Ecca Vandal ProfileThe prestigious Soundmerch Australian Music Prize has been awarded, with the judging panel anointing Ecca Vandal’s Looking For People To Unfollow as the country’s best album of 2026.
Shortlisted contenders included Genesis Owusu, Courtney Barnett, Karnivool, Julia Jacklin and Baker Boy, but in the end Ecca Vandal’s angsty punk metal rap genre-bending tome won out as the record hitting the loftiest artistic heights this year.
It has been a long road for South African-born Ecca Vandal. The Melbourne-based singer, songwriter and rapper has refused to be defined by genre across her more-than-decade-long career. Formally trained as a jazz vocalist, her breakout single White Flag in 2014 smashed onto the scene ahead of her debut self-titled album in 2017. She has toured with Queens of the Stone Age, Deftones, The Prodigy and has collaborated on record with artists like Hilltop Hoods.
It took nine years between albums, with Vandal stepping back from public life and going offline for around four years following industry pressure and burnout. Without commercial expectations, Vandal connected with long-term collaborator Richie Buxton to create Looking For People To Unfollow, creating a record that captured the zeitgeist of the times. Not only did the record gain her the Australian Music Prize and a massive seven ARIA nominations, but she also nabbed a slot at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, with her art crossing international boundaries.
“Wow, this is such an incredible honour,” said Vandal. “To be recognised alongside so many amazing Australian artists means the world to me. Richie and I made this album together in his childhood bedroom, pouring everything we had into it, so to receive an award like this is honestly beyond anything we could have imagined. Thank you to the Australian Music Prize, the judges, and everyone who has supported us and believed in this record. We’re incredibly grateful, and it means so much to have our music recognised in this way.”
The Australian Music Prize was established in 2005, inspired by the UK’s Mercury Prize with past winners including The Drones, The Avalanches, The Jezabels, Genesis Owusu and Courtney Barnett. Last year’s winner Ninajirachi joined the judging panel this year for a rigorous three-stage process involving musicians, retailers and music media. This year also saw the creation of a ‘Prize Director’s Award’ in partnership with JB Hi-Fi, reflecting the choice of Australian Music Prize founder Scott B Murphy. The award comes with $2,000 cash and $2,000 in JB Hi-Fi gift vouchers and this year went to Baker Boy’s Djandjay.
At this evening’s event, Scott B Murphy commented: “Each year when I appoint new judges, they want direction. I tell them it's totally up to you as to what makes a great album, but there are three things that should have priority during the process: 1, originality; 2, the album should be great from beginning to end and not just great because of 2 or 3 great tracks; and 3, that you should be choosing albums that you know you'll want to listen to in five years' time – and beyond. I'm sure all nine shortlisted albums are these three things for more than one judge, but for me, as Prize Director, it's Baker Boy's album.”
This year’s Australian Music Prize nominees were:
Baker Boy – Djandjay
Courtney Barnett – Creature Of Habit
Ecca Vandal – Looking For People To Unfollow
Genesis Owusu – Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge
Georgia Knight – Beanpole
Grace Cummings – Bloodhorse!
Julia Jacklin – The Gem
Karnivool – In Verses
Swapmeet – Mount Zero
