The Australian Women in Music Awards have introduced a new award to celebrate and honour the legacy of Melbourne DJ Courtney Mills, who passed away last year.
Australian Women in Music has established the new award in partnership with the Courtney Mills Foundation. By aligning the award with Mills’ legacy, AWMA creates a pathway to national recognition for Australian artists making waves in the electronic space.
The Courtney Mills DJ Award goes to an established female or gender-diverse DJ who’s showcased outstanding artistic achievements, developed a unique musical identity, meaningfully contributed to Australian electronic music culture, and positively influenced their community.
Plus, AWMA responds to the underrepresentation of women and gender-diverse people in electronic music and DJ culture. AWMA Juror Chair Dr Diana Tolmie will lead an industry panel of experts to select finalists, then determine the winner.
Nominations for the inaugural award are now open and close on 24 November 2026. Finalists will be revealed in February 2027, with the winner to be announced at next year’s Australian Women in Music Awards ceremony at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Thursday, 27 May.
Artists can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else here.
“AWMA is deeply committed to building safe, visible and sustainable pathways for female and gender-diverse artists in sectors where they have historically been underrepresented,” said Vicki Gordon, AWMA Founding Executive Producer and Program Director.
She continued, “Aligning this award with Courtney’s legacy is profoundly meaningful and creates a celebrated pathway for national recognition on the AWMA stage.”
Kiani Mills of the Courtney Mills Foundation added, “Courtney was the kind of DJ who made you feel something. Not just in the room, but about what was possible. She had a musical identity that was entirely her own, and she built it in an industry that rarely made space for women like her to be seen at that level.
“This award exists because that has to change. Not as a gesture, but as a permanent statement, on one of the most significant stages in Australian music. The recipient of this award will know their craft, culture and community on the highest terms. Courtney deserved that recognition. So do those who come after her.”
Tom Evans, sponsorship partner, Director and A&R at Valiant Records Australia, said, “From a DJ perspective, what was important to me in helping shape this award was recognising what actually makes an artist stand out at this level.
“Technical ability is part of the craft, but a great DJ is also defined by their musical identity, judgement, body of work and the contribution they make to the culture around them. There isn’t one prescribed pathway to becoming an influential DJ, and I think this award will celebrate that.”
