Paul Stanhope, Alex Turley, Mindy Meng Wang, Monica Lim, Nat Bartsch and Liza Lim AM were among the major recipients as Australia’s art music community gathered in Melbourne for the 2026 Art Music Awards.
by Paul Cashmere
The 2026 Art Music Awards have recognised a broad cross-section of Australian composition, performance, education and experimental practice, with Chamber Made taking two honours and Professor Liza Lim AM receiving the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music. The awards were presented at The Timber Yard in Melbourne on Wednesday 19 August by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre.
The results included seven Work of the Year categories, three Performance of the Year awards, three Excellence awards, National Luminary honours and State and Territory Luminary Awards. The programme reflected the breadth of the Australian art music sector, spanning contemporary classical composition, jazz, improvisation, electroacoustic music, sound art, education and regional presentation.
Chamber Made was the evening’s only double winner, receiving the Award for Excellence in Experimental Practice for its 2025 presentations and artist development activities, as well as the Victorian Luminary Award for its more than 35 years of work in Australian music and performance.
The Work of the Year awards included a strong concentration of works addressing the natural world. Five-time Art Music Award recipient Paul Stanhope won Work of the Year: Choral for Mahāsāgar, with texts by Rhys Halkidis, Steve Hawke, Michael Leunig, Cass Lynch, Alexander Maloof and Elizabeth Riddell.
Alex Turley won Work of the Year: Large Ensemble for the ocean’s dream of itself, while Kate Milligan’s Dark Oceanography, developed with music technologist Aaron Wyatt and oceanographer Navid Constantinou, won Work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art.
Other Work of the Year recipients were Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim for Opera for the Dead in the Dramatic category, Nat Bartsch for When All Is Still and Quiet in Jazz & Improvised Music, Anne Cawrse for Killing the Angel in the House in Solo and Small Ensemble, and Noemi Liba Friedman for BloodRiverRootTree in Medium Ensemble.
In the Performance of the Year categories, The Cloud Maker won Jazz & Improvised Music for The Cloud Maker. Nick Russoniello received the Soloist award for his performance of his own Air Mass Suite. The Australian String Quartet and Dr Lou Bennett AM were recognised in Classical & Experimental for nyilamum song cycles, their First Nations-led collaboration with composer Paul Stanhope.
The Luminary Awards recognised sustained contributions to Australian art music. Musica Viva Australia received the National Luminary Award for an organisation, while Daryl Buckley received the individual award.
The State and Territory recipients were Michael Sollis for the ACT; People’s Republic for NSW; Alex Raineri for Queensland; Melanie Walters for South Australia; Van Diemen’s Band for Tasmania; Chamber Made for Victoria; and Hannah Lee Tungate for Western Australia. No Northern Territory recipient was listed in the supplied results.
The Award for Excellence in Music Education went to Wollongong Conservatorium of Music for its Music in Schools program. Chamber Music Adelaide and Port Augusta Performing Arts received the Award for Excellence in a Regional Area for Where We Meet: Chamber Music.
Liza Lim AM, an internationally recognised Australian composer, educator and researcher, was presented with the Richard Gill Award. The honour recognises sustained contribution to Australian music and is awarded at the discretion of the APRA and Australian Music Centre boards.
Australian Music Centre CEO Catherine Haridy said the awards demonstrated the breadth of contemporary Australian art music.
“Tonight showcased the breadth of talent and ambition within the art music community; music and stories that reflect who we are as a nation,” Haridy said. “We are incredibly proud to celebrate these achievements with you and look to the future with enthusiasm.”
APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston linked the awards to the organisation’s centenary year.
“Tonight’s recipients are proof that Australian art music is thriving,” Ormston said. “From established artists to emerging voices, these creators are expanding the possibilities of music and enriching our cultural life for audiences and the next generation of music creators.”
The ceremony was hosted by Namila Benson, with Aura Go and Connor D’Netto presenting. Performances were curated by Sia Ahmad and included appearances by Eric Avery with Flinders Quartet, pianist Sonya Lifschitz, Bhairavi Raman with Nanthesh Sivarajah, David Moran, Maryam Rahmani and Sebastian Collen, and Reuben Lewis with vocalist Michelle Nicolle and choir.
The complete 2026 winners are:
Work of the Year: Choral: Mahāsāgar, Paul Stanhope
Work of the Year: Dramatic: Opera for the Dead, Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim
Work of the Year: Jazz & Improvised Music: When All Is Still and Quiet, Nat Bartsch
Work of the Year: Large Ensemble: the ocean’s dream of itself, Alex Turley
Work of the Year: Medium Ensemble: BloodRiverRootTree, Noemi Liba Friedman
Work of the Year: Solo and Small Ensemble: Killing the Angel in the House, Anne Cawrse
Work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art: Dark Oceanography, Kate Milligan
Performance of the Year: Jazz & Improvised Music: The Cloud Maker, The Cloud Maker
Performance of the Year: Classical & Experimental: Australian String Quartet and Dr Lou Bennett AM, nyilamum song cycles
Performance of the Year: Soloist: Nick Russoniello, Air Mass Suite
Award for Excellence in Music Education: Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, Music in Schools
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area: Chamber Music Adelaide and Port Augusta Performing Arts, Where We Meet: Chamber Music
Award for Excellence in Experimental Practice: Chamber Made
National Luminary Award, Organisation: Musica Viva Australia
National Luminary Award, Individual: Daryl Buckley
Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music: Liza Lim AM
ACT Luminary: Michael Sollis
NSW Luminary: People’s Republic
Queensland Luminary: Alex Raineri
South Australia Luminary: Melanie Walters
Tasmania Luminary: Van Diemen’s Band
Victoria Luminary: Chamber Made
Western Australia Luminary: Hannah Lee Tungate
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