Tame Impala, Sia, Amyl and The Sniffers, Ninajirachi, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers and 20 other acts will duke it out for the peer-voted APRA Song of the Year, the top honor at the annual APRA Music Awards.
Announced this week, the top 25 songs in the peer-voted category include a slew of debutant shortlisted artists including Ecca Vandal, Emily Wurramara, Folk Bitch Trio, Liam Bell (Playlunch), and Ocean Alley.
They join shortlist alumni Angie McMahon, Bernard Fanning, Hiatus Kaiyote, Kasey Chambers, Missy Higgins, Nick Cave, Troye Sivan, Genesis Owusu and others. Ahead of the big night, the top 25 is whittled down to five nominees, with each of those songs performed — and often reinvented — by another artist.
On the awards circuit in recent months, Tame Impala, Amyl and The Sniffers and Ninajirachi have been in a league of their own.
Consider, last Sunday, Feb. 1, Kevin Parker collected his second Grammy Award as Tame Impala, when “End of Summer” won for best dance/electronic recording, and he scooped a brace of APRAs last year.
Amyl and The Sniffers went on a rampage, earning first-ever Grammy and BRIT Award nominations, they cleaned up at the 2025 ARIA Awards with four wins and claimed the coveted song of the year at the 2025 APRAs.
Rising EDM star Ninajirachi (real name: Nina Wilson) has also been on a tear, collecting multiple ARIA Awards, J Awards, the Australian Music Prize and the NSW Music Prize for breakthrough artist, and second prize in the 2025 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition for “iPod Touch.”
As previously reported, APRA is this year celebrating its 100th anniversary. The celebrations will get underway at the APRAs for a ceremony that should be “the biggest yet,” organizers say, and will be presented for the very first time at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, April 29.
For its milestone anniversary, the awards has tallied its highest ever number of votes cast by APRA members.
Formed by six music publishers a century ago this month, the Australasian Performing Right Association now represents over 128,000 music creators. The APRA Music Awards is heading into its 44th edition, and is one of the most beloved events on the Australian industry calendar, celebrating excellence in contemporary music, and those songwriters and publishers who have achieved artistic excellence and outstanding success in their fields.
For more information, visit apraamcos.com.au/apramusicawards2026 and check out the song of the year shortlist here.