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Melanie Bracewell & Tim McDonald To Host 2026 ARIA Awards

Mary Varvaris

Plus, red carpet hosts include triple j's Latifa Tee alongside 10's Georgie Tunny and Angela Bishop.

Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald
Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald(Credit: ARIA)

With a little over a month until this year’s ARIA Awards take place, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has announced the hosts for this year’s ceremony.

Comedic duo Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald will host the 40th annual ARIA Awards at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, 18 November.

Best known as co-hosts of Network 10’s The Cheap Seats, Bracewell and McDonald are recognised for their brand of wit, live television experience, and audience appeal. In 2023, The Cheap Seats won the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Entertainment Program. As of 2026, it has aired six seasons, with over 100 episodes by 2024.

They won’t be alone on presenting duties. Sydney-based DJ and triple j presenter Latifa Tee will appear on the hosting team throughout the evening, while the Red Carpet is set to feature Network 10’s presenter Georgie Tunny and Entertainment Editor Angela Bishop, along with Latifa Tee.

“Thrilled to host the ARIAs with my friend and colleague Tim McDonald,” said Melanie Bracewell. “Hoping they didn’t book us for experience. The last awards ceremony I hosted was a raffle for a meat tray.”

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Tim McDonald added, “Australian music is the best in the world, so we are so excited and honoured to be hosting! I can’t wait to celebrate this music milestone - 40 years of the ARIA Awards, and 24 years since I failed the recorder in grade three.”

The 2026 ARIA Awards will broadcast on Paramount+ from 5 pm AEDT on Wednesday, 18 November.

Network 10 viewers can tune in for the red carpet and award ceremony following that night’s episode of Big Brother. Plus, red carpet moments and early performances will feature on the ARIA accounts on social media from 1 pm.

Genesis Owusu and Tame Impala lead the pack of ARIA Award nominees with eight nods each, while Ecca Vandal follows with seven nominations to her name.

Elsewhere, Baker Boy, BOY SODA, G Flip, Miss Kaninna, and Ninajirachi have picked up five nominations, and DMA’S, Dom Dolla, and Troye Sivan have received four nominations. You can check out the full list of nominees here.