The ARIA Awards will celebrate their 40th anniversary in Sydney this November, with the Australian music industry’s night of nights locking in its 2026 date.
The 2026 ARIA Awards will once again take place at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, November 18th, marking the sixth consecutive year the ceremony has been held at the venue on Gadigal land.
Nominations for the awards will be revealed on Thursday, September 24th.
The 40th anniversary celebrations are already underway, following a special standalone ARIA Hall of Fame event earlier this year. Gurrumul, Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano, Spiderbait, The Living End and Vika & Linda were inducted during a ceremony at Sydney’s Carriageworks in June.
ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said this year’s ceremony would look back at the artists who have shaped Australian music over the past four decades while also turning its attention to its next generation. “Australian music is electric, ever-evolving and has never failed to set the cultural conversation ablaze right around the world. The ARIA Awards have had the best seat in the house for four decades of one incredible show,” she said.
“Whatever gets thrown at Aussie music, our artists find a way to cut through. Now is no exception. Amyl and the Sniffers, The Kid LAROI, Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla and Troye Sivan are all proof of that, and there is a generation behind them who will take Australian music somewhere none of us can picture yet.
“That’s exactly what we can’t wait to celebrate at the 40th ARIA Awards: the icons who built these four decades, the superstars carrying Australian music today and the artists who will own the next forty years. I promise the team has thrown everything they have at making this milestone unforgettable, see you in November!”
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This year’s event will continue ARIA’s partnership with Spotify, which returns as presenting partner for a second year, while the ceremony will be broadcast on 10 and streamed live on Paramount+. Spotify will again support the awards through in-app voting, editorial features and a dedicated ARIA Awards hub, as well as an international out-of-home campaign promoting nominees and winners.
“Australia continues to produce some of the most exciting music in the world, and every year the ARIA Awards remind us just how deep the talent pool runs in this country,” Spotify Managing Director AUNZ Mikaela Lancaster said.
“We’re proud to be back as Presenting Partner, and our goal is to take the energy of the night and turn it into streams, fans and opportunities that follow these artists long after the trophies are handed out. Australian music is world-class and we want to make sure audiences here and around the world know it.”
Last year’s ceremony was led by Amyl and the Sniffers, who collected four awards including Album of the Year and Best Group. Meanwhile, Ninajirachi won three, including Best Solo Artist and the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist Award.
Dom Dolla, Troye Sivan, Tame Impala, Thelma Plum, Boy Soda, BARKAA, and Kasey Chambers were also among the 2025 winners, while British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean performed her smash hit “Man I Need” during the ceremony.
The ARIA Awards Presents program will also return in 2026, with its accompanying events and industry programming to be announced at a later date.
