Triple J's Hottest 100 countdown is on the horizon and the contest for top spot is heating up. With a group of Australians in the mix, it appears likely that there will be a historic fourth consecutive local winner of the annual Australia Day countdown.
Determining which Aussie it will be is a tougher task, complicated by the unpredictability of Hottest 100 voting. Last year, The Rubens shocked bookmakers by vaulting Kendrick Lamar and Major Lazer to steal top spot with Hoops.
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Hottest 100 top contenders
As the contest for top spot heats up, check out the artists most likely to come in at number one in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2016.
No one will know for sure until the countdown begins on January 26, but there are a few songs that are a strong chance to win the battle for number one.
The favourite: Flume – Never Be Like You (featuring Kai)
Sydney producer Harley Streten had a busy 2016. Releasing his second Flume album Skin in May, the 25-year-old topped the local charts, toured the world, landed a US top 20 hit, played Coachella, won five ARIAs and snagged a Grammy nomination. Despite charting in the Hottest 100 seven times since 2012, Flume has never won. Adding an Australia Day victory to his impressive year would be an appropriate bookend.
Never Be Like You puts him in the box seat. A short-price favourite with the bookies, it has all the ingredients for a Hottest 100 winner: the song topped the local charts, received significant airplay on Triple J and came out early in the year. With the numbers on his side, anyone but Flume would be a surprise winner.
Amy Shark
The new kid on the block: Amy Shark - Adore
Most artists hope desperately that their debut single will get some play on radio. With her first release, Amy Shark might win the world's biggest music vote. Adore is a stirring introduction to one of the Gold Coast's brightest young artists and it's making a late run for top spot in the Hottest 100.
As a bolter with betting agencies, Shark has a lot of momentum but history is not on her side.
A solo female artist has never won the Hottest 100 and the last winner with such a late release was Queens of the Stone Age in 2002. First singles also rarely win: Jet (2003), Bernard Fanning (2005) and Mumford & Sons (2008) are the only three since 2000 to win with their debut release.
Tash Sultana. Photo: Supplied
The underdog: Tash Sultana – Jungle
Tash Sultana's big year is the feel-good Australian music story of 2016 and she may cap it off with an inspirational Hottest 100 triumph. After surviving a battle with hallucinogen-induced psychosis, the talented Victorian broke out to become a viral sensation.
Now a fixture of Australia's festival scene, the former busker has a chance to cause a huge upset. With the likes of Leicester City, the Western Bulldogs and Cronulla Sharks all winning in 2016, it would be fitting if Sultana took out top spot on the Australia Day countdown.
Donald Glover Photo: Richard Shotwell
Donald Glover couldn't lose in 2016. The former Community star premiered his television series Atlanta, which swept the Golden Globes. He fulfilled two childhood dreams, landing roles in forthcoming films for Star Wars and Spider Man. Then, for good measure, he released a bold new album Awaken, My Love under his Childish Gambino alias and wrapped up the year headlining festivals across Australia.
In light of that, it would be remiss to write off Redbone as a potential Hottest 100-topper despite its long odds. Australians love Donald Glover and his recent festival dates mean that many will be casting their votes with Redbone still on their mind. Though unlikely, 2016 has ridiculed those who count out the quiet American.