For a generation of electronic music fans, Aussie DJ and producer Dom Dolla is a global superstar, up there with Kylie or Vance Joy or the Kid Laroi.
His brilliant career – billions of streams, millions of tickets moved, a new milestone reached every couple of months – has had such an impact on the world stage, ARIA made a new award for him.
Dom Dolla will be the first recipient of the Global Impact Award at the 2025 ARIA Awards on Wednesday.
The “Saving Up” globetrotter will travel back to Sydney for one-night only to attend the big gig at the Hordern Pavilion where he is nominated for seven awards, will present a gong and humbly accept that shiny new trophy made just for him.
“It’s pretty wild, considering it didn’t even exist last year, it’s a bloody honour,” he said from Los Angeles before heading to perform another set in Las Vegas.
“I’m excited to see who the nominees are in years to come because I feel like Aussie music’s just absolutely blowing up globally and every year we should probably have multiple recipients to catch up.”
He’s not wrong. While local artists are having a tough moment getting heard in Australia, a raft of artists are killing it overseas, from psychedelic rock heroes Tame Impala to indie rockers Amyl and the Sniffers, pop phenomenon Troye Sivan to stadium-slayers Rufus Du Sol.
Dolla, who scored his first Grammy nomination last year and has performed at every major festival or marquee superclub you can list over the past 12 months, said he’s been hearing fans and industry mates talking up the new wave of Aussie music exports for the past few years.
“I think Aussies breaking through has got to do with the relatively small population, everyone lives by the coast and socially, the youth are pretty progressive, so fashion and trends change quite quickly. That means everyone’s pretty cutting edge,” he said. “I’m really proud of where things are at.”
This Aussie cultural ambassador loves pranking his American, British and European fans with wholesome content when he’s back home like a recent post of his breakfast of champions; a bowl of Weetbix and VB.
“I always have a great time sort of showing them where I’m from, showing them animals, taking them to concerts with me…the comment sections are so funny,” he said.
A year after selling more than 170,000 tickets to his homecoming victory lap last year, he is back in Sydney on December 20 to tick off another huge achievement, headlining a gig at Allianz Stadium.
“My dream growing up was to play the Prince Bandroom in St. Kilda in Melbourne. I think I’ve got to rewrite my wish list now,” he said.
The 2025 ARIA Awards presented by Spotify is live from 5pm on Wednesday on Paramount+.
