2026 ARIA Awards nominations: Genesis Owusu and Tame Impala lead – Genesis Owusu and Tame Impala lead the 2026 ARIA Awards nominations with eight nods each as the ceremony prepares to celebrate 40 years of Australian music.
Ecca Vandal follows with seven nominations. Baker Boy, BOY SODA, G Flip, Miss Kaninna and Ninajirachi each have five, while DMA’S, Dom Dolla and Troye Sivan receive four apiece.
The anniversary field connects established artists with a new generation of Australian performers. Viewers will be able to watch the winners announced live on Paramount+ and Channel 10, while fans can help decide four categories through Spotify and the ARIA website.
Genesis Owusu and Tame Impala lead the 2026 ARIA Awards nominations
Genesis Owusu’s third album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, debuted at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart. It also reached number one on both the Australian Albums Chart and Vinyl Albums Chart.
The seven-time ARIA Award winner is nominated for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist, Best Independent Release, Best Alternative Release and Best Australian Live Act. His other nominations recognise the video and cover art for the project, as well as production by Dann Hume and Andrew Klippel.
Tame Impala also collects eight nominations after releasing the fifth studio album Deadbeat. The single Dracula has spent 18 weeks inside the ARIA Singles Chart top 10 and peaked at number four, making it Kevin Parker’s highest-charting single.
The Tame Impala nominations span Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist, Best Pop Release, Best Dance / Electronic Release, Best Alternative Release and Song of the Year. Parker is also nominated for engineering and producing Deadbeat.
Ecca Vandal and Australian artists make a global impact
Ecca Vandal earns seven nominations following the release of Looking For People to Unfollow. Her year has included performances at Coachella and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, international festival appearances and a headline tour.
The wider field reflects Australian music’s reach across pop, rock, electronic, hip hop, country and independent releases. Kylie Minogue, Paul Kelly, Keith Urban, Vika & Linda and Hilltop Hoods sit alongside emerging artists and international festival performers.
Best Alternative Release returns for the first time since 2016. Ecca Vandal, Gang Of Youths, Genesis Owusu, Meg Mac and Tame Impala are nominated in the revived category.
Public voting opens through Spotify and ARIA
Fans can vote each day from 24 September until 9 November. The four public-voted categories are Best Australian Live Act, Song of the Year, Best Video and Most Popular International Artist.
The 40th anniversary celebrations began with an ARIA Hall of Fame event at Carriageworks in June. Gurrumul, Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano, Spiderbait, The Living End and Vika & Linda were inducted.
ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said the nominees represented “the culmination of 40 years of Australian success” and congratulated the artists. Spotify Australia and New Zealand managing director Mikaela Lancaster said the partnership would continue bringing fans closer to artists and helping Australian music reach global audiences.
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said Sydney remained central to the nation’s music industry, from grassroots venues and emerging talent to major artists.
2026 ARIA Awards full nominations
Album of the Year
- BOY SODA — Soulstar
- DMA’S — DMA’S
- Ecca Vandal — Looking For People to Unfollow
- Genesis Owusu — REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE
- Tame Impala — Deadbeat
Best Solo Artist
- Baker Boy — Djandjay
- BOY SODA — Soulstar
- Ecca Vandal — Looking For People to Unfollow
- G Flip — Dream Ride
- Genesis Owusu — REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE
- Matt Corby — Tragic Magic
- Miss Kaninna — BLACKPRINT
- Ninajirachi — WannaCry
- Tame Impala — Deadbeat
- Troye Sivan — She’s The Best
Best Group
- 5 Seconds of Summer — Everyone’s A Star!
- DMA’S — DMA’S
- Gang Of Youths — Things Take Time
- Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers — Glory
- Vika & Linda — Where Do You Come From?
Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist presented by Spotify
- aleksiah — Good On Paper
- Ecca Vandal — Looking For People to Unfollow
- Rachael Fahim — Who You Are
- Way Dynamic — Massive Shoe
- WILSN — Bloom
Best Pop Release
- Blusher — Rager
- G Flip — Dream Ride
- Kylie Minogue — Tension Tour//Live 2025
- Tame Impala — Dracula
- Troye Sivan — She’s The Best
Best Dance / Electronic Release
- Dean Turnley — Actin’ Tough
- Dom Dolla — Addicted to Bass
- Ninajirachi and Porter Robinson — WannaCry
- Tame Impala — Afterthought
- Yes Boone — All I Really Want
Best Hip Hop / Rap Release
- Baker Boy — Djandjay
- DEVAURA — Vol. 2 If You Don’t Laugh, You’ll Cry
- Hilltop Hoods — Never Coming Home
- Miss Kaninna — BLACKPRINT
- Nerve — Growing Pains
Best Soul / R&B Release
- Becca Hatch — Garden (Bang Goes the Drum)
- BOY SODA — Soulstar
- Larissa Lambert — I Love You Out Loud
- Miss Kaninna — BACKSTREETS
- Tkay Maidza — Romanticize
Best Independent Release presented by PPCA
- 2charm — boyfriend
- Ecca Vandal — Looking For People to Unfollow
- Genesis Owusu — REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE
- Miss Kaninna — BLACKPRINT
- Ninajirachi and Porter Robinson — WannaCry
Best Rock Album presented by Tooheys
- Courtney Barnett — Creature Of Habit
- DMA’S — DMA’S
- Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers — Glory
- The Belair Lip Bombs — Again
- The Temper Trap — Sungazer
Best Alternative Release
- Ecca Vandal — Looking For People to Unfollow
- Gang Of Youths — Things Take Time
- Genesis Owusu — REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE
- Meg Mac — It’s My Party
- Tame Impala — Deadbeat
Best Adult Contemporary Album
- Matt Corby — Tragic Magic
- Paul Kelly — Seventy
- The Paper Kites — If You Go There, I Hope You Find It
- Vika & Linda — Where Do You Come From?
- Way Dynamic — Massive Shoe
Best Country Album
- Keith Urban — Flow State
- Max Jackson — Dangerous in Denim
- Morgan Evans — Steel Town
- Rachael Fahim — Who You Are
- Wade Forster — Gooseneck Party
Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album
- Cosmic Psychos — I Really Like Beer
- DZ Deathrays — Easing Out Of Control
- Karnivool — In Verses
- These New South Whales — Godspeed
- WAAX — Angels Mess
Best Blues & Roots Album
- Any Young Mechanic — The Modern Shoe Is Ruining The Foot
- Emma Donovan — Take Me To The River
- John Butler — Prism
- William Crighton — Colonial Drift
- Xavier Rudd — Freedom Sessions/Where To Now
Best Children’s Album
- Bluey — Up Here (The Orchestral Album)
- Don Spencer — Feathers, Fur or Fins 40th Anniversary (Don Spencer & Friends)
- Emma Memma — Jungle Picnic
- Play School — Dance It Out
- The Wiggles — Sparkle!: A Circus Of Lights
Best Music Festival presented by Music Australia
- Beyond The Valley 2025 — Untitled Group
- CMC Rocks — CMC Rocks Pty Ltd
- Groovin The Moo Lismore — Fuzzy Operations Pty Ltd
- Laneway Festival — St Jerome’s Laneway Pty Ltd
- Spilt Milk — Kicks Entertainment
Best Video (public voted)
- Never The Same — BOY SODA and Adam Saunders
- RUNNING LOW featuring Pardyalone — Baker Boy, Aurie Indianna and Jordan Ruyi Blanch
- BACKSTREETS — Miss Kaninna and Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore
- My Baby’s Place — DMA’S and Cole Surrey
- CRUISING TO SELF SOOTHE — Ecca Vandal and Richie Buxton
- Stampede — Genesis Owusu and Isaac Brown
- One More — James Johnston and Jared Hinz
- Every Single Weekend — The Avalanches and Jonathan Zawada
- Addicted to Bass — Dom Dolla, Kyle Caulfield and Charles Buxton-Leslie
- Bed On Fire — G Flip and Tas Wilson
Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW (public voted)
- Baker Boy — DJANDJAY TOUR
- BOY SODA — Lil Obsession Tour
- Dom Dolla — Australian Tour 2025
- G Flip — Dream Ride Tour — Australia 2026
- Gang Of Youths — Various
- Genesis Owusu — Red Star Wu’s Pirate Radio Tour
- Hilltop Hoods — Never Coming Home Tour
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard — Phantom Island Australian Tour
- Ninajirachi — DARK CRYSTAL V
- Paul Kelly — Australian Tour 2025
Song of the Year (public voted)
- FISHER — Blackberries
- G Flip — Bed on Fire
- Keli Holiday — Dancing2
- Lithe — Cannonball
- Ocean Alley — Love Balloon
- Royel Otis — car
- Sonny Fodera — Think About Us
- Tame Impala — Dracula
- The Kid LAROI — A COLD PLAY
- Vance Joy — Divine Feelings
Most Popular International Artist (public voted)
- BTS — ARIRANG
- Ed Sheeran — Play
- Harry Styles — Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally
- Morgan Wallen — I’m The Problem
- Noah Kahan — The Great Divide
- Olivia Dean — The Art of Loving
- Olivia Rodrigo — you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
- Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
- sombr — I Barely Know Her
- Taylor Swift — The Life of a Showgirl
Best Cover Art
- Aurie Indianna and Sulaiman Enayatzada for Baker Boy — Djandjay
- Connor Dewhurst for Amy Shark — soft pop
- Ecca Vandal, Kathryn Vinella and Sean McDonald for Ecca Vandal — Looking For People to Unfollow
- Kofi Owusu-Ansah, Isaac Brown and Gina Wagstaffe for Genesis Owusu — REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE
- Miriam David and Pat Fox for Matt Corby — Tragic Magic
Engineer — Best Engineered Release
- Dom Dolla for Dom Dolla — Don’t Worry Baby
- Kevin Parker for Tame Impala — Deadbeat
- Wave Racer for 2charm — Star Scum City
- Styalz Fuego for Troye Sivan — She’s The Best
- Tony Buchen for DOBBY — MARSHMELLOW
Producer — Best Produced Release
- Dann Hume and Andrew Klippel for Genesis Owusu — REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE
- Kevin Parker for Tame Impala — Deadbeat
- Ninajirachi for 2charm — Star Scum City
- Ninajirachi and Porter Robinson for Ninajirachi — WannaCry
- Styalz Fuego for Troye Sivan — She’s The Best
Best Classical Album
- Jayson Gillham — Chopin Etudes
- Richard Tognetti and Australian Chamber Orchestra — Beethoven & Brahms Concertos for Violin and Orchestra
- Simone Young and Sydney Symphony Orchestra — Mahler: Symphony No. 3
- Tamara-Anna Cislowska, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Johannes Fritzsch — Elena Kats-Chernin: Ancient Letters
- William Barton and Omega Ensemble — Gift — Our Breath of Life
Best Jazz Album
- Donny Benét — Il Basso
- Hilary Geddes — Redleaf
- Lauren Tsamouras and Tom Avgenicos — For Judy
- Ten Part Invention — Time Is moved
- The Vampires — Skydancer
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
- Ack Kinmonth — The Pout Pout Fish (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Amanda Brown — Deadloch Season 1
- Brian Cachia — Beast (Original Motion Picture Score)
- Caitlin Yeo — Every Little Thing (Official Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Francois Tetaz — My Brilliant Career
Best World Music Album
- Melbourne Ska Orchestra — Monte Loco Rides Again
- Mo’Ju, Nicholas Buc and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra — Double J Live at the Wireless — Hamer Hall, Melbourne 2023
- Not Drowning, Waving — Malira
- Tenzin Choegyal and Philip Glass — Be The Sky
- The Cat Empire — Live At Sydney Opera House
Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement
- Fox Sports Australia Finals Footy — Fox Sports Australia, 3%, Fred Leone and Scribe
- Paramount+: All Fired Up — AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Hello and G Flip
- Tourism WA: Walking On A Dream — Tourism WA, Empire of the Sun, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Billy-Jo Shoveller
- Toyota: Nice to Know it could. — The Hero Corporation and Amyl and The Sniffers
- Uber Eats: The Man LAROI — Special and The Kid LAROI
THE 2026 ARIA AWARDS WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER AT THE HORDERN PAVILION AND WILL BE LIVE ON PARAMOUNT+ AND BROADCAST ON CHANNEL 10.
For more TV Central Channel 10 news, head here. Voting information and official updates are available on the ARIA Awards website.