SA artists in the running for national indie awards
Four SA artists are among names like the Wiggles for the Australian Independent Record Label Association’s 2026 awards night, held in Adelaide in July. See the full list of nominees.
Four SA artists, including the Tullamarines and The Superjesus are up for gongs at the 20th installment of the Australian Independent Record (air) Awards, held at Town Hall in July.
Also hailing from SA is Kenyan-Australian artist Elsy Wameyo, receiving the honour for her November EP Wameyo. She is nominated in the Best Independent Hip Hop Album/EP category.
The Australian String Quartet, based at Adelaide University’s Elder Conservatorium, was nominated for Best Independent Classical Album/EP for their 2025 recording of Vanessa Perica’s String Quartet No. 1, No Feeling Is Final, which Perica has described as “somewhat autobiographical”.
Adelaide rock band The Superjesus received a nomination in the Best Independent Electronic Single for Something Good, a remix with The Journey of a track they’d released earlier in 2025.
Local indie pop band The Tullamarines rounds out the list of SA nominees. Listed in the Best Independent Pop Album/EP category for their September EP Safety Blanket, featuring several tracks that have been featured in CityMag’s best new music column.
The awards come amid a rocky few years for SA’s music scene, with a variety of issues facing local artists that includes touring costs and low ticket sales linked to general cost of living concerns, especially since the pandemic.
Last year’s awards saw nominations for Adelaide artists like Mount Gambier export Kasey Chambers and Electronic duo Electric Fields.
Alongside the four South Australian nominees are a wide variety of Australian artists. This year’s list features big names such as Montaigne, The Wiggles, Playlunch, Liz Stringer, and Thornhill, as well as plenty of up-and-coming artists from all over the nation.
Adelaide’s role as an Australian live music hub was officially recognised by UNESCO in 2015, with the city receiving the UNESCO City of Music classification. It is the only Australian city to receive the designation.
Minister for Arts Kyam Maher MLC said hosting the event in Adelaide recognises the “outstanding contribution” made by South Australian artists.
“Hosting this celebration in Adelaide – Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music – alongside A2IM’s Indie Week Australian Edition reinforces South Australia’s role as a national and international leader in the independent music sector,” he said.
2026 AIR Award Nominees
Best Independent Blues and Roots Album or EP
John Butler – Prism
Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time
Liz Stringer – The Second High
Melbourne Ska Orchestra – The Ballad Of Monte Loco
Sons Of The East – Sons
Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP
Bliss N Eso – The Moon (The Light Side)
Devaura – Vol 1. Learning In Public
Elsy Wameyo – Wameyo
Jamaica Moana – Bud & Deni
Teether & Kuya Neil – Yearn Iv
Best Independent Country Album or EP
Emily Lubitz – Two Black Horses
Hayley Jensen – Country Soul
Imogen Clark – Choking On Fuel
Ruby Gill – Some Kind Of Control
Wade Forster – Gooseneck Party
Best Independent Jazz Album or EP
You might like
Natalie Gauci – Pictures Of Mars
Phia – When I’m Holding You, I’m Holding Me
Temporary Blessings – Sumbisori
The Cat Empire – Bird In Paradise
Touch Sensitive – In Paradise
Best Independent Classical Album or EP
Andrea Lam – Piano Diary
Australian String Quartet – Vanessa Perica, String Quartet No. 1, No Feeling Is Final
Joseph Tawadros – The Forgotten Path To Humanity
Rose Riebl – Dust
William Barton & Omega Ensemble – Gift – Our Breath Of Life
Best Independent Children’s Album or EP
Diver City – Weekend Baby
Emma Memma – Dance Island Party
Justine Clarke – Mimi’s Symphony
Teeny Tiny Stevies – Brain Fart
The Wiggles, The Tree Of Wisdom – The Tree Of Wisdom
Best Independent Dance/Club Single
Confidence Man, Jade – Gossip
DJ PGZ & Yikes – Ouss Ouss
Fisher – Stay
Shouse – Sunrise
Vv Pete, UTILITY & Formation Boyz – Wassa
Best Independent Electronic Single
Cosmo’s Midnight – 45
Keanu Nelson – Place Where I Go / Kapi Ngalyananni
Ninajirachi – Ipod Touch
Robert Baxter & Sweatbaby – Icy (Take It Off)
The Superjesus & The Journey – Something Good
Best Independent Punk Album or EP
Press Club – To All The Ones I Love
Private Function – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Radio Free Alice – Empty Words EP
These New South Whales – Godspeed
Wet Kiss – Thus Spoke The Broken Chanteuse
Best Independent Heavy Album or EP
Battlesnake – Dawn Of The Exultants And The Hunt For The Shepherd
Hands Like Houses – Atmospherics
Npcede – Npcede
The Maggie Pills – Hearts Enduring Lingering Loss
Thornhill – Bodies
Best Independent Electronic Album or EP
Essendon Airport – Mor
Mel Blue – No More Jackets Please
Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer
RONA. – It’s All Here (EP)
Shouse – Collective Ecstasy
Best Independent Rock Album or EP
Playlunch – Sex Ed
Spacey Jane – If That Makes Sense
Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers – Glory
The Belair Lipbombs – Again
The Southern River Band – Easier Said Than Done
Best Independent Soul/RnB Album or EP
Bumpy – Kanana
Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Cookin’ The Books
Subscribe for updates
Don West – Give Me All Your Love
Felivand – My Body’s My True North
WILSN – Bloom
Best Independent Pop Album or EP
Georgia Knight – Beanpole
Montaigne – It’s Hard To Be A Fish
Stella Donnelly – Love And Fortune
The Tullamarines – Safety Blanket
Way Dynamic – Massive Shoe
Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year – Presented By PPCA
Folk Bitch Trio
Georgia Knight
Rageflower
RONA.
Yes Boone
Independent Song of the Year
Jem Cassar-Daley – Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving
Keli Holiday – Dancing2
Ninajirachi – Ipod Touch
Playlunch – Keith
Way Dynamic – Miffed It
Independent Album of the Year
Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time
Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer
The 046 – Legacy In Motion
The Belair Lipbombs – Again
Way Dynamic – Massive Shoe
Best Independent Label
ABC Music
Astral People Recordings
College Of Knowledge
Mushroom Music
NLV Records
Independent Marketing Team of the Year
Mushroom Music – Bliss N Eso, The Moon (The Light Side)
Nlv Records, The Orchard – Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer
Playlunch, ABC Music – Playlunch, Keith
Secretly Group – Folk Bitch Trio, Now Would Be A Good Time
The Annex – Ocean Alley, Love Balloon
Independent Publicity Team of the Year
Cult Logic – Ocean Alley, Love Balloon
Mushroom Music – Bliss N Eso, The Moon (The Light Side)
Mushroom Music – WILSN, Bloom
Twnty Three – Folk Bitch Trio, Now Would Be A Good Time
Twnty Three – Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer
Independent Music Video of the Year
Angus Wolfe PKA Ball Bass John – Ninajirachi, Fuck My Computer
Bridgette Winten, Folk Bitch Trio – Folk Bitch Trio, Cathode Ray
Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore – Miss Kaninna, Backstreets
Tas Wilson, James Adams – Jem Cassar-Daley, Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving
Jasper Van Daatselaar – Way Dynamic, People Settle Down
Independent Producer of the Year
Angus Stone – Dope Lemon, Golden Wolf
Benjamin Stewart – Slowly Slowly, Forgiving Spree
Dylan Young – Way Dynamic, Massive Shoe
Nick Didia – Ocean Alley, Love Balloon
Nina Wilson – Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer
Independent Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer of the Year
Becki Whitton, Timothy Harvey, Hannah Cameron – Ruby Gill, Some Kind Of Control
Leon Zervos – Ocean Alley, Love Balloon
Michael Carpenter – Imogen Clark, Choking On Fuel
Stephen Mowat – WILSN, Bloom
Thomas Purcell PKA Wave Racer – Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
