In spite of some stiff competition from teenage popstar newcomer Gabriella Cilmi, the 2008 ARIA Awards were good to men-about-town The Presets. The Sydney duo took home several of the evening’s most prestigious awards, including ‘Best Group’, ‘Best Dance Release’ and ‘Album of the Year’.

Check out our hot photos from the 2008 ARIA Red Carpet.

Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes were also responsible for the ceremony’s most electric performance with a typically high-energy rendition of their anthem My People, complete with over-the-top theatrics, a handful of mysterious Zebra dancers and a whole lotta lasers. It wasn’t all neon sunshine though – The Presets lost out to Gabriella Cilmi with the ‘Best Single Of The Year’ award, with the 17 year old Melbourne lass going on to collect all six awards she was nominated for.

There was a hot performance from Sam Sparro, who belted out his smash hit Black And Gold, and at one point almost tripped over on a flight of steps as he ran about the stage. The Veronicas got the crowd going with a hot rendition of Untouched. And P!nk was in good form, making a memorable entrance on a ride on lawn mower to perform her latest hit So What?

Chris Lilley’s Naughty Girl took home the award for Best Original Soundtrack, Delta’s self-titled album won Highest Selling Album and Nick Cave won Best Male Artist.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Cover Art
Jonathan Zawada – The Presets, Apocalypso
(Modular/Universal Music Australia)

Best Video
Kris Moyes – The Presets, My People
(Modular/Universal Music Australia)

Engineer of the Year
Matt Lovell – Shihad, Beautiful Machine
(Warner Music)

Producer of the Year
The Presets (Julian Hamilton & Kim Moyes) – The Presets, Apocalypso
(Modular/Universal Music Australia)

Best Classical Album
Richard Tognetti, Neal Peres Da Costa and Daniel Yeadon – Bach Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard
(ABC Classics)

Best Jazz Album
Andrea Keller – Footprints
(ABC Jazz)

Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album
Chris Lilley – Summer Heights High
(ABC Music)

Best World Music Album
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul
(Skinnyfish Music/MGM)

Highest Selling Single
Gabriella Cilmi – Sweet About Me
(Mushroom Records/Warner Music Australia)

Highest Selling Album
Delta Goodrem – Delta
(Sony BMG)

Best Blues and Roots Album
The Audreys – When The Flood Comes
(ABC Music/Universal Music Australia)

Best Children’s Album
The Wiggles – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
(ABC Music)

Best Dance Release
The Presets – Apocalypso
(Modular/Universal Music Australia)

Best Urban Album
Bliss ‘n Eso – Flying Colours
(Illusive Sounds)

Best Independent Release
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul
(Skinnyfish Music/MGM)

Best Music DVD
Powderfinger/Silverchair – Across The Great Divide
(Universal Music Australia)

Best Rock Album
The Living End – White Noise
(Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)

Best Adult Contemporary Album
The Panics – Cruel Guards
(Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)

Best Pop Release
Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned
(Mushroom Records/Warner Music Australia)

Best Comedy Release
Shaun Micallef – The Expurgated Micallef Tonight:
The Very Best of Shaun Micallef’s Short-Lived but Brilliant Tonight
(Shock Entertainment DVD)

Best Country Album
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Rattlin’ Bones
(Liberation Music)

Breakthrough Artist – Single
Gabriella Cilmi – Sweet About Me
(Mushroom Records/Warner Music Australia)

Breakthrough Artist – Album
Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned
(Mushroom Records/Warner Music Australia)

Best Group
The Presets – Apocalypso
(Modular/Universal Music Australia)

Best Male Artist
Nick Cave – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
(Virgin/EMI)

Best Female Artist
Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned
(Mushroom Records/Warner Music Australia)

Single of the Year
Gabriella Cilmi – Sweet About Me
(Mushroom Records/Warner Music Australia)

Album of the Year
The Presets – Apocalypso
(Modular/Universal Music Australia)