Nakkiah Lui Tore Into Triple J Over Their Decision Not To Change The Date Of The Hottest 100
"Choosing to celebrate Australian music on a day where people are excluded...that is a decision that’s heavily biased."
Indigenous writer and Black Comedy star Nakkiah Lui has criticised triple j over their decision to keep next year’s Hottest 100 countdown on Australia Day. Appearing on the station’s current affairs program Hack, Lui butted heads with the station’s content director Ollie Ward, arguing that the decision not to change the date excluded Indigenous Australians.
Here’s What Indigenous Artists Are Saying About This Triple J/Hottest 100 Mess
“The ABC’s our public broadcaster,” said Lui. “To celebrate Australian music on a day where people are excluded and discriminated against based on their values and their culture and their race – that is a decision that’s heavily biased. And it’s exclusive, and it’s not democratic, and it’s against ABC values.”
“For many people in this community, it’s a very political decision.”
In the face of increased pressure from listeners and Indigenous artists to move the music countdown to a less controversial date, triple j announced this afternoon that the 2017 count would take place on January 26 as planned, but said that future editions were “under review.”
Ward appeared on Hack to defend this position, saying that a date change was “something that we’ve been thinking about for quite a while,” but that “we don’t want to do anything that is rash or doesn’t consider all perspectives.”
"The #hottest100 is shit now and @triplej sucks but DON'T YOU DARE MOVE IT IS NOTHING SACRED"
— Disco Stu (@discostu) September 13, 2016
Ward also made (repeated) mention of triple j’s partnership with the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, prompting Hack host Tom Tilley to ask whether the collaboration was about the station “absolving its discomfort around this issue.” Which, if nothing else, is a pretty ballsy thing to say to your boss on live radio.
“We’re trying to do good now,” said Ward. “In terms of consultation, this is just the beginning. We’ve got a lot more people still to talk to.”
“We will look to move it in the future, if we can do that in the positive way.”
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Feature photo by Amelia J Dowd.