Link to our Facebook
Link to our Instagram
Link to our TikTok

Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla, Amyl & The Sniffers Lead 2025 ARIA Awards Nominations

25 September 2025 | 10:25 am | Mary Varvaris

“This year’s nominees are living proof that Australian artists are shaping the global cultural narrative in real time,” said ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd.

Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla, Amyl And The Sniffers

Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla, Amyl And The Sniffers (Credit: Billy Zammit, Shevin Dissanayake, John Angus Stewart)

More Ninajirachi More Ninajirachi

We’re just under two months away from this year’s ARIA Awards, and today, ARIA has shared the incredible list of nominees.

Leading the charge for the 2026 ceremony is DJ and producer Ninajirachi with an unprecedented, record-breaking eight nominations, contending for prestigious awards including Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist, Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist, and Best Independent Release.

Dance music continues to dominate at this year’s awards, with Dom Dolla up for seven awards, such as Best Solo Artist, Best Dance/Electronic Release, and Best Australian Live Act.

Punk rockers Amyl And The Sniffers have picked up six nominations, while Hilltop Hoods and Thelma Plum have claimed five nods apiece, and Folk Bitch Trio, Missy Higgins, Royel Otis and RÜFÜS DU SOL are up for four awards.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

Best Pop Release contains artists such as G Flip and Kylie Minogue, while BARKAA and Miss Kaninna are among this year’s nominees for Best Hip-Hop/Rap Release. Best Independent Release includes nominees like Ball Park Music and Confidence Man, while RedHook and Thornhill are among the nominees for this year’s Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album. And, of course, You Am I are this year’s inductees into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

You can see all the nominees below. This year’s winners will be revealed during a ceremony at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, 19 November. The award ceremony will air on Channel 10 and be live-streamed on Paramount+.

For the first time, this year’s ARIA Awards will recognise Australia’s live music industry with the Best Music Festival award. Nominees for the inaugural award include Ability Fest, Beyond The Valley, Bluesfest Byron Bay, Laneway Festival, and Yours and Owls Festival.

In another first-time occurrence, the publicly voted ARIA Awards will be integrated into this year’s presenting partner’s platform: Spotify. Fans will be able to vote for their favourite artists in publicly decided categories, Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW, Song of the Year, Best Video, and Most Popular International Artist.

Public voting is now open until 10 November via Spotify and the ARIA website.

“The ARIA Awards are always a celebration of the moments that have defined Australian music over the past year, and 2025 has been extraordinary,” said ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd.

“This year’s nominees are living proof that Australian artists are shaping the global cultural narrative in real time. There’s no longer a singular image of what success looks like for an artist, and the stories set to be celebrated in November are absolute proof of that.”

Herd added, “Be it a career-shifting sync, global collaboration, sold-out headline slot or an unforgettable live tour across the world, the achievements of our 2025 nominees show just how far our music has travelled this year, and how many different ways Australian artists are making their mark.

“The ARIAs are where all of that comes together: a night to celebrate not just the winners, but the incredible breadth of talent that makes Australian music such a powerful force at home and abroad. We cannot wait.”

2025 ARIA AWARDS NOMINATED ARTISTS

Album of the Year

Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group]

Missy Higgins – The Second Act [Eleven Music / EMI Music Australia]

Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]

RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale [Rose Avenue Records / Warner Music Australasia]

Thelma Plum – I'm Sorry, Now Say It Back [Warner Music Australasia]

Best Solo Artist

BARKAA – Big Tidda [Big Apples Music / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia]

Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’ [Good Fortune Records]

Kylie Minogue – Tension II [Mushroom Music]

Mallrat – Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right [Dew Process / Universal Music Australia]

Missy Higgins – The Second Act [Eleven Music / EMI Music Australia]

Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]

Paul Kelly – Fever Longing Still [EMI Music Australia]

The Kid LAROI – How Does It Feel? [Columbia Records / Sony Music]

Thelma Plum – I'm Sorry, Now Say It Back [Warner Music Australasia]

Young Franco – it's Franky baby! [Neon Records]

Best Group

Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group]

Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time [Jagjaguwar]

Hilltop Hoods – Fall From The Light [Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia]

Royel Otis – hickey [Ourness / Capitol Records]

RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale [Rose Avenue Records / Warner Music Australasia]

Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist presented by Spotify

Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time [Jagjaguwar]

Gut Health – Stiletto [AWAL Recordings]

Mia Wray – hi, it’s nice to meet me [Mushroom Music]

Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]

Young Franco – it's Franky baby! [Neon Records]

Best Pop Release

G Flip – Disco Cowgirl [AWAL Recordings]

Kita Alexander – Press Pause [Warner Music Australasia]

Kylie Minogue – Tension II [Mushroom Music]

Mallrat – Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right [Dew Process / Universal Music Australia]

Thelma Plum – I'm Sorry, Now Say It Back [Warner Music Australasia]

Best Dance / Electronic Release

Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) [I OH YOU / Mushroom Music]

Dom Dolla – DREAMIN' [Good Fortune Records]

FISHER – Stay [etcetc Music Pty Ltd]

Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]

Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy – Somedays [Solotoka / ADA]

Best Hip Hop / Rap Release

BARKAA – Big Tidda [Big Apples Music / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia]

Hilltop Hoods – Fall From The Light [Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia]

Miss Kaninna – Kaninna EP [Soul Has No Tempo]

ONEFOUR – Look At Me Now [ONEFOUR Records / The Orchard]

The Kid LAROI – Baby I’m Back [Columbia Records / Sony Music]

Best Soul / R&B Release

BOY SODA – Lil Obsession [Warner Music Australasia]

JACOTÉNE - Why’d You Do That? [Epic Records / Sony Music]

Jerome Farah – CHLORINE [Sony Music]

Larissa Lambert – Cardio [New Levels / Virgin Music Group]

PANIA – Pity Party [Warner Music Australasia / Say Less]

Best Independent Release presented by PPCA

Ball Park Music – Like Love [Prawn Records / Inertia Music]

Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) [I OH YOU / Mushroom Music]

Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time [Jagjaguwar]

Miss Kaninna – Kaninna EP [Soul Has No Tempo]

Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]

Album presented by Tooheys

Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group]

Ball Park Music – Like Love [Prawn Records / Inertia Music]

King Stingray – For The Dreams [Civilians / The Orchard]

Royel Otis – hickey [Ourness / Capitol Records]

Spacey Jane – If That Makes Sense [AWAL Recordings]

Best Adult Contemporary Album

Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time [Jagjaguwar]

Gordi – Like Plasticine [Mushroom Music]

Meg Washington – GEM [OriGiN Distribution / ADA]

Missy Higgins – The Second Act [Eleven Music / EMI Music Australia]

Paul Kelly – Fever Longing Still [EMI Music Australia]

Best Country Album

Dylan Wright – Half a World Away [Sony Music]

Imogen Clark – Choking on Fuel [Potts Entertainment / MGM]

Kasey Chambers – Backbone [Essence Music Group / MGM]

Keith Urban – High [CAPITOL – NASHVILLE / EMI Music Australia]

Taylor Moss – Firecracker [Taylor Moss / Ditto Music]

Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album

Civic – Chrome Dipped [ATO Records / Inertia Music]

Press Club – To All The Ones I Love [Inertia Music]

RedHook – Mutation [RedHook Records]

The Amity Affliction – Let The Ocean Take Me Down (Redux) [GYROstream]

Thornhill – Bodies [UNFD / Community Music]

Best Blues & Roots Album

Dope Lemon – Golden Wolf [BMG]

Mama Kin Spender – Promises [Mama Kin Spender / MGM]

Sons Of The East – SONS [Sons Of The East Music / MGM]

Tash Sultana – Return to the Roots [Lonely Lands Records via Sony Music]

The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Hammersmith Apollo [Mushroom Music]

Best Children’s Album

Emma Memma – Dance Island Party [GYROstream]

Justine Clarke – Mimi's symphony [ABC Music / The Orchard]

Teeny Tiny Stevies – Brain Fart [Love Your Records / Xelon]

The Vegetable Plot – Season Three [ABC Music / The Orchard]

The Wiggles – Wiggle Up, Giddy Up! [ABC Music / The Orchard]

Best Music Festival presented by Tixel

Ability Fest – Dylan Alcott Foundation + Untitled Group

Beyond The Valley – Untitled Group / Beyond The Valley Music Festival

Bluesfest Byron Bay – Bluesfest Byron Bay

Laneway Festival – St Jerome’s Laneway / Laneway Festival

Yours and Owls Festival – Yours and Owls

PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS

Best Video

Break My Love - RÜFÜS DU SOL, Alexander George (Katzki) [Rose Avenue Records / Warner Music Australasia]

Craters – Missy Higgins, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore [Eleven Music / EMI Music Australia]

Lordy Lordy – Emily Wurramara, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore [ABC Music / The Orchard]

All the Noise – Spacey Jane, Dan Lesser [AWAL Recordings]

car – Royel Otis, Jamieson Kerr [Ourness / Capitol Records]

Big Dreams – Amyl and The Sniffers, John Stewart [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group]

DREAMIN’ - Dom Dolla, Kyle Caulfield & Shevin Dissanayake [Good Fortune Records]

Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Hilltop Hoods, Roman Anastasios and Jordan Ruyi Blanch [Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia]

Dancing2 – Keli Holiday, Ryan Sauer [Keli Holiday / GYROstream]

WASSA – Vv Pete, UTILITY, Formation Boyz, UTILITY [Trackwork]

Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW

Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness World Tour

Ball Park Music – Like Love Tour

BARKAA – BIG TIDDA TOUR [Jackson Street & Bad Apples Music]

Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) Tour [I OH YOU]

Dom Dolla – Dom Dolla Australia 2024 [Untitled Group]

Hilltop Hoods – Hilltop Hoods 2025

Kylie Minogue – Tension Tour 2025

Miss Kaninna – Dawg In Me Tour [Astral People]

SPEED – SPEED AUSTRALIA TOUR ‘25

Troye Sivan – Something To Give Each Other Tour [Live Nation]

Song of the Year

Cyril, Maryjo – Still Into You [Warner Music Australasia / Spinnin Records]

Dean Lewis – With You [Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia]

Dom Dolla Feat. Daya – Dreamin [Good Fortune Records]

FISHER – Stay [etcetc Music Pty Ltd]

Gotye, FISHER, Chris Lake Feat. Kimbra, Sante Sansone – Somebody [Eleven: A Music Company / EMI Music Australia]

OneFour, Nemzzz – Spinnin [ONEFOUR RECORDS / THE ORCHARD]

Royel Otis – Linger (SiriusXM Session) [Ourness]

Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy – Somedays [Solotoko / ADA]

The Kid LAROI – Girls [Columbia Records / Sony Music]

Tobiahs – Angel of Mine [Mushroom Music]

Most Popular International Artist

Alex Warren – [Atlantic Records / Warner Music Australasia]

Calvin Harris – [Columbia Records / Sony Music]

Gracie Abrams – [Interscope / Universal Music Australia]

Kendrick Lamar – [Interscope / Universal Music Australia]

Noah Kahan – [Republic Records / Universal Music Australia]

Post Malone – [Republic Records / Universal Music Australia]

Sabrina Carpenter – [Island Records USA / Universal Music Australia]

Tate McRae – [RCA Records / Universal Music Australia]

Taylor Swift – [Republic Records / Universal Music Australia]

Tyler, The Creator – [Columbia Records / Sony Music]

ARTISAN AWARDS

Best Cover Art

Giulia McGauran for The Cat Empire – Bird in Paradise [BMG]

John Stewart for Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness [Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group]

Kira Puru, Em Jensen for Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back [Warner Music Australasia]

Nina Wilson, John You, Aria Zarzycki for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]

Sarah McCloskey for Hilltop Hoods – Fall From The Light [Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia]

Engineer - Best Engineered Release

Alice Ivy for Alice Ivy – Do What Makes You Happy [Kewpie Mayo Records / Independent]

Dom Dolla for Dom Dolla – DREAMIN' [Good Fortune Records]

Eric J Dubowsky for Emma Louise & Flume – DUMB [Three Six Zero Recordings / ADA]

Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – End of Summer [Columbia Records / Sony Music]

Thomas Purcell p/k/a Wave Racer for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]

Producer – Best Produced Release

Alex Burnett for Thelma Plum - I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back [Warner Music Australasia]

Dom Dolla for Dom Dolla – DREAMIN' [Good Fortune Records]

Kevin Parker for Tame Impala – End of Summer [Columbia Records / Sony Music]

Nina Wilson p/k/a Ninajirachi for Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer [NLV Records]

RÜFÜS DU SOL for RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale [Rose Avenue Records / Warner Music Australasia]

FINE ARTS AWARDS

Best Classical Album

Andrea Lam – Piano Diary [ABC Classic / The Orchard]

Australian Chamber Orchestra / Richard Tognetti – Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings and Andante

Cantabile / Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony in C minor [ABC Classic / The Orchard]

Nat Bartsch – Forever Changed [Amica Records]

Simone Young & Sydney Symphony Orchestra – Mahler: Symphony No.2; Barton: Of The Earth [Deutsche Grammophon Australia / Universal Music]

Sophie Hutchings – Become The Sky [Universal Music Australia / Mercury KX]

Best Jazz Album

Evans Robson Quartet – Zenith [Lamplight Records]

Lachlan McKenzie – Departures [ABC Jazz / The Orchard]

Lucy Clifford – Between Spaces of Knowing [ABC Jazz / The Orchard]

TL; DR & Peter Knight – Too Long; Didn’t Read [Earshift Music / The Planet Company-MGM]

Touch Sensitive – In Paradise [Future Classic]

Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album

Australian Chamber Orchestra – Memoir of a Snail (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [ABC Classic / The Orchard]

François Tétaz - The Surfer [Impressed Recordings / Rubber Music Pty Ltd]

Michael Cassel Group – Michael Cassel Group Presents A (Very) Musical Christmas [The Orchard]

Various Artists – How To Make Gravy [Origin Recordings]

Vidya Makan – The Lucky Country (Original Cast Album) [ORiGiN Distribution / ADA]

Best World Music Album

Electric Fields, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live In Concert [ABC Music / The Orchard]

Gurrumul – Banbirrngu – The Orchestral Sessions [Decca Australia & Skinnyfish / UMA]

Joseph Tawadros – The Forgotten Path To Humanity [Independent / The Planet Company]

Tenzin Choegyal – Snow Flower [Warner Music Australasia / Rainbow Valley Records]

The Cat Empire – Bird in Paradise [BMG]

OUR SOUNDTRACK OUR ADS

Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement

Fox League 2025: Our Greats – Fox Sports Australia, 3%

Menulog: What’s Good in Your Hood – Thinkerbell, Bliss n Eso

Paramount+ Australia: Ballad of the GOATS – Paramount+ Australia, Briggs

Tooheys: I Feel Like a Tooheys – Thinkerbell, Dune Rats

Tourism & Events Queensland: That Holiday Feeling – Publicis Worldwide, Kita Alexander

Related Gigs