Ball Park MusicAnother edition of the Queensland Music Awards (QMAs) has been and gone, with the state’s most-loved artists, festivals and local institutions honoured at Miami Marketta on the Gold Coast on Wednesday (22 April).
This year’s award ceremony saw Ball Park Music make history, taking home the coveted Album of the Year and Highest Selling Album for last year’s Like Love.
Meanwhile, Jem-Cassar Daley won the prestigious Song of the Year award for Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving, winning the award for a second time. She also won the pop category. Winning Music Video of the Year was SELVE with Breaking Into Heaven.
Last year’s Song of the Year winner, Young Franco, won the Electronic Award, as EDM star FISHER was awarded the Highest Selling Single for Stay. Other genres shone throughout the night, too.
Tori Darke won in the country category with Remember Me Like That, The Dreggs won in folk with We Don’t Talk, Upsetter dominated the heavy category with Best Years of My Life, Say True God? took home the hip-hop win with COUNT US IN, and Dami Im dominated the jazz category with Bubble.
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Indie folk outfit Hollow Coves also won a prestigious award, being named Export Artist of the Year. Elsewhere, 4ZZZ was named the Lifetime Achievement winner, Odd Mob was named the Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and Mallrat was named Producer of the Year.
4ZZZ presenter, Quentin Ellison of Friday Neon, said of the win, “This award is a testament to every artist we’ve ever played before anyone else would, every volunteer who showed up on a Sunday morning and every listener who tuned in because they wanted something real.
“Queensland music has always been world-class, and we’ve just been lucky enough to have a front row seat.”
The People’s Choice Awards, co-presented by The Music, winners showcased the venues that keep Queensland music alive. Maleny Music Festival was named Festival of the Year; The Tivoli took Metro Venue of the Year, and Miami Marketta, the awards’ host venue, was voted Regional Venue of the Year.
You can find the full list of winners below.
Chair of the QMusic Board, Jake Challenor, said of this year’s award ceremony, “We love that we’ve been able to celebrate the 20th QMA in the People’s Choice Regional Venue of the Year, and we’re excited to see where we might end up in 2027.
“Sharing these Awards with the broader Queensland community, as part of our commitment to putting the Q back in Queensland Music, not only allows us to return to our rock-n-roll roots but also helps us to connect industry throughout our state.”
Full list of the 2026 Queensland Music Award Winners
Category Award Winners
Blues/Roots - Lontano, Way Too Long
Children's Music - Joff Bush, I Don't Have a Chimney (ft. Emma Dean)
Contemporary Classical presented by Griffith University - Abigail Lui & Camerata, Memory in the Distant Hills
Country - Tori Darke, Remember Me Like That
Electronic presented by Comiskey Group - Young Franco, Lose Control
Folk - The Dreggs, We Don't Talk
Heavy presented by The Lanes Fortitude Valley Festival - Upsetter, Best Years of My Life
Hip Hop presented by Eumundi Brewery - Say True God?, COUNT US IN
Jazz - Dami Im, Bubble
Music for Screen - Georgia D'Arcy, Creek
Music Video of the Year presented by PixelFrame - Loki Liddle & Joshua Tate, Breaking Into Heaven – Selve
Pop presented by ARUGA - Jem Cassar-Daley, Kiss Me Like You're Leaving
Rock presented by Miami Marketta - DZ Deathrays, Skyline
Soul/Funk/RnB - BADASSMUTHA, BUB
World Award presented by 612 ABC Brisbane - Tenzin Choegyal, Snow Flower
People's Choice Awards presented by Oztix and The Music
Festival of the Year - Maleny Music Festival
Metro Venue of the Year - The Tivoli
Regional Venue of the Year - Miami Marketta
Major Awards
Album of the Year presented by Gold Coast Music Awards - Ball Park Music
Highest Selling Album presented by QMusic - Ball Park Music
Highest Selling Single presented by QMusic - Fisher, Stay
Export Artist presented by Sounds Australia - Hollow Coves
Song of the Year, presented by City of Gold Coast through Invest Gold Coast - Jem Cassar-Daley, Kiss Me Like You're Leaving
Lifetime Achievement presented by Hutchies - 4ZZZ
Industry Excellence
Accessible & Inclusive Venue - Den Devine
Breakthrough Artist presented by SAE University College - Odd Mob
Indigenous Artist of the Year - JUNGAJI
Producer of the Year, presented by APRA AMCOS – Mallrat
Regional Artist of the Year - Djawarray
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards – supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland
The awards were presented at the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Music event in March.
Billy Thorpe Scholarship - Frank and Louis
Carol Lloyd Awards - Paulina
Dennis Mop Conlon Scholarship - Dubbzone
Grant McLennan Fellowship - Banff
