25 Sep 2025
Fresh Wave of Global Stars Lead the 2025 ARIA Awards nominations
Meet the new vanguard of Aussie musicians taking centre stage on the global circuit, as the 2025 ARIA Awards in partnership with Spotify gear up to celebrate the artists blurring genres, breaking records, and commanding international stages from Coachella to Madison Square Garden.
From long-standing heroes to exciting up-and-comers, artists will be celebrated across 29 categories, including the 2025 ARIA Hall of Fame inductee: You Am I. Winners will be crowned on Wednesday, 19 November at the iconic Hordern Pavilion on Gadigal land.
The ARIA Awards will be live on Paramount+ and broadcast on 10. Performances and moments also available on @ARIA.official socials.
Leading this year’s ARIA Awards with eight nominations, Ninajirachi has cemented herself as one of Australia’s most visionary forces in electronic music, contending for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist, Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist presented by Spotify, Best Independent Release presented by PPCA, Best Dance/Electronic Release, Best Cover Art (Nina Wilson, John You, Aria Zarzycki), Engineer – Best Engineered Release (Thomas Purcell p/k/a Wave Racer) and Producer – Best Produced Release (Nina Wilson p/k/a Ninajirachi).
Known for her genre-blurring sound and innovative production, Ninajirachi’s global reputation has earned her sold-out shows across three continents, collaborations with Daine, Kota Banks and MGNA Crrrta, and praise from Billboard, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian. Her acclaimed debut album I Love My Computer was described by Rolling Stone as “a poignant tribute to 2010s EDM” and has positioned her at the forefront of a new wave of Australian talent redefining pop and club music. Straight off the back of her Coachella 2026 billing, this year’s ARIAs are shaping up to be a watershed moment for the young artist.
Global export Dom Dolla continues his meteoric rise as one of the world’s most in-demand EDM artists, securing seven nominations at the 2025 ARIA Awards, including Best Solo Artist, Best Dance/Electronic Release, Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW, Best Video (Kyle Caulfield & Shevin Dissanayake), Song of the Year, Engineer – Best Engineered Release (Dom Dolla) and Producer – Best Produced Release (Dom Dolla).
Having just become the first solo electronic act to headline a stadium in Australia, with his sold-out debut at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium, Dom has also sold out headline shows from Madison Square Garden to LA State Historic Park and DRUMSHEDS London. On top of that, he has dominated the world’s biggest festivals, including Coachella and Lollapalooza. With over 1.3 billion streams and multiple Platinum ARIA accreditations for global anthems Saving Up, girl$, Eat Your Man, and Dreamin, he is a cultural force to be reckoned with as he looks to build on his current three ARIA Awards.
Amyl and the Sniffers have cemented their status as one of Australia’s most electrifying live acts following a landmark year that included a triumphant 2025 European festival tour and a coveted support act on Foo Fighters’ US stadium run. The band’s momentum has translated into six ARIA Award nominations, including Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW, Best Group, Best Rock Album presented by Tooheys, Best Video (John Stewart), Best Cover Art (John Stewart) and the prestigious Album of the Year. They join an acclaimed shortlist for Album of the Year alongside Missy Higgins (The Second Act), Ninajirachi (I Love My Computer), RÜFÜS DU SOL (Inhale/Exhale), and Thelma Plum (I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back).
Hilltop Hoods’ ninth studio album Fall From The Light has skyrocketed to the top of the charts, landing them five nominations, including Best Group, Best Hip Hop/Rap Release, Best Video (Roman Anastasios and Jordan Ruyi Blanch), Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW and Best Cover Art (Sarah McCloskey).
Thelma Plum continues her incredible run this year, with five ARIA Award nominations including Album of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Cover Art (Kira Puru, Em Jesen), Producer – Best Produced Release (Alex Burnett), and Best Solo Artist. In the coveted Best Solo Artist category, she joins a powerhouse line-up featuring BARKAA, Dom Dolla, Kylie Minogue, Mallrat, Missy Higgins, Ninajirachi, Paul Kelly, The Kid LAROI, and Young Franco, making it one of the most exciting and competitive fields of 2025.
RÜFÜS DU SOL have landed themselves four nominations this year after the release of their fifth studio album Inhale / Exhale and a monumental world tour that saw them sell over 700,000 tickets and headline and sell out Rose Bowl Stadium, making them the second act after AC/DC to headline at the venue. Joining them in the line up of four nominations is also Folk Bitch Trio, Missy Higgins and Royel Otis.
To acknowledge the importance of the ecosystem that makes it possible for outstanding Australian talent to achieve new heights and build sustainable careers, this year’s ARIA Awards will recognise the festivals that create breakthrough moments for local artists with a new award: Best Music Festival presented by Tixel. The inaugural nominees include Ability Fest, Beyond The Valley, Bluesfest Byron Bay, Laneway Festival, and Yours and Owls Festival.
Continuing the spotlight on live music, Ball Park Music, BARKAA, Confidence Man, Dom Dolla, Hilltop Hoods, Kylie Minogue, Miss Kaninna, SPEED, Troye Sivan and Amyl and the Sniffers will duke it out as nominees for a hotly contested Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW.
For the first time, ARIA publicly voted Awards will be integrated into Spotify, enabling fans to cast daily votes for their favourite artists directly within the app across four publicly decided categories: Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW, Song of the Year, Best Video, and Most Popular International Artist. Public voting runs from 25 September to 10 November, and is open across Spotify and the ARIA website. With over half of Australia using the platform, the partnership with Spotify promises to be a game-changer for nominated artists.
ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said: “The ARIA Awards are always a celebration of the moments that have defined Australian music over the past year, and 2025 has been extraordinary. 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.
“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.”
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper, said: “I’m thrilled to join ARIA in congratulating all the outstanding nominees for the 2025 ARIA Awards. It is fantastic to see such a high calibre of Australian music talent across so many genres and communities being celebrated. Music is a huge part of the cultural fabric of Sydney and NSW. We have some incredibly talented artists who contribute to our state’s world-class mix of cultural experiences, which is showcased each year through the prism of the ARIA Awards.”
Spotify AUNZ Managing Director, Mikaela Lancaster, said: “The ARIA Awards are the pinnacle celebration of Australian music, and we’re proud to partner with ARIA to put this year’s incredible nominees centre stage. This partnership is about bringing fans closer to the nominees they love, while also helping their music travel further on the local and global stage. From in-app voting and curated playlists to marketing campaigns, we’re excited to champion the creativity and excellence of this year’s nominees and showcase their talent to the world”.
The 39th ARIA Awards is proudly supported by Destination NSW, celebrating Australia’s vibrant music industry and showcasing Sydney as a global hub for world-class entertainment and culture.
The ARIA Awards Presents program will return in 2025, providing opportunities for aspiring artists and industry professionals to celebrate Australia’s best established and up-and-coming talent, and facilitating important conversations to shape the future of Australian music. The line up of events for 2025 ARIA Awards Presents will be released at a later date.
2025 ARIA Award Nominations list are included in the attached.
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