Hollywood studios sue AI company and Creative Australia takes aim at music listening habits
"A bottomless pit of plagiarism." That's how Disney and Universal have referred to Midjourney — a generative AI platform — in a new lawsuit that alleges significant copyright infringement. Reid Southen shares what he discovered in his research, which is quoted extensively in the lawsuit.Last year, the Triple J Hottest 100 had among the fewest Australian artists ever in the countdown. This year the network plans to put things right, with a Hot 100 of Australian music. And most of us say we love Australian music, but the amount we consume seems to be going steadily down. Creative Australia have been working to find out what's driving that trend, Dr Christen Cornell talks about their Listening In reports.Our track of the week is Sae Slight a Thing by Quinie, chosen by Ellie Parnell.Stories mentioned in the headlines:Brian Wilson dies, aged 82Harvey Weinstein found guilty of one charge, acquitted of one charge, and third charge ends in mistrialSly Stone dies, aged 82Yael van der Wouden wins Women's Prize for Fiction
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Marg Horwell takes home a Tony and the Perth Cabaret Festival ceases operations
Marg Horwell has taken home the Tony Award for best costume design for a play for the Broadway production of The Picture of Dorian Grey, adding to her collection after taking out the Olivier Award for the West End production last year.As part of their exploration of reforms begun last year, the Productivity Commission has called for submissions into "Harnessing data and digital technology" including the use of AI. Claire Pullen from the Australian Writers' Guild shares the hopes and concerns from her sector of the arts.And the board of the Perth International Cabaret Festival has announced that the 2025 Festival will not proceed and that they will cease operations effective immediately. Ali Welburn, one of the festival's founders, explains what happened and looks to the future.Our track of the week is Final Days by Lucius, chosen by Ce BenedictStories mentioned in the headlines:Winners of the Tony Awards include Sarah SnookPolice investigating the killing of Jonathan Joss as a possible hate crimeAustin Mackay misses music festival performance after being detained at LAXMSO records significant loss over last financial yearLost Turner oil painting found after 150 yearsTom Cruise scores Guinness World Record for most burning parachute jumps
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Is the government ignoring evidence of rock art degradation at Murujuga? And Daniel Browning hangs up the headphones
The Federal Government has given a proposed approval for an expansion of Woodside's North West Shelf gas project near Karratha in Western Australia. But Professor Benjamin Smith — an expert in world rock art — claims that the rock art at Murujuga, which is up to fifty thousand years old, is being degraded by recent industry and that the State Government is ignoring the evidence.The Ramsay Art Prize is the biggest award for a young artist in Australia, with a prize of $100,000 and national recognition. You'll meet the winner of this year's prize, Jack Ball, and find out how the Australian Queer Archives in Melbourne inspired their exhibition, Heavy Grit.And Daniel Browning reflects on his time in arts journalism as he leaves the ABC after 31 years. Our track of the week is Signs by Ólafur Arnalds & Talos
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Judges quit the Queensland Literary Awards over Black&Write decision & Michelle de Kretser wins the Stella Prize
K.A. Ren Wyld won the Black&Write! Fellowship, only to have it withdrawn at the last minute over comments she had made on social media. Since then, at least seven judges have stepped down from their roles on the Queensland Literary Award in protest, and an open letter from First Nations writers has been published in support of Wyld. Evelyn Araluen, one of the judges and the organiser of the open letter, shares why she felt it was necessary to take a stand.Michelle de Kretser, winner of this year's Stella Prize for her experimental novel, Theory & Practice, talks about the book, about the censorship around speech in the arts, and about having been on both sides of a judging panel.Our track of the week is Wishing by LonelyspeckStories mentioned in the headlines:Creative Australia chair Robert Morgan retiresPostponed Stolon Press show featuring Khaled Sabsabi to open at MUMAPrize winners announced at the Cannes film festivalRock art expert says WA government doctored elements of Murujuga rock art reportMember of Kneecap charged with terror offence for displaying Hezbollah flag at concert
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Behind the scenes at Eurovision and major losses at national companies
Eurovision is a phenomenon in Australia, with more than 450-thousand people tuning in for the final this year. But what's it like to compete in this global extravaganza? And what impact does it have on a musician's career? Electric Fields, who represented Australia in 2024, share their experience at the competition.Hasib Hourani reads his NSW Literary award-winning poem you can start anywhere, you'll still hit all the service stations, originally broadcast on Line BreakOpera Australia and The Australian Ballet have each announced losses of more than nine million dollars for the 2024/5 financial year. That follows on from leadership changes at both companies. Samuel Cairnduff says that this is more symptom than cause, and there are bigger issues facing the arts sector.Our track of the week is Heartbreak by Tune-YardsStories mentioned in the headlines:Cannes attempts to institute new fashion rules on the red carpetGen Z gets a seat on NSW arts boardsWinners announced for the NSW Literary AwardElton John brands government 'losers' over AI copyright plans
Your ultimate guide for staying in the know and getting inspired. An essential wrap-up of arts news and the best interviews, brought to you by the Arts team at ABC Radio National.
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