The APRA Music Awards of 2026 are the 44th annual series, known as the APRA Awards. The awards are given in a series of categories in three divisions and in separate ceremonies throughout the year: the APRA Music Awards, Art Music Awards and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards occurred on 29 April 2026. Nominations for the Art Music Awards opened on 5 February to 25 February 2026.
The 25 songs shortlisted for Song of the Year were announced on 3 February 2026 with the final five nominees, alongside all genre category nominees for the APRA Music Awards, will be revealed on 31 March 2026. Amyl and the Sniffers won three awards, including Song of the Year, for a second consecutive time. "Unstoppable" by Sia won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas for the third consecutive year.
APRA Music Awards Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music INXS
APRA Song of the Year Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "Dancing2" by Keli Holiday Adam Hyde / Alex Cameron / Konstantin Kersting BMG / Sony Music Publishing / Payday Music Publishing "iPod Touch" by Ninajirachi Nina Wilson / Darcy Baylis Sony Music Publishing "Jerkin'" by Amyl and the Sniffers Declan Mehrtens / Amy Taylor / Bryce Wilson "Loser" by Tame Impala Kevin Parker Sony Music Publishing "Rita Wrote a Letter" by Paul Kelly Paul Kelly / Dan Kelly Sony Music Publishing
Songwriter of the Year Writer(s) Result Amyl and The Sniffers
Emerging Songwriter of the Year Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result Barkaa Sony Music Publishing Emily Wurramara Mushroom Music Publishing Heide Peverelle, Jeanie Pilkington & Grace Sinclair (Folk Bitch Trio) Kobalt Music Publishing Nick Ward Sony Music Publishing Nina Wilson (Ninajirachi) Sony Music Publishing
Most Performed Australian Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "Maybe" by Guy Sebastian Guy Sebastian / Robby De Sá / Ned Houston Universal Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing "Please Don't Move to Melbourne" by Ball Park Music Sam Cromack Sony Music Publishing "Stay a Little Longer" by Rosé Sarah Aarons / Andrew Wells / Chae Park Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music "Tell Me" by Sonny Fodera & Clementine Douglas Stuart Crichton / Sonny Fodera / Clementine Douglas / Ruth Cunningham Concord Music Publishing ANZ / BMG / Mushroom Music Publishing "Touch" by Katseye Taka Perry / Kota Banks / Caroline Ailin / Omer Fedi / Magnus August Høiberg / Blake Slatkin Concord Music Publishing ANZ / Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music
Most Performed Australian Work Overseas Title Writer(s) Result "Unstoppable" by Sia Sia Furler, Christopher Braide
Most Performed Alternative Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "All the Noise" by Spacey Jane Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu / Caleb Harper / Kieran Lama / Peppa Lane Kobalt Music Publishing Dew Process "Car" by Royel Otis Otis Pavlovic / Royel Maddell / Omar Fedi / Blake Slatkin Kobalt Music Publishing Ourness Songs / Universal/MCA Music Publishing "Dancing2" by Keli Holiday Adam Hyde / Alex Cameron / Konstantin Kersting BMG / Sony Music Publishing / Payday Music Publishing "Hideaway" by Mallrat Grace Shaw / Styalz Fuego / Gab Strum Kobalt Music Publishing Dew Process / Universal Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing ANZ "Please Don't Move to Melbourne" by Ball Park Music' Sam Cromack Sony Music Publishing
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "I'm Yours" by Karen Lee Andrews Karen Lee Andrews "Let It Rain" by Dallas Frasca Dallas Frasca / Paul Wood "Milk & Honey" by Tash Sultana Tash Sultana Kobalt Music Publishing "Straight Into the Sun" by The Cruel Sea Tex Perkins / Daniel Atkins / Kristyna Higgins Universal Music Publishing "Survial" by Karen Lee Andrews Daniel March / Adam Ventoura
Most Performed Country Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "Buy That Girl a Beer" by Casey Barnes Casey Barnes / Andy Skib / James Thow Mushroom Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music "Dirty Money" by Travis Collins Travis Collins / Jason Duke / Christopher Yurchuck Universal Music Publishing / Downtown Music "I'm a Boxer" by Brad Cox Brad Cox / Alexander Burnett Sony Music Publishing / Origin Music Publishing "Trouble" by Tori Darke & Jay Santilli Victoria Darke / Jessica Santilli / Michael De Lorenzis / Michael Paynter Sentric Music Publishing Digital Music Publishing / Mushroom Music Publishing "Who You Are" by Rachael Fahim Rachael Fahim / Shawn Mayer / Liam Quinn / Vlado Saric / Keenan Te Sentric Music Publishing Acts Music Publishing
Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "Break My Love" by Rüfüs Du Sol Jonathon George / James Hunt / Tyrone Lindqvist Kobalt Music Publishing "Cave" by Dom Dolla & Tove Lo Dominic Matheson / Tove Lo Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music "Focus" by John Summit featuring Cloves Kaity Dunstan / Abraham Dertner / Frederik Geuze / Neil Ormandy / John Schuster Payday Music Publishing & Silo: Music / Kobalt Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music "Beautiful People" by David Guetta & Sia Sia Furler / David Guetta / Mikkel Storleer Eriksen / Tor Erik Hermansen / Timofey Reznikov Sony Music Publishing / Peermusic "Tell Me" by Sonny Fodera & Clementine Douglas Stuart Crichton / Sonny Fodera / Clementine Douglas / Ruth Cunningham Concord Music Publishing ANZ / BMG / Mushroom Music Publishing
Most Performed Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "All That I Remember" by The Amity Affliction Joel Birch / Daniel Brown / Joseph Longobardi / Jonathan Reeves Concord Music Publishing ANZ "Nerv" by Thornhill Jacob Charlton / Benjamin Maida / Ethan McCann / Nicholas Sjogren / Samuel Bassal Concord Music Publishing ANZ "Raindrop" by Ocean Grove Samuel Bassal / Brent Hunter / Luke Holmes BMG "Sacred" by Parkway Drive Benjamin Gordon / Luke Kilpatrick / Jeffrey Ling / Winston McCall / Zachary Cervini / Jordan Fish Kobalt Music Publishing / BMG "Tether" by Make Them Suffer Sean Harmanis / Jordan Mather / Nicholas McLernon Sentric Music Publishing Cooking Vinyl Publishing
Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "The Gift" by Hilltop Hoods featuring Marlon Matthew Lambert (Suffa) / Daniel Smith (MC Pressure) / Andrew Burford / Jim Ford Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music "Party On the Moon" by Bliss n Eso Max Mackinnon / Jonathan Notley / Keith Elam / Chris Martin Mushroom Music Publishing / Mushroom Music Publishing & Sony Music Publishing/ Kobalt Music Publishing & Sony Music Publishing "Spinnin'" by OneFour & Nemzzz Jerome Misa / Salec Su'a / Hoi Tang / Nemiah Simms / Robin Turrini Sony Music Publishing "The Trap" by Rops1 Tristan Dunphy / Elijah Wilson Mushroom Music Publishing "Who's Back" by Skux Aayan Ahmed / Logan Cudarans
Most Performed Pop Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "I Can Die Now" by Ruel Ruel Van Dijk / Julian Bunetta / Joshua Coleman / Edward Drewett / Jacob Kasher Hindlin / Steven Schick Universal Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music "Maybe" by Guy Sebastian Guy Sebastian / Robby De Sa / Ned Houston Universal Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing "Press Pause" by Kita Alexander Nikkita Wright / Annie Schindel / Kyle Shearer Kobalt Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing ANZ "Stay a Little Longer" by Rosé Sarah Aarons / Andrew Wells / Chae Park Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music "Touch" by Katseye Taka Perry / Kota Banks / Caroline Ailin / Omer Fedi / Magnus Hoiberg / Blake Slatkin Concord Music Publishing ANZ / Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music
Most Performed R&B / Soul Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "Cardio" by Larissa Lambert Larissa Lambert / Khaled Rohaim / John Jackson / Cynthia Loving / Avital Margulies / Andre Robertson / Justin Smith / Chelsea Unger Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing / Mushroom Music Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing "Julia" by Don West Don West / Nathan Hawes / William Endicott / Zac Olsen / Jacob Parks Kobalt Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing "Lil' Obsession" by Boy Soda Brae Luafalealo / / Finbar Stuart "Pity Pary" by Pania Pania Hika / Jake Amy / Chelsea Warner / Sam Verghese "Vetted" by Lithe Josiah Ramel / Omid Khasrawy Concord Music Publishing ANZ Boss Level
Most Performed Rock Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "Defiant" by Jimmy Barnes Jimmy Barnes / Michael Paynter / Ben Rodgers Sony Music Publishing / Mushroom Music Publishing "Everyone Will See It" by Old Mervs Henry Carrington-Jones / Chris Collins / David House Sony Music Publishing "Jerkin'" by Amyl and the Sniffers Declan Mehrtens / Amy Taylor / Bryce Wilson "Southerly" by King Stingray Theo Dimathaya Burarrwanga / Cameron Yimila Burarrwanga / Roy Kellaway / Campbell Messer / Lewis Stiles / Yirrnga Gotjiringu Yunupingu Sony Music Publishing "Tangerine" by Ocean Alley Nic Blom / Baden Donegal / Lach Galbraith / Mitch Galbraith / Angus Goodwin / Tom O'Brien Warner Chappell Music
Most Performed International Work Title and/or artist Writer(s) Publisher(s) Result "Apt." by Bruno Mars and Rosé Bruno Mars / Amy Allen / Christopher Brown / Rogét Chahayed / Michael Chapman / Nicholas Chinn / Omer Fedi / Philip Lawrence / Chae Park / Theron Thomas / Henry Walter Warner Chappell Music / Kobalt Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing/MGB / Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing "Denial Is a River" by Doechii Doechii / James Anderson / Dante Franklin / Spencer Golanka / Serban Sirbu / Joseph Thompson Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing / Payday Music Publishing / Jungle Habitat Music "Squabble Up" by Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar / Ruchaun Maurice Akers Jr. / Jack Antonoff / Matthew Bernard / Tony Butler / Mark Spears Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing "That's So True" by Gracie Abrams Gracie Abrams / Audrey Hobert Universal/MCA Music Publishing "Timeless" by The Weeknd & Playboi Carti Abel Tesfaye / Jordan Carter / Raul Cubina / Mike Dean / Evan Hood / Jarrod Morgan / Chisolm Petty / Tariq Sharrieff / Mark Williams / Pharrell Williams Universal/MCA Music Publishing* / Sony Music Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing+ / Warner Chappell Music
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