The nominees and Song of the Year top five have been announced for the centenary edition of the 2026 APRA Music Awards, taking place on 29 April at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.
One hundred years of the APRA Music Awards is no small milestone, and the 2026 edition looks set to be the biggest yet. Nominees have been announced across all categories, with the peer-voted Song of the Year top five featuring some of the most recognisable names in Australian music right now.
Catch up on all the latest news here.
Leading the charge are Amyl and the Sniffers, nominated for “Jerkin'”, also appearing in the Most Performed Rock Work category, fresh off their 2025 win. Paul Kelly and nephew Dan Kelly are in the running for “Rita Wrote A Letter”, the long-awaited follow-up to “How to Make Gravy”, with Dan picking up his first-ever APRA nomination in the process. Kevin Parker rounds out the returning winners, nominated for Tame Impala’s slacker-rock hit “Loser”.
Joining them in the top five are Keli Holiday – the project of Adam Hyde, alongside co-composers Alex Cameron and Konstantin Kersting – for “Dancing2”, one of the biggest tracks of last year, and Ninajirachi, aka Nina Wilson, for “iPod Touch”, co-written with Darcy Baylis.
The Emerging Songwriter of the Year category is equally strong, with BARKAA, Emily Wurramara, Folk Bitch Trio (Heide Peverelle, Jeanie Pilkington and Grace Sinclair), Nick Ward and Ninajirachi all in contention.
Elsewhere in the nominations, Hilltop Hoods feat. Marlon are up for Most Performed Hip Hop/Rap Work with “The Gift”, while Jimmy Barnes and King Stingray are both nominated in the Rock category with “Defiant” and “Southerly” respectively. Sia appears alongside David Guetta for “Beautiful People” in the Dance/Electronic category, a notable return for the APRA Music Awards’ most awarded songwriter member.
Among the first-time nominees are Sam Cromack, recognised for Ball Park Music’s “Please Don’t Move to Melbourne” across both Most Performed Alternative Work and Most Performed Australian Work, KATSEYE’s K-Pop hit “Touch” earns Jessica Porfiri and Taka Perry dual nominations across Most Performed Australian Work and Most Performed Pop Work, and Guy Sebastian’s “Maybe” – co-written with Robby De Sa and Ned Houston – features in both those same categories. In total, 52 first-time nominees appear across this year’s awards.
The ceremony will be hosted by Julia Zemiro, with guest presenters Bernard Fanning, Jessica Mauboy, Mark Coles Smith and Stella Donnelly. François Tétaz steps in as music director for the evening. The Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music will be announced on 14 April, ahead of the main ceremony on 29 April.
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