INXS To Receive Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services To Australian Music At 2026 APRA Music Awards

INXS will be honoured with the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services To Australian Music at the 2026 APRA Music Awards in Sydney on 29 April, recognising a career that reshaped Australia’s global musical identity. The award places INXS among the most significant recipients in APRA history, acknowledging nearly five decades of international impact and cultural influence. A special tribute performance is also planned for the ceremony, marking the occasion as part of APRA’s centenary celebrations.

by Paul Cashmere

The honour arrives as APRA AMCOs prepares a landmark 2026 ceremony at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, where INXS will be formally recognised for their enduring contribution to songwriting, performance and international success. The award acknowledges not only commercial achievement but the band’s role in expanding the reach of Australian music into major global markets from the late 1970s onward.

The announcement also confirms a broad line-up of Australian and Aotearoa artists who will perform on the night, underlining the scale of this year’s 100-year APRA milestone. The ceremony will be hosted by Julia Zemiro, with guest presenters including Bernard Fanning, Jessica Mauboy, Mark Coles Smith and Stella Donnelly.

INXS will receive the Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services To Australian Music at the 2026 APRA Music Awards on Wednesday 29 April in Sydney. The honour recognises the band’s extraordinary global impact, including seven US Top 10 singles and worldwide album sales exceeding 75 million. The award cements their status as one of Australia’s most successful and influential musical exports.

The award highlights INXS as a defining force in modern Australian music history, acknowledging their transformation from Sydney pub circuit regulars into international chart leaders. It also reflects the continued relevance of their catalogue, which remains heavily streamed and culturally present across film, television and advertising more than four decades after formation.

Formed in Sydney in 1977 as The Farriss Brothers, INXS comprised Andrew, Jon and Tim Farriss alongside Garry Beers, Kirk Pengilly and Michael Hutchence. Their early years on the Australian live circuit built a reputation for tightly structured songwriting and high-energy performance.

Their breakthrough accelerated under the guidance of manager Chris Murphy, leading to a series of defining Australian releases including “Don’t Change”, “Original Sin” and “What You Need”. These tracks positioned the band for global expansion in the mid-1980s.

The 1987 album Kick marked a commercial and artistic peak. The record reached No.3 on the US Billboard 200 and delivered four US Top 10 singles, including “Need You Tonight”, “Never Tear Us Apart” and “New Sensation”. Its fusion of rock, funk and new wave production became a blueprint for mainstream crossover success.

Jenny Morris, Chair of APRA, reflected on the band’s impact, noting their international reception during the 1980s touring cycle. She highlighted the emotional reach of their songwriting and the sustained global admiration for Michael Hutchence’s performance legacy.

INXS emerged during a pivotal period for Australian music export, alongside acts such as AC/DC and The Bee Gees in establishing global credibility for Australian artists. Their success helped redefine expectations for what Australian bands could achieve internationally, particularly in the US market.

Across their career, INXS collected six APRA Music Awards alongside ARIA Awards, Brit Awards and MTV recognition. Their influence extends beyond sales metrics, with songs such as “Never Tear Us Apart” continuing to circulate widely across streaming platforms, social media and reinterpretations. In 2025, the track was voted No.1 in triple j’s Hottest 100 Of Australian Songs, reinforcing its generational longevity.

The band’s cultural footprint has also remained visible in sync licensing, with placements across major film, television and global advertising campaigns. Their catalogue continues to function as a reference point for Australian songwriting internationally.

While INXS are widely regarded as one of Australia’s most successful musical exports, their legacy is often viewed through multiple lenses, particularly in relation to the post-Michael Hutchence era. Following Hutchence’s death in 1997, the band continued with different vocalists, a period that divided some audiences and critics.

However, industry recognition such as the Ted Albert Award focuses on the entirety of their recorded and cultural contribution rather than individual eras. APRA’s acknowledgement positions INXS within a broader historical framework of Australian songwriting achievement, aligning them with artists whose work has shaped both domestic and international markets over decades.

The 2026 APRA Music Awards will function as both a celebration of current songwriting achievement and a centenary reflection on Australian music history. INXS’s recognition with the Ted Albert Award places them firmly within that legacy narrative, acknowledging a catalogue that continues to resonate across platforms, generations and global audiences.

Their influence remains embedded in the structure of modern Australian pop and rock, ensuring that their impact continues well beyond the original era in which it was created.

A series of special performances, including a tribute to INXS, will be part of an extraordinary evening celebrating 100 years of APRA. An eclectic cross-section of some of the most exciting artists from across the musical spectrum are confirmed to perform including hip-hop powerhouse BARKAA, the soulfully seductive BOY SODA, groundbreaking punk rocker Ecca Vandal, artist and songman Ngulmiya, seven-piece funk band Playlunch, Aotearoa pop superstar Rob Ruha, and multi-instrumentalist Way Dynamic. APRA Music Award alumni Christine Anu, Paul Kelly and The Presets will make up the musical repertoire, befitting this landmark occasion.

2026 APRA Music Awards
Wednesday 29 April
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Host Julia Zemiro
Guest presenters Bernard Fanning, Jessica Mauboy, Mark Coles Smith and Stella Donnelly
Music Director François Tétaz

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Tagged as: APRA Music Awards, Australian music, Australian rock, INXS, Kick, Michael Hutchence, Need You Tonight, Never Tear Us Apart, Ted Albert Award

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