TV performances help J D / INXS, Aussie music Idols sell lots of CDs

They're the golden idols of millions

Jonathon Moran, from thecouriermail.news.com.au

AUSTRALIAN music lovers are buying more products by local artists, and recordings by Australian Idol singers are among the most popular.

Performers from the reality television show have again led a line-up of local artists at the fourth annual ARIA Number One Chart Awards in Sydney.

Twenty-two Australian performers received awards yesterday in recognition of sales successes.

The number meant more local artists had achieved No.1 albums than in any year of the ARIA's 22-year history.

The winners racked up 30 separate entries at No.1 on the Australian Record Industry Association album, singles or DVD charts in the past 16 months.

Seven were by Australian Idol competitors Guy Sebastian, Shannon Noll, Paulini Curuenevuli, Casey Donovan, Anthony Callea, Cosima De Vito and Joel Turner.

"Australian Idol is great," said Donovan, 17, who won the last series of the show. "It kicks you into the industry and gets you to where you want to be.

"Every artist there today deserves everything and has worked hard all year."

For the second year running, Sydney-based Christian group Hillsong received an ARIA No.1 Chart Award for their DVD, God He Reigns. The ARIA Number One Chart Awards differ from the annual ARIA music awards, as they are based solely on retail sales from August of one year to November of the next.

Artists who could not attend the event sent video messages.

Missy Higgins received five ARIA awards last month and yesterday added three more for her album Sound of White, EP Scar and DVD I'll Tell You Mine If You Tell Me Yours.

"It has been such an amazing year for me," Higgins said from the US where she is touring.

The ARIA Number One Chart Awards topped off a great week for Keith Urban, who was this week voted Entertainer of the Year and Vocalist of the Year at the US Country Music Association awards in New York.

"You don't understand how much it means to me to be over here in the States and know back home there are people helping get our music out," Urban said.