ARIA Awards Honour First Nations Artists

First Nations artists have received 16 nominations for the 2026 ARIA Awards, the ceremony's 40th anniversary year.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Pop

ARIA Awards Honour First Nations Artists

First Nations artists received 16 nominations for the 2026 ARIA Awards, with Baker Boy and Miss Kaninna each receiving five. The ceremony takes place on Wednesday 18 November 2026 at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.

Why it matters

The nominations highlight the continuing presence of First Nations artists in Australian music, marking the ARIA Awards' 40th anniversary. The recognition builds on a history that includes Yothu Yindi's 'Treaty', the first single by an Aboriginal band to enter the mainstream ARIA Singles Charts.

Baker Boy and Miss Kaninna each received 5 nominations, with Miss Kaninna's debut album BLACKPRINT released in August 2026. The extraction does not state the total number of nominees across all ARIA categories, so the share taken by First Nations artists cannot be calculated.

The players

Yothu Yindi

Yothu Yindi is an Aboriginal Australian band whose 1991 single 'Treaty' became the first by an Aboriginal band to enter the mainstream ARIA Singles Charts.

Baker Boy

Baker Boy is an Indigenous Australian rapper and musician who received 5 nominations at this year's ARIA Awards.

Miss Kaninna

Miss Kaninna is an Indigenous Australian artist who received 5 nominations at this year's ARIA Awards and released her debut album BLACKPRINT in August.

The details

Nominations were received across multiple ARIA categories, and six Australian artists were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at a special event held earlier this year at Carriageworks. The song 'Not Many - Ganay Biralunbar' by 3% is nominated for Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement.

1991: Yothu Yindi's 'Treaty' entered the mainstream ARIA Singles Charts, reaching number 11 and staying on the charts for almost six months.
1992: Yothu Yindi won Song of the Year for 'Treaty'.
August 2026: Miss Kaninna's debut album BLACKPRINT was released.
Earlier in 2026: Six artists were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at Carriageworks.
Wednesday 18 November 2026: The 2026 ARIA Awards ceremony takes place at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.

Season Trajectory

The 2026 nominations continue a line that began when Yothu Yindi's 'Treaty' entered the mainstream ARIA Singles Charts in 1991 and won Song of the Year in 1992. Recognition of First Nations artists has since grown into a regular feature of the awards' 40-year history.

Viewers wanting to follow the ceremony can watch the 2026 ARIA Awards on the day at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion, with the event happening six days from now. The nominations also point to recent releases from Miss Kaninna and Baker Boy that listeners can stream now.

The takeaway

First Nations artists are taking a prominent place in the ARIA Awards' 40th year, following a path that began with Yothu Yindi's 'Treaty' in 1991. Listeners can follow the nominees through the ceremony on 18 November 2026.

What happens next

The 2026 ARIA Awards ceremony takes place on Wednesday 18 November 2026 at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion, where winners in the categories with First Nations nominees will be announced.