2026 ARIA Awards return to Sydney on 18 November for 40th anniversary – The 2026 ARIA Awards will return to Sydney on Wednesday, 18 November.
Australia’s biggest night in music will mark its 40th anniversary in 2026. The ceremony will again be held at the Hordern Pavilion on Gadigal land.
The awards will also return to 10 and stream live on Paramount+.
For TV Central readers, that means the ARIA Awards will again have a national free-to-air and streaming home. It also gives the milestone ceremony a strong television presence as Australian music looks back across four decades.
40 Years Of The ARIA Awards
ARIA said the 2026 ceremony will celebrate the history of the awards. It will also spotlight the current wave of Australian music talent.
ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said the Australian music scene is moving quickly. She said local artists continue to build audiences in Australia and overseas.
“Australian music has never been more electric, more diverse or more globally resonant, and the ARIA Awards have had the best seat in the house for four decades,” Herd said.
Herd pointed to artists including Amyl and The Sniffers, The Kid LAROI, Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla and Troye Sivan.
She said the 40th ARIA Awards would celebrate the artists, fans and moments that have shaped Australian music.
Sydney Hosts The Ceremony
The awards will be staged at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion for the sixth consecutive year.
The 2026 event is supported by the NSW Government through Destination NSW.
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said Sydney was a fitting home for the milestone ceremony. He pointed to the city’s live music scene and the history of the Hordern Pavilion.
The anniversary year has already included a major ARIA Hall of Fame event. It was held at Carriageworks in June.
Gurrumul, Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano, Spiderbait, The Living End and Vika & Linda were inducted at that event.
ARIA Awards Presents will also return in 2026. The event lineup will be announced later.
Spotify Returns
The 2026 ARIA Awards will again be presented in partnership with Spotify.
Spotify returns as presenting partner for a second year.
ARIA said the partnership will include in-app voting and a global out-of-home campaign. It will also include a dedicated ARIA Awards hub, editorial features and international support for Australian artists.
Spotify Managing Director AUNZ Mikaela Lancaster said the platform was proud to continue its partnership with ARIA.
“We’re focused on turning the energy of the night into sustained streams, new fans and more opportunities for artists at every stage,” Lancaster said.
The 2025 Winners
The 2025 ARIA Awards set the stage for the anniversary year.
Amyl and The Sniffers won four awards, including Album of the Year and Best Group.
Ninajirachi also had a major night. She won three awards, including Best Solo Artist and the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist Award presented by Spotify.
Other names recognised or featured across the 2025 ceremony included Dom Dolla, Troye Sivan, Tame Impala, Thelma Plum, Boy Soda, BARKAA and Kasey Chambers.
Olivia Dean also performed Man I Need.
The 2026 nominations will be announced on Thursday, 24 September.
2026 ARIA Awards
Wednesday, 18 November
On 10 and streaming live on Paramount+
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More information about the ARIA Awards is available from ARIA.
