The Environmental Music Prize, an award that celebrates artists using music to connect people to nature and drive environmental action, is now open for entries for 2025 – but not for long. Submissions close this Sunday, 31 August 2025.
Australian artists across all genres are encouraged to put forward music videos released between 2023 and 2025 that speak to the natural world, explore ecological themes, or call for collective action to protect fragile ecosystems.
The prize has quickly become one of the most significant cultural initiatives linking music and climate awareness. Since its inception, it has attracted some of Australia’s biggest names and uncovered fresh voices, amplifying songs that speak to the defining crisis of our time.
Finalists in the Environmental Music Prize don’t just receive accolades – they gain exposure through a powerful media and community campaign. In 2023, the prize generated 258 media stories with more than 40 million opportunities to be seen, and finalists’ songs were shared by environmental groups and community partners across the globe.
A public vote determines the winner, making the prize uniquely people-powered. The Publicly-Voted Winner receives $20,000, while an Emerging Environmental Artist has their work immortalised on eco-wax vinyl thanks to Impressed Recordings.
Climate scientist and author Dr Joelle Gergis, a lead author of the UN’s 2022 IPCC Report, has praised the initiative for giving musicians a voice in climate conversations.
“It isn’t up to the scientific community to drive cultural change,” Dr Gergis said. “We need our musicians, our artists, our teachers to use their communication skills and platforms. Music has an incredible way of reaching people in the private place of communion that they have with their own reflective thoughts.”
In just a few years, the prize has produced landmark winners who have donated their winnings to frontline organisations and inspired artists nationwide to consider how music can double as activism.
2023 Winner – Xavier Rudd with Stoney Creek.
Rudd donated his $20,000 prize to environmental charities including Environs Kimberley, Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue, Forever Reef Project, and Save Sunshine Glossies.
“The Environmental Music Prize is important because it’s an inspiration for younger artists to use their voice to protect this beautiful earth,” Rudd said after his win.
2022 Winner – King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard with If Not Now, Then When?
The band donated their prize money to The Wilderness Society, reinforcing their reputation as eco-conscious trailblazers.
The Environmental Music Prize has already showcased a diverse roster of established and emerging artists whose songs carry powerful environmental messages.
2023 Finalists included:
Midnight Oil (Rising Seas)
Tash Sultana (Willow Tree)
Jen Cloher (Being Human)
Troy Cassar-Daley (Back On Country)
King Stingray (Milkumana)
Emily Wurramara (Lady Blue)
Kutcha Edwards (Singing Up Country)
Ziggy Alberts (Together)
2022 Finalists included:
Paul Kelly (Sleep Australia Sleep)
Briggs and Tim Minchin (Housefyre)
Eskimo Joe (Say Something)
Jack River (We Are The Youth)
Holy Holy (Hello My Beautiful World)
William Crighton ft. William Barton (Your Country)
In Hearts Wake (Worldwide Suicide)
Lime Cordiale (Addicted To The Sunshine)
This remarkable cross-section shows how environmental themes are being addressed across genres – from rock and pop to hip-hop, folk, and First Nations storytelling.
The prize is run pro-bono by Environmental Music Limited, a small non-profit, in partnership with Green Music Australia. Its mission goes beyond recognition, aiming to shift cultural values and galvanise audiences around sustainability through the universal power of song.
Artists are supported not only with exposure but also with resources and workshops. Dr Joelle Gergis has hosted Climate Leadership Workshops to help musicians use their voices more strategically, both on stage and in their broader careers.
Community partnerships have also been central to the prize’s reach. Organisations such as APRA AMCOS, Music Victoria, Music NSW, and Ocean Impact Org have amplified the message, ensuring finalist songs are discovered by listeners far beyond Australia’s borders.
Since its launch, voting for the prize has attracted listeners from 59 countries, reflecting the global appetite for music with a conscience. The songs are positioned not only as entertainment but as rallying cries for ecological awareness and change.
The 2025 edition promises to build on that momentum, with entries already pouring in from across the country. The next round of finalists will see their work boosted by another major campaign, connecting them with media, environmental groups, and voters worldwide.
How To Enter
Entries close Sunday 31 August 2025. Eligible music videos must have been released between 2023 and 2025.
Full details and submission guidelines are available at environmentalmusicprize.com.
The 2025 Environmental Music Prize will again spotlight the artists willing to lend their voices to the planet – proving that music can move hearts, shift culture, and inspire action.
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