# ARIA Award for Best Urban Album

The ARIA Music Award for Best Urban Album, was an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It was handed out by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), an organisation whose aim is "to advance the interests of the Australian record industry." Best Urban Album was first presented as Best Urban Release in 2004, for an album or single released by a solo artist or group until 2010, where it changed to Best Urban Album.
To be eligible, the work must have been within the RnB, hip-hop, soul, funk, reggae and dancehall genres. In the case of a remixed or re-worked album, it was eligible provided that: it was not a final five nominee in any other category; contain 50% new lyrical and musical content; the artist(s) and production team meet the artist eligibility criteria; and the ARIA member entering the album must choose the artist or production team as the recipient of the award. The nominated album must qualify for inclusion in the ARIA Album Chart, and cannot be entered in any other genre categories. The accolade was voted for by a judging school, which comprises between 40 and 100 members of representatives experienced in this genre, and is given to an artist who is either from Australia or an Australian resident.
The award for Best Urban Album was first presented as Best Urban Release to Koolism in 2004, for his album Part 3 - Random Thoughts. Hilltop Hoods have received six wins from six nominations, more than any other artist, for The Hard Road in 2006, The Hard Road: Restrung in 2007, State of the Art in 2009, Drinking from the Sun in 2012 and Walking Under Stars in 2014. It was last presented in 2018, as Best Urban Release, to Hilltop Hoods featuring Adrian Eagle for "Clark Griswold". It was replaced by two categories, Best Hip Hop Release and Best Soul/R&B Release in 2019.

## 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.

### Best Urban Release (2004–2009)

| Year | Winner(s) | Album/single title |
| 2004 (18th) |
| 2004 (18th) | Koolism | Part 3 - Random Thoughts |
| 2004 (18th) | 1200 Techniques | Consistency Theory |
| 2004 (18th) | Daniel Merriweather | "City Rules" |
| 2004 (18th) | The Cat Empire | The Cat Empire |
| 2004 (18th) | J Wess | J Wess Presents Tha LP |
| 2005 (19th) |
| 2005 (19th) | Daniel Merriweather | "She's Got Me" |
| 2005 (19th) | Butterfingers | "Figjam" |
| 2005 (19th) | Jade MacRae | "So Hot Right Now" |
| 2005 (19th) | Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets | Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets |
| 2005 (19th) | Weapon X and Ken Hell | "Otherman" |
| 2006 (20th) |
| 2006 (20th) | Hilltop Hoods | The Hard Road |
| 2006 (20th) | Bliss n Eso | "Up Jumped the Boogie" |
| 2006 (20th) | Jade MacRae | Jade MacRae |
| 2006 (20th) | Phrase | Talk with Force |
| 2006 (20th) | Weapon X and Ken Hell | Sneakerpimpin' Ain't Easy |
| 2007 (21st) |
| 2007 (21st) | Hilltop Hoods | The Hard Road: Restrung |
| 2007 (21st) | Bliss n Eso | Day of the Dog Phazed Out |
| 2007 (21st) | Foreign Heights | Get Yours Remix |
| 2007 (21st) | Jackson Jackson | The Fire Is on the Bird |
| 2007 (21st) | Justice & Kaos | Turn It On |
| 2008 (22nd) |
| 2008 (22nd) | Bliss n Eso | Flying Colours |
| 2008 (22nd) | A-Love | Ace of Hearts |
| 2008 (22nd) | Katalyst | What's Happening |
| 2008 (22nd) | Muph & Plutonic | …And Then Tomorrow Came |
| 2008 (22nd) | Spit Syndicate | Towards the Light |
| 2008 (22nd) | The Herd | Summerland |
| 2009 (23rd) |
| 2009 (23rd) | Hilltop Hoods | State of the Art |
| 2009 (23rd) | Astronomy Class | Pursuit of Happiness |
| 2009 (23rd) | Horrorshow | The Grey Space |
| 2009 (23rd) | Pez | A Mind of My Own |
| 2009 (23rd) | Phrase | Clockwork |

### Best Urban Album (2010–2017)

| Year | Winner(s) | Album title |
| 2010 (24th) |
| 2010 (24th) | M-Phazes | Good Gracious |
| 2010 (24th) | Bliss n Eso | Running on Air |
| 2010 (24th) | Lowrider | Round the World |
| 2010 (24th) | Space Invadas | Soul-Fi |
| 2010 (24th) | Urthboy | Spitshine |
| 2011 (25th) |
| 2011 (25th) | Drapht | The Life of Riley |
| 2011 (25th) | Illy | The Chase |
| 2011 (25th) | Koolism | The 'Umu |
| 2011 (25th) | Phrase | Babylon |
| 2011 (25th) | Vents | Marked for Death |
| 2012 (26th) |
| 2012 (26th) | Hilltop Hoods | Drinking from the Sun |
| 2012 (26th) | 360 | Falling & Flying |
| 2012 (26th) | Katalyst | Deep Impressions |
| 2012 (26th) | The Bamboos | Medicine Man |
| 2012 (26th) | The Herd | Future Shade |
| 2013 (27th) |
| 2013 (27th) | Illy | Bring It Back |
| 2013 (27th) | Bliss n Eso | Circus in the Sky |
| 2013 (27th) | Horrorshow | King Amongst Many |
| 2013 (27th) | Seth Sentry | This Was Tomorrow |
| 2013 (27th) | Urthboy | Smokey's Haunt |
| 2014 (28th) |
| 2014 (28th) | Hilltop Hoods | Walking Under Stars |
| 2014 (28th) | 360 | Utopia |
| 2014 (28th) | Iggy Azalea | The New Classic |
| 2014 (28th) | Illy | Cinematic |
| 2014 (28th) | Thundamentals | So We Can Remember |
| 2015 (29th) |
| 2015 (29th) | Seth Sentry | Strange New Past |
| 2015 (29th) | Citizen Kay | Demokracy |
| 2015 (29th) | Hiatus Kaiyote | Choose Your Weapon |
| 2015 (29th) | The Meeting Tree | R U a Cop |
| 2015 (29th) | Tuka | Life Death Time Eternal |
| 2016 (30th) |
| 2016 (30th) | Drapht | Seven Mirrors |
| 2016 (30th) | Citizen Kay | With The People |
| 2016 (30th) | Koi Child | Koi Child |
| 2016 (30th) | L-FRESH The LION | Become |
| 2016 (30th) | Urthboy | The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat |
| 2017 (31st) |
| 2017 (31st) | A.B. Original | Reclaim Australia |
| 2017 (31st) | Illy | Two Degrees |
| 2017 (31st) | Remi | Divas & Demons |
| 2017 (31st) | Thundamentals | Everyone We Know |
| 2017 (31st) | Tkay Maidza | Tkay |

### Best Urban Release (2018)

| Year | Winner(s) | Album/single title |
| 2018 (32nd) |
| 2018 (32nd) | Hilltop Hoods (featuring Adrian Eagle) | "Clark Griswold" |
| 2018 (32nd) | 360 | Vintage Modern |
| 2018 (32nd) | Esoterik | My Astral Plane |
| 2018 (32nd) | Kerser | Engraved in the Game |
| 2018 (32nd) | Mojo Juju | Native Tongue |