A.B. Original labels Australia Day 'trash' after Triple J Hottest 100 date change

Indigenous hip hop duo A.B. Original says the decision to move the Triple J Hottest 100 from Australia Day was 'a step in the right direction'.

Briggs and Trials of A.B. Original accept the ARIA Award for Best Urban Release during the 31st ARIA Awards at The Star, in Sydney, Tuesday, November 28, 2017. (AAP Image/David Moir) NO ARCHIVING

Briggs and Trials of A.B. Original accept the ARIA Award for Best Urban Release during the 31st ARIA Awards. Source: AAP

A.B. Original duo Adam Briggs and Daniel "Trials" Rankin said they were happy with the decision to move the Triple J Hottest 100 from Australia Day.

The pair best known by their stage names Briggs and Trials welcomed the change but believed there is still more to do.

"It's a good trajectory to be on, a good path for a more inclusive countdown of all indigenous artists," Briggs told SBS World News at the ARIAs.

"There's not one artist that I've met who said that they weren't happy about that change."

Trials also said it was a positive move by Triple J, saying: "It's baby steps, it's a beautiful tip of the hat and it's a step in the right direction, so that's what we're happy with."

The duo were nominated for six ARIA,s including Album Of The Year and Best Group.
The duo have been vocal in pushing for a change in the country around indigenous rights, with Briggs telling AAP on the red carpet that Australia Day is "trash".

"It's a dumb day, it's stupid. Australia Day is trash... You've got 80,000 years of history here and you want to celebrate Australia Day? That's trash," Briggs said.

Later as he accepted their first award of the night for Best Urban Release for album Reclaim Australia, he added: "We made this album for our community, in our community, from our community.

"Change doesn't come from everyone being comfortable."

The group also accepted the award for Best independent Release.

"The main point of this whole record was to spark a change an expectation and an idea of what an indigenous artist could be," Briggs said.

"We've made it, we've persisted, we've been here for 80,000 years."

The duo then took to the stage for one of the night's most charged performances alongside Paul Kelly, performing his two songs Life Is Fine and Dumb Things with Dan Sultan on guitar.

The duo's comments come after Communications Minister Mitch Fifield accused the ABC of making a "political statement" by shifting the date of the Hottest 100 to the fourth weekend of every January, instead of January 26. 

The minister also confirmed he would formally ask the national broadcaster board to "reconsider". 

Triple J's management has denied any political motivation.

The decision was made after a poll indicated 60 per cent of listeners supported a date change.

- with AAP

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By Louise Cheer, Natarsha Kallios


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