INXS To Receive Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services To Australian Music

INXS

One of Australia’s most loved bands, INXS, is the recipient of this year’s Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.

The rockers will be honoured at the star-studded 2026 APRA Music Awards ceremony at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, 29 April.

INXS formed in Sydney in 1977. Initially performing as The Farriss Brothers – Andrew, Jon, and Tim Farriss – the trio then teamed up with Kirk Pengilly, Garry Beers, and charismatic singer Michael Hutchence. Making their presence known on Australia’s pub rock circuit, the band then turned their ambitions to something more global.

Following successful singles such as Don’t Change, Original Sin, and What You Need, the band’s breakthrough arrived in 1987, with the release of Kick and its classics, Need You Tonight, New Sensation, and Never Tear Us Apart – the latter’s influence staying strong to this day, taking out triple j’s Hottest 100 of Australian Songs last year.

INXS’s impact on Australian music is nothing short of incredible. They achieved seven US Top 10 singles, four of which stemmed from Kick, two from X, and the undeniable breakthrough hit, What You Need. That feat has only been surpassed by a handful of Australian artists, such as the Bee Gees and Olivia Newton-John.

The rockers have sold over 75 million albums worldwide. At home, they’ve won multiple ARIA and APRA Music Awards, while internationally, they’ve won BRITs and MTV Awards and received Grammy nominations.

As a press release notes, “INXS are not just part of Australia’s musical history — they helped write the global playbook.”

In a statement, Jenny Morris, Chair of APRA and former backing vocalist and touring mate with INXS, said, “INXS are truly one-of-a-kind.”

“Performing with them in the 1980s at Wembley Stadium, opening for Queen on the Listen Like Thieves tour across Europe, North America and Latin America, I saw firsthand the love and adoration they generated. From their compelling and timeless songwriting to their intoxicating performances, few bands have ever left people happily gasping for more the way INXS do.”

Morris continued, “Michael is as much of a presence in our lives today as the day we lost him, and of course, the same goes for the band. The legacy of INXS lives on. They remain as relevant as ever, continuing to inspire new generations and bring that unmistakable Aussie spirit to fans around the world.”

To celebrate their receiving the Ted Albert Award, a tribute performance to INXS will take place at the APRA Music Awards this month. In addition to the tribute, APRA is celebrating its 100th anniversary and has locked in an incredible roster of performers to take to the stage.

Performers include hip-hop powerhouse BARKAA, soul singer BOY SODA, punk rocker Ecca Vandal, artist and songman Ngulmiya, seven-piece funk band Playlunch, Aotearoa pop star Rob Ruha, and multi-instrumentalist Way Dynamic.

Additionally, APRA Music Award alumni Paul Kelly, Christine Anu, and The Presets will make up the evening’s musical repertoire.

The Ted Albert Award will be presented to INXS on the night, and winners of categories including the International Recognition Award, Most Performed Australian Work Overseas, Songwriter of the Year, and numerous genre awards will be revealed at the ceremony on Wednesday, 29 April.

The 2026 Most Performed International Work winner has already been announced: The Weeknd and Playboi Carti for Timeless.