[3][4][5][6][7][8] To be eligible, the work must have been within the RnB, hip-hop, soul, funk, reggae and dancehall genres.
In the case of a remixed or re-worked album, it was eligible provided that: it was not a final five nominee in any other category; contain 50% new lyrical and musical content; the artist(s) and production team meet the artist eligibility criteria; and the ARIA member entering the album must choose the artist or production team as the recipient of the award.
The accolade was voted for by a judging school, which comprises between 40 and 100 members of representatives experienced in this genre, and is given to an artist who is either from Australia or an Australian resident.
Hilltop Hoods have received six wins from six nominations, more than any other artist, for The Hard Road in 2006, The Hard Road: Restrung in 2007, State of the Art in 2009, Drinking from the Sun in 2012 and Walking Under Stars in 2014.
[10][11][12] It was last presented in 2018, as Best Urban Release, to Hilltop Hoods featuring Adrian Eagle for "Clark Griswold".