2026 Art Music Award Winners Revealed

The winners of the 2026 Art Music Awards were revealed in Melbourne on Wednesday night. 

Presented at The Timber Yard, a number of major awards were handed out on the night. Paul Stanhope took out Choral for “Mahāsāgar,” while Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim shared the Dramatic award for “Opera for the Dead."

“Nat Bartsch won Jazz & Improvised Music for ”When All Is Still and Quiet," Alex Turley took Large Ensemble for “The Ocean's Dream of Itselfm” and Noemi Liba Friedman won Medium Ensemble for “BloodRiverRootTree.” 

On the night, Liza Lim also received the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music.

Check out all of the winners below.

“Congratulations to all of this year's finalists and recipients recognised at the 2026 Art Music Awards,” Catherine Haridy, CEO of the Australian Music Centre, said.

“Tonight showcased the breadth of talent and ambition within the art music community; music and stories that reflect who we are as a nation. We are incredibly proud to celebrate these achievements with you and look to the future with enthusiasm.”

APRA AMCOS CEO, Dean Ormston, added: "Tonight's recipients are proof that Australian art music is thriving and I give my heartfelt congratulations to them all! As we celebrate our 100th year, they remind us of the enduring power of great music to challenge, connect and inspire. From established artists to emerging voices, these creators are expanding the possibilities of music and enriching our cultural life for audiences and the next generation of music creators.”

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2026 Art Music Award Winners

Work of the Year: Choral

Title: Mahāsāgar

Composer: Paul Stanhope*

Text: Rhys Halkidis, Steve Hawke, Michael Leunig, Cass Lynch, Alexander Maloof and Elizabeth Riddell

Publisher: Wise Music*

Performer: West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with Sara Macliver (soprano), Andrew Goodwin (tenor), and Asher Fisch (conductor)

Work of the Year: Dramatic

Title: Opera for the Dead

Composer: Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim

Performer: Mindy Meng Wang, Monica Lim, Yu-Tien Lin, Nils Hobiger and Alexander Meagher

Work of the Year: Jazz & Improvised Music

Title: When All Is Still and Quiet

Composer: Nat Bartsch

Publisher: Origin Music Publishing

Performer: VCA Secondary School Improvisation Ensemble & Chamber Choir

Work of the Year: Large Ensemble

Title: the ocean's dream of itself

Composer: Alex Turley

Performer: Sasha Cooke, Donald Runnicles and Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra

Work of the Year: Medium Ensemble

Title: BloodRiverRootTree

Composer: Noemi Liba Friedman

Performer: Meg Cohen, Phoebe Green, Alex McDonald, Roseanne Hunt, Peter Neville, Hamish Gould, Sarvenaz Monfaredi, Justine Anderson, Shelby MacCrae, Sophie Deka and Jakob Bragg (conductor)

Work of the Year: Solo & Small Ensemble

Title: Killing the Angel in the House

Composer: Anne Cawrse

Performer: Eliza Shephard

Work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art

Title: Dark Oceanography

Composer: Kate Milligan

Music Technologist: Aaron Wyatt

Oceanographer: Navid Constantinou

Performer: Louise Devenish (Director), Niki Johnson, and Sofia Carbonara (The Sound Collectors Lab

Performance of the Year: Jazz & Improvised Music

Performer: The Cloud Maker

Title: The Cloud Maker

Composer: Aviva Endean, Sunny Kim, Maria Moles, Te Kahreremoa Taumata, Freya Schack-Arnott and Jasmin Win-Ying Leung

Performance of the Year: Classical & Experimental

Performer: Australian String Quartet & Dr Lou Bennett AM Title: nyilamum song cycles

Composer: Dr Lou Bennett AM and Paul Stanhope*

Publisher: Wise Music*

Performance of the Year: Soloist

Performer: Nick Russoniello

Title: Air Mass Suite Composer: Nick Russoniell

Award for Excellence in Music Education

Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, for Music in Schools program

Award for Excellence in a Regional Area

Chamber Music Adelaide and Port Augusta Performing Arts, for Where We Meet: Chamber Music

Award for Excellence in Experimental Practice

Chamber Made, for 2025 presentations and artist development activities

Luminary Award — National (Organisation)

Musica Viva Australia

Luminary Award — National (Individual) Daryl Buckley

Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music Liza

Lim AM