National Indigenous Music Awards Unveil Performers For 2026 Event

The National Indigenous Music Awards return to the Darwin Amphitheatre this August, and will spotlight performers such as Baker Boy, Electric Fields and more.

Baker Boy

With a little under two months until the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) return for another year of celebrating First Nations talent, event organisers have made a special announcement.

Today, the live performance line-up for this year’s awards ceremony has been announced, as plans heat up for the NIMAs’ return to the Darwin Amphitheatre on Saturday, 8 August.

Leading today’s announcement is Yolŋu rapper, dancer and artist Baker Boy, aka Danzal Baker OAM, making his return to the amphitheatre stage. He’ll be joined by a star-studded roster of First Nations talent, including multi-award-winning electronic duo Electric Fields and Western Aranda woman Casii Williams.

Elsewhere, event organisers have locked in Briggs’ new heavy metal-powered project, Big Noter, as well as Stiff Gins, Australia’s longest performing Indigenous female group, Torres Strait Islander R&B artist Zipporah, and Naarm/Melbourne-based genre-defying artist Bumpy.

Baker Boy said of his impending return to the NIMAs stage, “Pumped to be heading back up North for the NIMAs, it’s always deadly seeing all the mob come together and celebrating our talent. Not gonna lie, I’m pretty keen to get my hands on some mud crab, true god.”

You can find tickets to attend this year’s awards here.

The NIMAs take place during a week-long celebration of First Nations excellence in the Northern Territory. As well as the awards, punters can check out the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, and the National Indigenous Fashion Awards.

The events take place from Wednesday, 5 to Tuesday, 11 August, allowing attendees from across the country to witness First Nations talent at its finest.

Nominations recently closed for voting in NIMAs’ six categories: Artist of the Year, Best New Talent, Album of the Year, Film Clip of the Year, Community Clip of the Year, and Song of the Year. The nominees will be announced soon.

In a statement, Catherine Satour, Chairperson of MusicNT, said of the NIMAs’ return, “The National Indigenous Music Awards are a powerful celebration of First Nations music, culture and community. On behalf of MusicNT, we are proud to see the NIMAs return to Garramilla/Darwin in 2026, shining a national spotlight on the talent and leadership of Indigenous artists across the country.”

Last year, Jessica Mauboy was inducted into the NIMAs Hall of Fame while BARKAA and 3% took home awards, commemorating their reputation as some of the most in-demand new First Nations voices.