Canberra's Genesis Owusu wins ARIA album of the year

Canberran Genesis Owusu has won three ARIAs including Album of the Year with Struggler.

He also took out best Best Hip Hop/Rap Release and Best Independent Release.

In a speech via live videolink, he called for a ceasefire and said the album was about humanity and community.

"Hip hop made me who I am and allowed me to speak on the things that I wanted to speak on, so I cherish it with my heart always," the Ghanaian-Australian singer said.

Owusu reportedly used the platform to call for a ceasefore in Gaza.

The rapper told the audience to "pay attention to what is happening in the world", before proclaiming: "Ceasefire now, ceasefire now, free Palestine."

Genesis Owusu. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong

Owusu was the ACT's 2023 Young Australian of the Year.

He was born in Ghana in 1998. By the time he was two years old, his family had relocated to Canberra, where they continue to reside.

CONGRATULATIONS Genesis Owusu on winning the 2023 ARIA Award for Album Of The Year for STRUGGLER 👏 @GenesisOwusu @AWAL #ARIAawards #GenesisOsuwu #YouTube pic.twitter.com/hnoWRWDliU
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) November 15, 2023

This is the second top album gong for Owusu. He also won the ARIA album of the year award for his 2021 release Smiling With No Teeth.

At the time, Owusu called the win a validation for a "weirdo" making bombastic music.

"It signifies such a change in culture that an album like Smiling With No Teeth is being validated by an institution like ARIA. I never would have expected it a few years ago," Owusu said.

"I think, for the most part, it's that they're validating that the weirdo can't be stopped. The freaks of the world cannot be changed, and at some point, they're going to be taking over and people are going to have to get used to that."