Kylie Minogue, Silverchair, and Kasey Chambers were the big winners at the 16th Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Awards, held today (Oct. 15) at the Sydney SuperDome. Minogue won for best pop release and best-selling single for "Can't Get You out of My Head" (FMR), highest-selling album for "Fever," and the outstanding achievement award. Chambers, george, taxiride, Alex Lloyd, and Grinspoon were among the performers.

Silverchair, which gave its first public performance in six months, took the best rock album prize for "Diorama" (Eleven/EMI), the best rock group award, and Channel V's honor for artist of the year, voted on by viewers of the music TV channel. The trio took three awards at the pre-ARIAs party last month in Sydney (for best cover art, engineer, and producer). Chambers was named best female performer, and her album "Barricades and Brickwalls" (EMI) won for album of the year and best country release.

Other winners included Paul Kelly for best AC artist and best soundtrack for "Lantana" (Gawdaggie/EMI); George for best new artist album for "Polyserena" (FMR); the Vines for best new artist single for "Get Free" (Engine Room/EMI); Alex Lloyd for best male performer; 1200 Techniques for best independent release for "Karma" (Rubber Records); and paulmac for best dance artist for "3000 feet high" (Eleven/Virgin/EMI). Olivia Newton-John was inducted into the ARIA hall of fame.

Host Rove McManus was met with enormous applause when he told the crowd of 4,000 that the event was "not just a celebration of Australian music but a celebration of the Australian spirit," in response to the terrorist attack over the weekend in Bali that took many Australian lives.