National Indigenous Music Awards Announce 2025 Nominees, Stacked Performers Line-up

The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) return to Darwin next month. Ahead of the big night, this year’s stacked list of nominees and performers have been revealed.

Returning to its home of the Darwin Amphitheatre on Larrakia Country on Saturday, 9 August, the NIMAs once again promise to be an extraordinary event.

Nominated for Artist of the Year are hip-hop, pop, rock, and soul acts, such as 3%, Emily Wurramara, Jessica Mauboy, King Stingray, Emma Donovan, Radical Son, and Birdz and Fred Leone.

The Best New Talent category showcases some of the nation’s finest talent, including the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, Drifting Clouds, Miss Kaninna, Ripple Effect Band, and Tjaka.

Other categories include Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Film Clip of the Year, and Community Clip of the Year, which feature the nominees mentioned above as well as BARKAA, The Kid LAROI, Jem Cassar-Daley, Bulman School & Community, Kalkaringi School, Mapoon Community, and Warmun Community.

You can see the full list of nominees below.

In addition to announcing this year’s impressive award nominees, the NIMAs team have revealed the list of performers who will take to the stage next month.

Comprising country, pop, hip-hop, and rock music royalty, the performance line-up features Troy Cassar-Daley, Jessica Mauboy, Velvet Trip, Emma Donovan, BARKAA, Kankawa Nagarra, Kobie Dee, and the team-up of Eleanor Jawurlngali & Mick Turner (of Dirty Three fame).

This year’s NIMAs will be broadcast globally via a livestream on YouTube. To attend the event, find tickets on the Darwin Festival website.

Troy Cassar-Daley said of his return to the NIMAs, “My connection to Larrakia Country has been a long one, first visiting over there at 21, I fell in love with the country and its people. I can’t wait to celebrate our mob’s achievements in Garramilla. I have my guitar at the ready and songs to sing as we celebrate 21 years of the NIMAs together.”

THE 2025 NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARDS PRESENTED BY YOUTUBE

Saturday 9 August, 2025 – Darwin Amphitheatre, Garramilla/Darwin NT

AWARD CATEGORIES:

Artist of the Year presented by YouTube

3%

Emily Wurramara

Jessica Mauboy

King Stingray

Emma Donovan

Radical Son

Birdz and Fred Leone

Best New Talent

Andrew Gurruwiwi Band

Drifting Clouds

Miss Kaninna

Ripple Effect Band

Tjaka

Album of the Year

3% - KILL THE DEAD

Andrew Gurruwiwi Band - Sing Your Own Song

BARKAA - BIG TIDDA

Emily Wurramara - NARA

King Stingray - For The Dreams

Film Clip of the Year

3% - Won’t Stop ft. Jessica Mauboy

Andrew Gurruwiwi Band - Wata Mäwi

BARKAA - Ngamaka ft. Leroy Johnson

Emily Wurramara - Lordy Lordy

King Stingray - Day Off

Radical Son - Bilambiyal

Community Clip of the Year

Bulman School & Community - Crocodile Style

Bulman School & Community - My Story of Songline Mata

Bulman School & Community - Strong Bala Wei

Kalkaringi School - Gurindji Dream Big (Kuni-jungkarni)

Mapoon Community - Mapoon - Breathe In Breathe Out

Warmun Community - Turkey Creek

Song of the Year

3% - Won’t Stop ft. Jessica Mauboy

Andrew Gurruwiwi Band - Once Upon A Time

BARKAA - Ngmaka ft. Leroy Johnson

Emily Wurramara - STFAFM

Jem Cassar-Daley - Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving

The Kid Laroi - GIRLS

LINE-UP:

Troy Cassar-Daley

Jessica Mauboy

Velvet Trip

Emma Donovan

Barkaa

Kankawa Nagarra

Kobie Dee

Eleanor Jawurlngali & Mick Turner (Dirty Three)