With its celebrity-laden red carpets, flashy clothes and litany of sponsors at every turn, the ARIAs can feel a long way from the sweaty clubs and pubs where much of Australia's music industry usually operates.

And while Perth-bred pop icon Troye Sivan cleaned up big awards like Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist, and Best Pop Release, the full list of winners gives a more accurate appraisal of the depth of artistic greatness in the Australian music scene.

This year's ARIAs was especially notable for its recognition of the breadth of brilliant First Nations talent in this country's music.

There were 22 First Nations artists nominated for awards across the board, many of them picking up more than one nomination, recognising what has been a massive year for everyone from Miss Kaninna to Emma Donovan to The Kid LAROI and more.

"This is the year the most blackfellas have been nominated and we're taking them all home," 3% member Nooky said, shouting out many of the First Nations artists in the room as he accepted the ARIA for Best Hip Hop/Rap Release.

He wasn't far off: Troy Cassar-Daley (Best Country Album), Emily Wurramara (Best Adult Contemporary Album), Nathaniel Miller (Music Teacher Award), 3% (Best Hip Hop/Rap Release, Best Cover Art), DOBBY (Best World Music Album — yes that name still exists), and JK-47 (Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement) all walked away with trophies on Wednesday night. Budjerah accepted Best Soundtrack for his role in Faraway Downs.

Nooky, who was a mentor for a 14-year-old The Kid LAROI, said that 3%'s work had been inspired by last year's Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.

"We made this album at a time when people said our people shouldn't have a voice," Nooky said. "Well, it looks like they f***in' heard it."

While there's an award for Best Breakthrough Artist — this year won by Teen Jesus & the Jean Teasers — it feels like plenty of the winners are finally breaking through.

Sydney hardcore band SPEED were first-time winners at this year's ARIAs, a ceremony that hadn't ever been on their radar.

He said it was their friends, family and their scene that drove them, rather than awards like ARIAs.

Perhaps it's also that they'd not seen artists like themselves represented on a big stage like this in Australia before. And perhaps that's changing.

Broadcaster Stan's decision to broadcast every award helped make this year's ARIAs feel like a more holistic celebration of what makes Australian music so rich.

Hearing from Best Classical Album winner Sophie Hutchings, Royel Otis producer/engineer Chris Collins and Best Jazz Album award winners Mildlife gave us perspectives we don't often hear on TV.

Even world-beating indie rockers Royel Otis, who beamed in from a Belgian Ferris wheel, accepted their awards with the kind of endearing awkwardness that reminded us that many hadn't heard of the group this time last year.

Conversely, the night's most uninspired moments came from the heavy hitters. Pop star Ava Max, country singer Kane Brown and rock icons Pixies are acclaimed for good reason, and they all performed well.

But, and this isn't the first or last time this argument has been made, we do not need international talent to legitimise our industry.

We do need more performances like those of Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, who belted out I Used To Be Fun, and 3%, whose electrifying, guest-packed medley instilled the most FOMO of the night.

All in all, the ARIAs remit is simple: it should be a celebration of Australian music. It did a pretty good job of that.