Keith Urban to host Australia’s ARIA Awards

Keith Urban will serve as host of the 2018 ARIA Awards in Australia in November (18).
The New Zealand-born country singer, who spent his formative years in Australia before relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, will head Down Under to front the Australian Recording Industry Association’s 32nd annual Music Awards on 28 November (18) in Sydney.
“I’m really looking forward to coming home and celebrating an incredible year of Australian music. There’s been so many impressive releases this year, it’s gonna be a tough competition but we get to recognise and honour the best of the best at Aussie music’s night of nights,” he said in a statement.
“ARIA is honoured and excited to welcome back superstar Keith Urban to join us in Sydney to celebrate the 2018 ARIAs,” Dan Rosen, chief executive for ARIA added. “To have one of Australia’s biggest stars host this year’s ceremony is just phenomenal. Australian music fans are in for a real treat.”
To announce his hosting gig, the 50-year-old filmed a comedy sketch with Australian TV presenter Richard Wilkins, a previous ARIA host. In the clip, Keith tells Richard he wants the top hosting job, to which Richard responds, “We’ve got plenty of good hosts here in Australia – what makes you think you’d be any good at that?”
Keith then shows off his multiple ARIA awards and footage of an old ARIA performance, and Richard says the job is his as long as he performs “a nice big fat guitar solo” and brings along his wife Nicole Kidman.
“I’ll bring Nic, definitely – I’ll get her to play a solo!” Keith jokes.
The singer last attended the award show in 2009, when he gave the opening performance.
The nominations for the annual show are due to be announced in October.