The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards) were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome.^[1][2] The ceremony aired on Network Ten.^[3]

Winners highlighted in bold, with nominees, in plain, below them.^[1]

• Album of the Year
  • Powderfinger – Vulture Street
    • Delta Goodrem – Innocent Eyes
    • The Sleepy Jackson – Lovers
    • Something for Kate – The Official Fiction
    • The Waifs – Up All Night
• Single of the Year
  • Delta Goodrem – "Born to Try"
    • Amiel – "Lovesong"
    • Powderfinger – "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind"
    • Silverchair – "Luv Your Life"
    • The Waifs – "Lighthouse"
• Best Male Artist
  • Alex Lloyd – "Coming Home"
    • Ben Lee – Hey You. Yes You.
    • John Butler – Living
    • Nick Cave – Nocturama
    • Tex Perkins – Sweet Nothing
• Best Female Artist
  • Delta Goodrem – Innocent Eyes
    • Amiel – Audio Out
    • Kylie Minogue – "Come into My World"
    • Renée Geyer – Tenderland
    • Sarah Blasko - Prelusive EP ("Your Way")
• Best Group
  • Powderfinger – Vulture Street
    • Grinspoon – "No Reason"
    • Silverchair – "Across the Night"
    • Something for Kate – The Official Fiction
    • The Waifs – Up All Night
• Highest-Selling Single
  • Delta Goodrem – "Born to Try"
    • Amiel – "Lovesong"
    • The Androids – "Do It with Madonna"
    • Delta Goodrem – "Innocent Eyes"
    • Delta Goodrem – "Lost Without You"
• Highest-Selling Album
  • Delta Goodrem – Innocent Eyes
    • John Farnham – The Last Time
    • Kasey Chambers – Barricades & Brickwalls
    • Powderfinger – Vulture Street
    • Silverchair – Diorama
• Breakthrough Artist – Single
  • Delta Goodrem – "Born to Try"
    • Candice Alley – "Falling"
    • The Casanovas – "Shake It"
    • Rogue Traders – "One of My Kind"
    • The Sleepy Jackson – "Vampire Racecourse"
• Breakthrough Artist – Album
  • Delta Goodrem – Innocent Eyes
    • Amiel – Audio Out
    • Pete Murray – Feeler
    • The Sleepy Jackson – Lovers
    • The Waifs – Up All Night
• Best Independent Release
  • The Waifs – Up All Night
    • 1200 Techniques – "Eye of the Storm"
    • Diesel – Hear
    • John Butler Trio – Living
    • The Mess Hall – Feeling Sideways
• Best Adult Contemporary Album
  • John Farnham – The Last Time
    • Blackeyed Susans – Shangri-La
    • David Bridie – Hotel Radio
    • The Go-Betweens – Bright Yellow Bright Orange
    • Renée Geyer – Tenderland
• Best Rock Album
  • Powderfinger – Vulture Street
    • Magic Dirt – Tough Love
    • Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Nocturama
    • The Sleepy Jackson – Lovers
    • Something for Kate – The Official Fiction
• Best Country Album
  • Keith Urban – Golden Road
    • Adam Harvey – Cowboy Dreams
    • Beccy Cole – Little Victories
    • Bill Chambers – Sleeping with the Blues
    • Sara Storer – Beautiful Circle
• Best Blues & Roots Album
  • The Waifs – Up All Night
    • John Butler Trio – Living
    • Mia Dyson – Cold Water
    • Pete Murray – Feeler
    • The Revelators – The Revelators
• Best Pop Release
  • Delta Goodrem – Innocent Eyes
    • Amiel – Audio Out
    • The Androids – "Do It with Madonna"
    • Dannii Minogue – Neon Nights
    • Kylie Minogue – "Come into My World"
• Best Dance Release
  • Rogue Traders – "One of My Kind"
    • 1200 Techniques – "Eye of the Storm"
    • Disco Montego – Disco Montego
    • Gerling – "Who's Ya Daddy?"
    • Wicked Beat Sound System – New Soul Breaks
• Best Children's Album
  • Hi-5 – Celebrate
    • Play School – Hip Hip Hooray
    • The Saddle Club – On Top of the World
    • The Wiggles - Go to Sleep Jeff!
    • The Wiggles - Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins!
• Best Comedy Release
  • Merrick and Rosso – From Us to Youse
    • Dave Hughes – Whatever
    • The Drugs – Music's in Trouble
    • Rodney Rude – Rude Bastard
    • Tripod – About an Hour of Song in an Hour

• Best Cover Art
  • Steven Gorrow, Revolution Design – Powderfinger – Vulture Street
    • Jenny Sullivan, Sony Music Design – Delta Goodrem – Innocent Eyes
    • Adalita, Steven Gorrow – Magic Dirt – Tough Love
    • Stephanie Ashworth & David Homer, Sony Music Design – Something for Kate – The Official Fiction
    • James Bellesini, Love Police – You Am I – Deliverance
• Engineer of the Year
  • Chris Thompson – The Waifs – Up All Night
    • Vince Pizzinga – Delta Goodrem – Innocent Eyes
    • David Leonard – The Butterfly Effect – Begins Here
    • Lindsay Gravina – Magic Dirt – Tough Love
    • Paul McKercher – Pete Murray – Feeler
• Best Video
  • Bart Borghesi – The Androids – "Do It with Madonna"
    • Paul Butler, Scott Walton & 50 / 50 Films – Gerling – "Who's Ya Daddy?"
    • Paul Butler, Scott Walton & 50 / 50 Films – Powderfinger – "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind"
    • Sam Bennetts, Rising Sun Pictures – Rogue Traders – "One of My Kind"
    • Sean Gilligan & Sarah-Jane Woulahan – Silverchair – "Across the Night"
• Producer of the Year
  • Chris Thompson – The Waifs – Up All Night
    • David Nicholas – Delta Goodrem – Innocent Eyes
    • Jonathan Burnside – The Sleepy Jackson – Lovers
    • Magoo – Gerling – Bad Blood
    • Paul McKercher – Pete Murray – Feeler

• Best World Music Album
  • Monsieur Camembert – Absynthe
    • All India Radio – All India Radio
    • David Bridie – West Papua: Sound of the Morning Star
    • Kavisha Mazzella – Silverhook Tango
    • Zulya – Elusive
• Best Jazz Album
  • Andrea Keller – Mikrokosmos
    • Andrew Robson – On
    • Kevin Hunt Trio – Love Walked In
    • The Necks – Athenaeum, Homebush, Quay & Raab
    • The World According to James – Wayback
• Best Original Soundtrack Recording
  • Mick Harvey – Australian Rules
    • Cezary Skubiszewski – After The Deluge (Original Television Mini-series Soundtrack)
    • Dave Graney & Clare Moore – Music from the Motion Picture - Bad Eggs
    • The Saddle Club – On Top of the World
    • Various Artists – The Secret Life of Us Volume 3
• Best Original Cast/Show Recording
  • Various Artists - Long Way To The Top - Live In Concert
• Best Classical Album
  • Saffire – Saffire - The Australian Guitar Quartet
    • Marshall McGuire – The 20th Century Harp
    • Slava Grigoryan, Leonard Grigoryan – Play
    • Teddy Tahu Rhodes – Mozart Arias
    • Yvonne Kenny – Make Believe

Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame was:

• John Farnham

• The Wiggles

• Delta Goodrem
  • Silverchair
  • Powderfinger
  • Something For Kate
  • Grinspoon

• Australian music