Nominate for the 2026 Art Music Awards

Nominations are open now until 5pm (AEDT) Wednesday 25 February 

Members are encouraged to nominate their peers for their achievements across a range of categories and genres

Art music composers who are members of APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre (AMC) members are invited to nominate a peer for the 2026 Art Music Awards.


Nominations are open across 16 categories, celebrating the extraordinary work of art music creators, leaders, works and performances from across the sector.

The Art Music Awards exist to bring together and celebrate Australia’s national art music community, recognising the diversity of practices and voices that make up this vibrant field - from contemporary and experimental music, to jazz, improvised music and sound art, and the collaborators who help bring this work to life.

There are also some important changes to this year’s Awards. Two major category expansions have been introduced, reflecting the breadth and scale of work being created. Work of the Year: Chamber Music and Large Ensemble has been expanded into three categories — Solo and Small Ensemble, Medium Ensemble, and Large Ensemble. In addition, the Performance of the Year categories have been refreshed to include Performance of the Year: Soloist, Classical & Experimental, and Jazz & Improvised.
 

Nominations close at 5pm (AEDT) Wednesday 25 February.

Art Music Awards 2026 – Categories

WORK OF THE YEAR

• Work of the Year – Solo & Small Ensemble
• Work of the Year – Medium Ensemble
• Work of the Year – Large Ensemble
• Work of the Year – Choral
• Work of the Year – Dramatic
• Work of the Year – Electroacoustic/Sound Art
• Work of the Year – Jazz & Improvised Music 
   

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

• Performance of the Year – Classical & Experimental
• Performance of the Year – Jazz & Improvised Music
• Performance of the Year – Soloist 
   

EXCELLENCE AWARDS
 

• Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
• Award for Excellence in Experimental Practice
• Award for Excellence in Music Education 
   

LUMINARY AWARDS

• Luminary Award – Organisation
• Luminary Award – Individual
• Luminary Award – State/Territory 
  
  *Nominate a person/organisation in your state or territory of residence.
   

For more information, please consult the Rules and Guidelines.

HOW TO NOMINATE

Step 1: To nominate, you must be either:  

• A member of APRA AMCOS (composer, author, songwriter or publisher member)
• A financial member of the Australian Music Centre (sign up online here)  

Step 2: Go to the Art Music Awards portal and enter essential nomination information (category, name of nominee, etc)  

Step 3: Write a short paragraph on why you’re nominating. 

Please note: you cannot self-nominate in any category except for the Award for Excellence in a Regional Area. You may only enter one nomination for each category.