2026 APRA Music Awards Nominations
2026 APRA Music Awards Nominations
The APRA Music Awards return in 2026 not just as another date in the industry calendar, but as a centenary landmark. One hundred years in, and the ceremony feels less like a polite nod to songwriting and more like a full-bodied celebration of how messy, collaborative and unpredictable great music can be.
Leading the charge are Amyl and the Sniffers, still riding the aftershock of last year’s win, now back in contention with “Jerkin’”, a track that leans into their signature chaos with alarming precision. Alongside them stands Kevin Parker, whose work under Tame Impala continues to blur the lines between bedroom introspection and festival-headlining grandeur. His single “Loser” positions him for a potential third Song of the Year win, which would edge him closer to folklore than mere success.
Still, the real intrigue lies in the tension between legacy and arrival. First-time nominees are not just filling space, they are reshaping it. Ninajirachi earns a deserved spot with “iPod Touch”, a hyper-digital, emotionally sharp track that feels engineered for a generation raised on glitch and nostalgia in equal measure. Meanwhile, Keli Holiday lands with “Dancing2”, co-written with Alex Cameron and Konstantin Kersting, bringing a polished, slightly melancholic pop sensibility that has already proven its weight with an ARIA win.
Then there is the quietly affecting pairing of Paul Kelly and Dan Kelly. Their nomination for “Rita Wrote A Letter” carries the kind of intergenerational storytelling that the APRA Awards have long championed, a reminder that songwriting is as much about lineage as it is about innovation.
Beyond the headline category, the scale of this year’s nominations tells its own story. Fifty-two first-time nominees suggest a scene in motion, not one content with recycling its heroes. The Emerging Songwriter of the Year category alone reads like a forecast: BARKAA, Emily Wurramara, Grace Sinclair, Heide Peverelle, Jeanie Pilkington, Nick Ward, and Ninajirachi again, proving that momentum is rarely accidental.
Set to take place at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, the ceremony will be hosted by Julia Zemiro, with presenters including Bernard Fanning, Jessica Mauboy, Mark Coles Smith and Stella Donnelly. It forms part of APRA’s broader centenary celebrations, a year-long reflection on how songwriting has shaped cultural identity across Australia and New Zealand.
Selected Key Nominees (Highlights)
Song of the Year
Amyl and the Sniffers – “Jerkin’”
Tame Impala (Kevin Parker) – “Loser”
Paul Kelly & Dan Kelly – “Rita Wrote A Letter”
Keli Holiday (feat. Alex Cameron, Konstantin Kersting) – “Dancing2”
Ninajirachi (feat. Darcy Baylis) – “iPod Touch”
Emerging Songwriter of the Year
BARKAA
Emily Wurramara
Grace Sinclair
Heide Peverelle
Jeanie Pilkington
Nick Ward
Ninajirachi
The full nominations list stretches far beyond these names, covering dozens of categories that recognise not just hits, but the craft behind them. If anything, the 2026 edition suggests that songwriting is less about solitary genius and more about shared language, constantly rewritten.
