Amyl And The Sniffers, Paul Kelly, Tame Impala And Ninajirachi Lead The Song Of The Year Field As APRA Marks 100 Years Of Championing Australian Songwriters
by Paul Cashmere
The nominees for the 2026 APRA Music Awards have been announced, setting the stage for a landmark ceremony marking the centenary year of the Australasian Performing Right Association. The awards will be presented on Wednesday 29 April at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, with Julia Zemiro hosting the event and guest presenters including Bernard Fanning, Jessica Mauboy, Mark Coles Smith and Stella Donnelly.
Among the headline nominations is the shortlist for the peer voted APRA Song Of The Year, which brings together five works reflecting the diversity of contemporary Australian songwriting. The finalists are “Dancing2” by Keli Holiday, “iPod Touch” by Ninajirachi, “Jerkin’” by Amyl And The Sniffers, “Loser” by Tame Impala and “Rita Wrote A Letter” by Paul Kelly and Dan Kelly.
The APRA Music Awards recognise achievement in songwriting and publishing performance across the Australian music industry. Founded in 1982, the ceremony has become one of the most significant annual events for songwriters, focusing on the craft behind the music rather than sales alone. The 2026 ceremony carries additional weight as APRA marks 100 years since the organisation was established to protect and represent songwriters and composers.
The Song Of The Year shortlist features several established figures alongside emerging voices. Melbourne punk outfit Amyl And The Sniffers return to the category after winning in 2025, this time nominated for “Jerkin’”, which also appears in the Most Performed Rock Work category. Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, a two time Song Of The Year winner, earns another nomination with “Loser”, a track that continues Parker’s reputation for shaping contemporary psychedelic pop and alternative music.
Paul Kelly’s nomination carries a sense of historical continuity. “Rita Wrote A Letter”, written with his nephew Dan Kelly, acts as a narrative companion to Kelly’s widely recognised classic “How To Make Gravy”. The collaboration introduces Dan Kelly to the awards shortlist for the first time while extending Paul Kelly’s longstanding relationship with the APRA honours.
Electronic producer Nina Wilson, known as Ninajirachi, secures a place in the top five with “iPod Touch”, a collaboration with Darcy Baylis that reflects the growing international presence of Australian electronic music. Adam Hyde, performing under the alias Keli Holiday, rounds out the shortlist with “Dancing2”, co written with Alex Cameron and Konstantin Kersting. The track also appears in the Most Performed Alternative Work category.
Across the full list of nominations, 52 writers appear as first time nominees. Seven of those newcomers receive recognition in two separate categories, highlighting how contemporary songwriting often crosses genre boundaries.
Several returning names appear in other categories. Hilltop Hoods featuring Marlon are nominated for “The Gift” in the Most Performed Hip Hop Or Rap Work category. Jimmy Barnes is recognised in Most Performed Rock Work for “Defiant”, while King Stingray’s “Southerly” also appears in the same field. Sia, the most awarded songwriter in APRA history, receives another nomination with David Guetta for “Beautiful People” in the Most Performed Dance Or Electronic Work category.
The Emerging Songwriter Of The Year category presents another cross section of Australian music’s next generation. Nominees include hip hop artist BARKAA, songwriter Emily Wurramara, Nick Ward, Nina Wilson and the members of Folk Bitch Trio, Grace Sinclair, Heide Peverelle and Jeanie Pilkington.
Beyond the competitive categories, the ceremony will also present the Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services To Australian Music, with the recipient to be announced on 14 April ahead of the event.
The APRA Music Awards form part of a broader program run by APRA AMCOS recognising composition across multiple fields. Alongside the contemporary music awards, the organisation also presents the Art Music Awards for classical and experimental composition and the Screen Music Awards in partnership with the Australian Guild Of Screen Composers.
For the Australian industry, the APRA honours serve as a reminder that songwriting remains the foundation of recorded music, touring and publishing revenue. As streaming and global collaborations continue to reshape the market, the awards provide a snapshot of how Australian writers are navigating a landscape where genre boundaries are increasingly fluid.
The winners will be revealed when the APRA Music Awards return to Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on 29 April, marking a century of the organisation’s advocacy for songwriters while highlighting the next generation shaping Australian music.
2026 APRA Music Awards Nominees
Peer-Voted APRA Song Of The Year
Dancing2 – Keli Holiday
iPod Touch – Ninajirachi
Jerkin’ – Amyl And The Sniffers
Loser – Tame Impala
Rita Wrote A Letter – Paul Kelly
Emerging Songwriter Of The Year
BARKAA
Emily Wurramara
Grace Sinclair / Heide Peverelle / Jeanie Pilkington (Folk Bitch Trio)
Nick Ward
Nina Wilson (Ninajirachi)
Most Performed Australian Work
Maybe – Guy Sebastian
Please Don’t Move To Melbourne – Ball Park Music
stay a little longer – ROSÉ
Tell Me – Sonny Fodera & Clementine Douglas
Touch – KATSEYE
Most Performed Alternative Work
All The Noise – Spacey Jane
car – Royel Otis
Dancing2 – Keli Holiday
Hideaway – Mallrat
Please Don’t Move To Melbourne – Ball Park Music
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
I’m Yours – Karen Lee Andrews
Let It Rain – Dallas Frasca
Milk & Honey – Tash Sultana
Straight Into The Sun – The Cruel Sea
Survival – Karen Lee Andrews
Most Performed Country Work
BUY THAT GIRL A BEER – Casey Barnes
Dirty Money – Travis Collins
I’m A Boxer – Brad Cox
TROUBLE – Tori Darke & Jay Santilli
Who You Are – Rachael Fahim
Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work
Break My Love – RÜFÜS DU SOL
CAVE – Dom Dolla & Tove Lo
Focus – John Summit feat. CLOVES
Beautiful People – David Guetta & Sia
Tell Me – Sonny Fodera & Clementine Douglas
Most Performed Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work
All That I Remember – The Amity Affliction
nerv – Thornhill
RAINDROP – Ocean Grove
Sacred – Parkway Drive
Tether – Make Them Suffer
Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work
The Gift – Hilltop Hoods feat. Marlon
Party On The Moon – Bliss n Eso
Spinnin’ – ONEFOUR & Nemzzz
The Trap – Rops1
Who’s Back – Skux
Most Performed Pop Work
I Can Die Now – Ruel
Maybe – Guy Sebastian
Press Pause – Kita Alexander
stay a little longer – ROSÉ
Touch – KATSEYE
Most Performed R&B / Soul Work
Cardio – Larissa Lambert
Julia – Don West
Lil’ Obsession – BOY SODA
Pity Party – PANIA
Vetted – Lithe
Most Performed Rock Work
Defiant – Jimmy Barnes
Everyone Will See It – Old Mervs
Jerkin’ – Amyl And The Sniffers
Southerly – King Stingray
Tangerine – Ocean Alley
Most Performed International Work
APT. – Bruno Mars And ROSÉ
DENIAL IS A RIVER – Doechii
Squabble Up – Kendrick Lamar
That’s So True – Gracie Abrams
Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
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