The 2025 ARIA Awards have officially commenced, artists have begun taking the stage, and some of the night’s most anticipated performances and category announcements are already unfolding at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion.
Dom Dolla leads the nominations with seven categories, while Troye Sivan follows with four, marking another powerhouse year for Australian pop and electronic music.
Olivia Dean, fresh from announcing her forthcoming album The Art of Loving and celebrating a Grammy nomination, is making her ARIA stage debut, an appearance already generating plenty of anticipation.
She joins a wide mix of homegrown performers including Alex Lahey, Anna Ryan, Baker Boy, G Flip, Janet English, Keli Holiday, Kita Alexander, Missy Higgins, Neve Van Boxsel, Thelma Plum, Touch Sensitive, You Am I and Young Franco.
A notable moment on tonight’s program comes from the Soul and R&B category, where all five nominees are performing together with a 15-piece band. It marks a first for the ARIAs and offers a thoughtful spotlight on the strength and evolution of the genre.
They appear alongside hosts Tim Blackwell and Concetta Caristo, supported by presenters including Budjerah, Kacey Musgraves, Kate Ceberano, King Stingray, Tyra Banks and more.
Across 29 categories, from Album of the Year and Song of the Year to Best Australian Live Act and the new Best Music Festival Award, the night is set to recognise both emerging voices and established names, reflecting the breadth of Australia’s contemporary music landscape.
See the complete list of ARIA Award nominees below.
All The ARIA Awards Nominees 2025
Album Of The Year
WINNER: Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness
Missy Higgins – The Second Act
Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale
Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back
Best Solo Artist
BARKAA
Dom Dolla
Kylie Minogue
Mallrat
Missy Higgins
WINNER: Ninajirachi
Paul Kelly
The Kid LAROI
Thelma Plum
Young Franco
Song Of The Year
Cyril, Maryjo – Still Into You
Dom Dolla Feat. Daya – Dreamin
FISHER – Stay
Gotye, FISHER, Chris Lake Feat. Kimbra, Sante Sansone – Somebody
OneFour, Nemzzz – Spinnin
Royel Otis – Linger (SiriusXM Session)
Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy – Somedays
WINNER: The Kid LAROI – Girls
Tobiahs – Angel of Mine
Best Australian Live Act
Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness World Tour
Ball Park Music – Like Love Tour
BARKAA – BIG TIDDA Tour
Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) Tour
Dom Dolla – Dom Dolla Australia 2024
Hilltop Hoods – Hilltop Hoods 2025
Kylie Minogue – Tension Tour 2025
Miss Kaninna – Dawg In Me Tour
SPEED – SPEED AUSTRALIA TOUR ’25
WINNER: Troye Sivan – Something To Give Each Other Tour
Best Rock Album
WINNER: Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness
Ball Park Music – Like Love
King Stingray – For The Dreams
Royel Otis – hickey
Spacey Jane – If That Makes Sense
Best Group
WINNER: Amyl and The Sniffers
Folk Bitch Trio
Hilltop Hoods
Royel Otis
RÜFÜS DU SOL
Best Pop Release
G Flip – Disco Cowgirl
Kita Alexander – Press Pause
Kylie Minogue – Tension II
Mallrat – Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right
WINNER: Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back
Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist
Folk Bitch Trio
Gut Health
Mia Wray
WINNER: Ninajirachi
Young Franco
Best Independent Release
Ball Park Music
Confidence Man
Folk Bitch Trio
Miss Kaninna
WINNER: Ninajirachi
Best Adult Contemporary Album
Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time
Gordi – Like Plasticine
Meg Washington – GEM
WINNER: Missy Higgins – The Second Act
Paul Kelly – Fever Longing Still
Best Blues & Roots Album
Dope Lemon – Golden Wolf
Mama Kin Spender – Promises
Sons Of The East – SONS
Tash Sultana – Return to the Roots
WINNER: The Teskey Brothers – Live At The Hammersmith Apollo
Best Children’s Album
WINNER: Emma Memma – Dance Island Party
Justine Clarke – Mimi’s symphony
Teeny Tiny Stevies – Brain Fart
The Vegetable Plot – Season Three
The Wiggles – Wiggle Up, Giddy Up!
Best Country Album
Dylan Wright – Half a World Away
Imogen Clark – Choking On Fuel
WINNER: Kasey Chambers – Backbone
Keith Urban – High
Taylor Moss – Firecracker
Best Dance / Electronic Release
Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA)
WINNER: Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’
FISHER – Stay
Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer
Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy – Somedays
Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album
Civic – Chrome Dipped
Press Club – To All The Ones That I Love
RedHook – Mutation
The Amity Affliction – Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)
WINNER: Thornhill – Bodies
Best Hip Hop / Rap Release
WINNER: BARKAA – Big Tidda
Hilltop Hoods – Fall From The Light
Miss Kaninna – Kaninna EP
ONEFOUR – Look At Me Now
The Kid LAROI – Baby I’m Back
Best Soul / R&B Release
WINNER: BOY SODA – Lil Obsession
JACOTÉNE – Why’d You Do That?
Jerome Farah – CHLORINE
Larissa Lambert – Cardio
PANIA – Pity Party
Best Video
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Break My Love
Missy Higgins – Craters
Emily Wurramara – Lordy Lordy
Spacey Jane – All the Noise
Royel Otis – car
Amyl and The Sniffers – Big Dreams
Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’
Hilltop Hoods – Don’t Happy, Be Worry
WINNER: Keli Holiday – Dancing2
Vv Pete, UTILITY, Formation Boyz – WASSA
Best Music Festival
Ability Fest – Dylan Alcott Foundation + Untitled Group Pty Ltd
Beyond The Valley – Untitled Group / Beyond The Valley Music Festival
Bluesfest Byron Bay – Bluesfest Byron Bay
WINNER: Laneway Festival – St Jerome’s Laneway Pty Ltd / Laneway Festival
Yours and Owls Festival – Yours and Owls
Best Classical Album
WINNER: Andrea Lam – Piano Diary
Australian Chamber Orchestra / Richard Tognetti – Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings and Andante Cantabile / Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony in C minor
Nat Bartsch – Forever Changed
Simone Young & Sydney Symphony Orchestra – Mahler: Symphony No. 2; Barton: Of The Earth
Sophie Hutchings – Become The Sky
Best Jazz Album
Evans Robson Quartet – Zenith
Lachlan McKenzie – Departures
WINNER: Lucy Clifford – Between Spaces of Knowing
TL;DR & Peter Knight – Too Long; Didn’t Read
Touch Sensitive – In Paradise
Best World Music Album
Electric Fields, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live In Concert
WINNER: Gurrumul – Banbirrngu – The Orchestral Sessions
Joseph Tawadros – The Forgotten Path To Humanity
Tenzin Choegyal – Snow Flower
The Cat Empire – Bird in Paradise
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical
Australian Chamber Orchestra – Memoir of a Snail (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Memoir of a Snail (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – The Surfer
Michael Cassel Group – Michael Cassel Group Presents A (Very) Musical Christmas
WINNER: Original Soundtrack – How To Make Gravy
Vidya Makan – The Lucky Country (Original Cast Album)
Best Cover Art
Giulia McGauran – Bird in Paradise (The Cat Empire)
WINNER: John Stewart and Thomas Rennie – Cartoon Darkness (Amyl and The Sniffers)
Kira Puru, Thelma Plum, Em Jensen – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back (Thelma Plum)
Nina Wilson, John You, Aria Zarzycki – I Love My Computer (Ninajirachi)
Sarah McCloskey – Fall From The Light (Hilltop Hoods)
Best Engineered Release
Alice Ivy – Do What Makes You Happy (Alice Ivy0
Dom Dolla – DREAMIN’ (Dom Dolla)
Eric J Dubowsky – DUMB (Emma Louise & Flume)
WINNER: Kevin Parker – End of Summer (Tame Impala)
Thomas Purcell p/k/a Wave Racer – I Love My Computer (Ninajirachi)
Best Produced Release
Alex Burnett – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back (Thelma Plum)
Dom Dolla – DREAMIN‘ (Dom Dolla)
WINNER: Kevin Parker – End of Summer (Tame Impala)
Nina Wilson p/k/a Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (Ninajirachi)
Rüfüs Du Sol – Inhale / Exhale (RÜFÜS DU SOL)
Most Popular International Artist
Alex Warren
Calvin Harris
Gracie Abrams
Kendrick Lamar
Noah Kahan
Post Malone
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Tyler, The Creator
Best Use Of An Australian Recording In An Advertisement
WINNER: 3% – Fox League 2025: Our Greats
Bliss n Eso – Menulog: What’s Good in Your Hood
Briggs & Kobie Dee – Paramount+ Australia: Ballad of the GOATS
Dune Rats – Tooheys: I Feel Like a Tooheys
Kita Alexander – Tourism & Events Queensland: That Holiday Feeling
