Killer Under a Blood Moon |
| 2018 (32nd) | Missy Higgins | Solastalgia |
| 2018 (32nd) | Odette | To a Stranger |
| 2019 (33rd) |
| 2019 (33rd) | Paul Kelly | Nature |
| 2019 (33rd) | Julia Jacklin | Crushing |
| 2019 (33rd) | Samantha Jade | The Magic of Christmas |
| 2019 (33rd) | Seeker Lover Keeper | Wild Seeds |
| 2019 (33rd) | The Paper Kites | On the Corner Where You Live |
| 2020 (34th) |
| 2020 (34th) | Archie Roach | Tell Me Why |
| 2020 (34th) | Donny Benét | Mr Experience |
| 2020 (34th) | Gordi | Our Two Skins |
| 2020 (34th) | Josh Pyke | Rome |
| 2020 (34th) | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Ghosteen |
| 2021 (35th) |
| 2021 (35th) | Crowded House | Dreamers Are Waiting |
| 2021 (35th) | Big Scary | Daisy |
| 2021 (35th) | Kylie Minogue | Disco |
| 2021 (35th) | Nick Cave & Warren Ellis | Carnage |
| 2021 (35th) | Odette | Herald |
| 2022 (36th) |
| 2022 (36th) | Julia Jacklin | Pre Pleasure |
| 2022 (36th) | Alex the Astronaut | How to Grow a Sunflower Underwater |
| 2022 (36th) | Missy Higgins | Total Control |
| 2022 (36th) | Vance Joy | In Our Own Sweet Time |
| 2022 (36th) | Vika and Linda | The Wait |
| 2023 (37th) |
| 2023 (37th) | Dan Sultan | Dan Sultan |
| 2023 (37th) | Alex Lahey | The Answer Is Always Yes |
| 2023 (37th) | Kate Ceberano | My Life Is a Symphony |
| 2023 (37th) | Mo'Ju | Oro, Plata, Mata |
| 2023 (37th) | Tina Arena | Love Saves |
| 2024 (38th) |
| 2024 (38th) | Emily Wurramara | Nara |
| 2024 (38th) | Angus & Julia Stone | Cape Forestier |
| 2024 (38th) | Crowded House | Gravity Stairs |
| 2024 (38th) | Emma Donovan | Til My Song Is Done |
| 2024 (38th) | Fanning Dempsey National Park | The Deluge |