It’s considered one of the Australian music industry’s most prestigious nights, a celebration of the crème of local musical talent. Held by the Australasian Performing Right Association, which monitors and collects royalties on behalf of local songwriters, the annual 2010 APRA Music Awards took place yesterday at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, with trophies handed out at a star-studded ceremony.

Performing on the night was Gold Coast outfit Operator Please, who took to the stage alongside fellow nominees – and winners – the Temper Trap.  Taking out the top prize of Songwriter of the Year was none other than Aussie rock & roll legends AC/DC, who also walked away with the trophy for Most Played Australian Work Overseas with their single “Rock N Roll Train”, from their 2008 LP Black Ice.

Eskimo Joe frontman Kav Temperley, meanwhile, saw his Perth outfit take home two gongs, for the lead, self-titled track from latest LP, Foreign Land: Rock Work of the Year and Most Played Australian Work. Temperley admitted attending such ceremonies as the APRA awards left him nervous. “The really harmonious point was when we were singing at the back of my house and now it’s kind of weird,” he admitted, of the album process and last night’s recognition. “We’re here doing this whole thing and I totally forgot that this was part of the whole deal. [I thought] you just do a record and put it out!”

The full winners are:

Song of the Year: “Sweet Disposition”, Temper Trap
Songwriter of the Year: AC/DC
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year:  Nick Littlemore/Jonathan Sloan/Luke Steele (aka Empire of the Sun)
Most Played Australian Work: “Foreign Land”, Eskimo Joe
International Work of the Year:  “You Found Me”, The Fray
Country Work of the Year: “Big Big Love”, Troy Cassar-Daley
Most Played Australian Work Overseas: “Rock N Roll” Train, AC/DC
Blues & Roots Work of the Year:  “Breakout”, Ash Grunwald
Urban Work of the Year: “Still Standing”, Hilltop Hoods
Dance Work of the Year: “Walking On a Dream”, Empire of the Sun
Rock Work of the Year: “Foreign Land”, Eskimo Joe
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music: Jimmy Little