Yothu Yindi To Be Inducted Into The NIMA Hall Of Fame

Legendary Australian music group Yothu Yindi will finally be inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) Hall Of Fame this weekend.

The 19th annual ceremony, taking place on Saturday, 12 August, at the Darwin Amphitheatre, will be presented by Amazon Music and broadcast on NITV and SBS On Demand the following night from 7:30 pm AEST.

The re-broadcast will air on SBS Viceland on Friday, 18 August, at 11.05 pm and on SBS on Saturday, 19 August, at 9 am. You can access tickets here if you’d like to attend the event.

Yothu Yindi’s track Treaty is one of the most recognisable songs in Australian music history, but Yothu Yindi have brought more to Australian music than just one famous single.

The band broke new ground by combining Indigenous musicians from the small Yolŋu town in Northeast Arnhem Land and their non-Indigenous, or balanda, friends who played in a Darwin band called the Swamp Jockeys and created magic.

The band name itself is derived from two Yolŋu words that roughly translate as the kinship term “child and mother”; Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals (or balanda), working and playing together in a true fusion of the two cultures, traditional and contemporary, promoting mutual respect and understanding.

Today, the mark of their music stretches to King Stingray, with Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu (the nephew of Yothu Yindi’s Dr Mandawuy Yunupiŋu AO) and Roy Kellaway (the son of the group’s bass player, Stu Kellaway) bringing their message to the country.

In November 2012, Yothu Yindi was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame and Yunupiŋu – 1992's Australian Of The Year – offered a moving speech calling for recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution. The band performed Treaty with Paul Kelly and Peter Garrett.

Yothu Yindi have lost founding member Dr Mandawuy Yunupiŋu OA, and Dr Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupiŋu, but the proud legacy of the group is carried on by new frontman Yirringa Yunupiŋu following his uncle Mandawuy’s footsteps.

Butchulla man Fred Leone will host the 2023 NIMAs – also premiering his new single Yirimi Gundir in a world-first performance – and so will returning NIMA host, Yunkuntjatjarra, Warrigmay, South Sea and German-descended actress, singer and writer, Elaine Crombie.

2023 NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES

Artist of the Year

Budjerah

Jessica Mauboy

Mo’Ju

Kobie Dee

The Kid Laroi

New Talent of the Year

Bumpy

Royston Noell

Wildfire Manwurrk

Marlon X Rulla

Tjaka

Film Clip of the Year

Wildfire Manwurrk - Lonely Bangardi

Budjerah - Therapy

A.B. Original - King Billy Cokebottle

Thelma Plum - The Brown Snake

King Stingray - Let’s Go

Song of the Year

Bumpy - Hide and Seek

Budjerah - Therapy

Miiesha - Skin Deep

King Stingray - Let’s Go

Yirrmal ft. Dami Im - Promised Land

Album of the Year

Thelma Plum - Meanjin (EP)

Ngulmiya - Self-titled

Mo’Ju - Oro Plata Mata

Miiesha - Smoke & Mirrors

Beddy Rays - Self-titled

Community Clip of the Year

Wildfire Manwurrk - Mararradj

Utju Community - Tjamuku Tjukurpa Kanyila

Lil Youngins - The Problem

Indigenous Outreach Project w/ Gunyangara, Yirrkala & Dhalinbuy, NT ft. Yirrmal - Indigenous

Outreach Projects, Gunyangara, Yirrkala & Dhalinbuy ft. Yirrmal

Garrthalala Community - Garrthalala Manikay

Dunghutti Community in Kempsey NSW - The Black Truth - There’s Still Hope