Here’s Why Triple J Is Changing The Date Of The Hottest 100
The people have spoken.
This afternoon, triple j broke some pretty huge news: after years of debate, they’re finally moving the date of the Hottest 100 away from Australia Day.
The move comes after increasing scrutiny over how and when we celebrate Australia Day, a day that causes considerable pain for Indigenous Australians and one that many associate with violence and dispossession.
Last year a widespread campaign calling for triple j to change the date of the countdown picked up momentum, with Indigenous artists joining the chorus of voices asking the station to act.
Now the results of that survey are in — and the majority of responders were in favour of a date change.
triple j say that they received 64,990 responses to their survey and that of those, 60 percent of those were in favour of moving the Hottest 100 to a different date. The survey was conducted by an independent research company.
Image via triple j
triple j say they then conducted a second survey with over 700 18-30 year olds who had listened to the station at some point and that again, the majority were in favour of changing the date. In that survey, 55 percent wanted the date changed, 24 percent were opposed to a change, while 22 percent “didn’t care”.
They also spoke to musicians, community leaders, representative groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media and triple j staff in the process of making the big decision.
“We expected a lot of different opinions, this is a complicated issue with no one correct answer,” triple j explained. “However, it came across loud and clear that we all agreed it is the music that makes the Hottest 100 special. Celebrating our favourite songs of the year with our mates and the rest of the country is what’s most important for the Hottest 100.”
This year’s Hottest 100 will fall on January 27. Voting opens on Tuesday December 12.