A surprise team-up between Peter Garrett and The Presets, an emotional tribute to Michael Hutchence, and a dominant showing from Amyl and The Sniffers were among the defining moments of the 2026 APRA Awards in Sydney on Wednesday night (April 29th).
Here are our highlights.
The Presets and Peter Garrett perform “Power and the Passion”
The Presets delivered a reimagined electronic version of the song before Midnight Oil’s frontman Peter Garrett emerged on stage to a huge reaction from the crowd, with the 73-year-old singer throwing himself into the performance with the same commanding energy that made him one of Australian music’s most recognisable frontmen.
Originally released in 1983, “Power and the Passion” remains one of Midnight Oil’s defining songs and one of the most enduring political rock tracks in Australian music history.
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Sarah Blasko takes on Keli Holiday’s “Dancing2”
Sarah Blasko delivered an emotional rendition of Keli Holiday’s hit song “Dancing2”. Stripping back the euphoric electronic original into something far more intimate and emotional, Blasko transformed the track into a slow-burning showcase of her unmistakable voice and stage presence.
Backed by moody lighting and sparse instrumentation, the performance brought a completely different energy to the room and served as a reminder of why Blasko remains one of Australia’s most compelling live performers.
Amyl and the Sniffers win big
The Melbourne four-piece claimed Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year and Most Performed Rock Work for their track “Jerkin’”, while also being awarded the prestigious Songwriter of the Year honour, selected by the APRA Board. It marks the second consecutive year the band has won Song of the Year, following their 2025 victory for “U Should Not Be Doing That”.
When accepting an award, frontwoman Amy Taylor said: “I know that we are like the musical equivalent to a dick and balls being draw on a deck of cards sometimes, but there is meaning in what I’m saying and try to get across.
“It’s so frustrating to be alive right now sometimes with everything that’s going on, feeling so voiceless and powerless. Even with all the stuff going on in this country. And you want to draw attention to the stuff that’s really fucked up, but if you draw attention to it, the people behind it get lifted up more.
“I’m talking about the politicians and the groups that none of us want to see rise to the top, you just wanna fucking shut them the fuck up, so there is meaning in what I’m saying.”
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INXS pay tribute to late frontman Michael Hutchence
INXS’ surviving members repeatedly reflected on Hutchence’s legacy, friendship and contribution to the band’s success, with several visibly emotional throughout their speech while accepting the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.
Most strikingly, Kirk Pengilly revealed one of Hutchence’s lasting hopes for the band’s legacy. “Michael, you know, on a number of occasions used to say, all I want is that we matter,” Pengilly told the audience. That one day people will go, well, yeah, they did something, they contributed, they mattered. This award says that.”
Sarah Aarons wins International Recognition Award
Australian songwriter Sarah Aarons has acclaimed success working with the likes of Tame Impala, Cosmo’s Midnight, Zedd, Ruel, Flume, Rosé, and more over the years, and there was nobody better suited to take home the award. For years, Aarons has remained behind-the-scenes, so this felt like a long overdue spotlight moment for one of the country’s most influential behind-the-scenes hitmakers.
