Melbourne's 17-year-old Cilmi blitzed the competition, as Australia's music industry turned out to celebrate its best at Sydney's Acer Arena.

Cilmi won all six of the awards she was nominated for, including best female artist, best pop release and breakthrough artist: album, for her debut record, Lessons to be Learned.

Her smash hit Sweet About Me clinched highest-selling single, breakthrough artist: single, and single of the year.

In picking up her haul of gongs, Cilmi, who was unknown a year ago, beat the likes of Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Missy Higgins and The Veronicas.

The Presets took home some of the most prestigious titles of the night, such as best group, best dance release and album of the year.

The Sydney-based duo of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes nabbed three of the four gongs they contested, with their dance-floor anthem My People missing out to Cilmi for single of the year.

Sydney-born singer Sam Sparro, who splits his time between the US and Britain, had five nominations and was tipped to be a big winner at the awards, but walked away empty-handed.

The night belonged to the new faces of the industry, such as blind indigenous singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.

Yunupingu was recognised in the best independent release category for his album Gurrumul.

But old favourites weren't forgotten. Goodrem won highest-selling album; The Wiggles notched up another win in the best children's album category; and last year's stars, Powderfinger and Silverchair, jointly claimed best music DVD with their concert film Across the Great Divide.

The Living End beat Gyroscope, Faker, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, and Eddie Current Suppression Ring to secure best rock album for its release White Noise.

ARIA hall-of-famer Cave was named best male artist. Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson grabbed the best country album with their chart-topping release Rattlin' Bones.