Amyl and The Sniffers win big at Australian music industry awards
Liz Hobday
Punk rockers Amyl and The Sniffers took home the top three gongs at the Australian music industry’s APRA awards.
masturbationThe opening song of the band’s third studio album. cartoon darkwon the prestigious peer-reviewed Song of the Year award as well as the Most Performed Rock Work award.
The four-piece outfit, fronted by high-energy singer Amy Taylor, also picked up the Songwriter of the Year award for the second year in a row.
“Last time I checked, I was successful,” Taylor says masturbation.
Very true, but it’s one of the very few lines in the high-energy diss song that can be quoted in mainstream media, because the rest is filled with expletives.
The awards ceremony was held at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday night, with performances from Paul Kelly, Christine Anu, Ngulmiya and Rob Ruha.
The star-studded night also celebrated the 100th anniversary of APRA, the Australasian Performing Rights Association, which was founded in 1926 and collects music royalties from artists.
Tributes have been paid to Midnight Oil founder and drummer Rob Hirst, who died in January at the age of 70.
Presets performed Oils’ hit 1982 version Power and PassionFeaturing a guest appearance by Peter Garrett.
Sia’s hit song unstoppable This proved to be exactly the case as the artist won the award for Most Performed Australian Work Abroad for the third year in a row.
The win means Sia has more APRA awards than any other songwriter, with 14 gongs.
hit piece MaybeWritten by Guy Sebastian and his co-writers Ned Houston and Robby De Sa, it released Most Performed Australian Title and Most Performed Pop Title.
Meanwhile, hit songwriter Sarah Aarons, who has worked with K-pop boy band BTS as well as Flume and Tame Impala, picked up her sixth APRA gong with the International Recognition Award.
Rock band INXS has been awarded the prestigious Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music and artist Ecca Vandal has performed her first INXS track Just Keep Walking.
2026 APRA Music Awards winners
- Song of the Year by Peer Vote: thirty-one- Agents and Exciters
- Songwriter of the Year: Agents and Exciters
- Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music: INXs
- Rising Songwriter of the Year: Emily Wurramara
Most Made Works:
- Australian Study: Maybe – man sebastian
- Working Abroad in Australia: unstoppable – Sia
- Alternative Study: Please Don’t Move to Melbourne – Ball Park Music
- Blues and Roots Study: Survival – Karen Lee Andrews
- Country Study: Who are you – Rachael Fahim
- Dance/Electronic Work: tell me – Sonny Fodera and Clementine Douglas
- Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work: RAINDROP – Ocean Grove
- Hip Hop/Rap Practice: is turning – ONEFOUR and Nemzzz
- International Work: Untimely – The Weeknd and Playboi Carti
- Pop Study: Maybe – man sebastian
- R&B/Soul Work: Pity Party – BACKBOARD
- Rock Study: masturbation – Amil and Sniffer
AAP
