Liz Hobday
Punk rockers Amyl and The Sniffers have bagged three top gongs at the Australian music industry’s APRA awards.
Jerkin’, the opening track from the band’s third studio album, Cartoon Darkness, has won the prestigious peer-voted Song of the Year award, as well as Most Performed Rock Work.
The four-piece outfit fronted by high-energy singer Amy Taylor also took home the Songwriter of the Year award for the second year running.
“Last time I checked, I’ve got success,” sings Taylor in Jerkin’.
Too right – but it’s one of the very few lines from the high-energy diss track that could be quoted in mainstream media, because the rest are full of swear words.
The awards ceremony was held at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday night, with performances by Paul Kelly, Christine Anu, Ngulmiya and Rob Ruha.
The star-studded evening also celebrated 100 years of APRA, the Australasian Performing Right Association, which was founded in 1926 and collects music royalties for artists.
Tributes were paid to the late Midnight Oil founder and drummer Rob Hirst, who died in January at the age of 70.
The Presets performed their version of the Oils’ 1982 hit Power and the Passion, with a guest appearance by Peter Garrett.
Sia’s hit track Unstoppable showed it was just that, with the artist winning Most Performed Australian Work Overseas for the third consecutive year.
The win means Sia has more APRA awards than any other songwriter, with 14 gongs to her name.
The hit track Maybe, by Guy Sebastian and his co-writers Ned Houston and Robby De Sa, took out Most Performed Australian Work and Most Performed Pop Work.
Meanwhile, hit-making songwriter Sarah Aarons, who has worked with K-pop boy band BTS as well as Flume and Tame Impala, took out her sixth APRA gong with an International Recognition Award.
Rock band INXS was recognised with the prestigious Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, with performer Ecca Vandal covering the early INXS track Just Keep Walking.
2026 APRA Music Awards winners
- Peer-Voted Song of the Year: Jerkin’ – Amyl and The Sniffers
- Songwriter of the Year: Amyl and The Sniffers
- Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music: INXS
- Emerging Songwriter of the Year: Emily Wurramara
Most Performed Works:
- Australian Work: Maybe – Guy Sebastian
- Australian Work Overseas: Unstoppable – Sia
- Alternative Work: Please Don’t Move to Melbourne – Ball Park Music
- Blues & Roots Work: Survival – Karen Lee Andrews
- Country Work: Who You Are – Rachael Fahim
- Dance/Electronic Work: Tell Me – Sonny Fodera & Clementine Douglas
- Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work: RAINDROP – Ocean Grove
- Hip Hop/Rap Work: Spinnin’ – ONEFOUR & Nemzzz
- International Work: Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
- Pop Work: Maybe – Guy Sebastian
- R&B/Soul Work: Pity Party – PANIA
- Rock Work: Jerkin’ – Amyl and The Sniffer
AAP
