Australian music is thriving, clearly reflected in the mega list of nominees.
L,R: Becca Hatch, Budjerah, Sampa The Great, James Johnston (Source: Supplied)
This year’s APRA Music Award nominees have been revealed, with the finest artists in current Australian music represented throughout the lists.
The 2023 APRA Music Awards feature a heavyweight roll call recognising songwriters spanning pop, rock, country, R&B, hip hop, rap, soul, blues & roots, and dance genres. Australian music is thriving, clearly reflected in the mega list of nominees below.
The 2023 APRA Music Awards will be held on Thursday, 27 April, at ICC Sydney, Gadigal land, with hosts Celia Pacquola, Fred Leone and Henry Wagons.
Also featuring alongside Aussie artists Vance Joy, Gang Of Youths, Sampa The Great, Julia Jacklin and many more is a short list of international nominations, with Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Lil Nas X, Adele and GAYLE up for the Most Performed International Work award.
Check out the complete list of APRA Music Award nominees below.
Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Title: I Feel Electric
Artist: Daniel Johns
Writers: Daniel Johns / Laura Raia / Maxwell Bidstrup / Mark Landon
Publishers: BMG / Concord Music Publishing
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Title: Lupa
Artist: King Stingray
Writer: Yirrŋa Gotjiringu Yunupingu
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Lydia Wears a Cross
Artist: Julia Jacklin
Writer: Julia Jacklin
Publisher: Mushroom Music
Title: One Song
Artist: Archie Roach
Writer: Archie Roach
Publisher: Mushroom Music
Title: Say Nothing (feat. MAY-A)
Artist: Flume
Writers: Flume* / Sarah Aarons
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic / Sony Music Publishing
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Writer: 18YOMAN (Vincent Goodyer)
Publisher: Universal/MCA Music Publishing
Writers: Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, Caleb Harper, Kieran Lama & Peppa Lane
(Spacey Jane)
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Dew Process
Writer: Budjerah
Publisher: Mushroom Music
Writers: Roy Kellaway & Yirrŋa Gotjiringu Yunupingu (King Stingray)
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Writer: Sampa the Great
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing
Most Performed Australian Work
Title: Clarity
Artist: Vance Joy
Writers: Vance Joy / Joel Little*
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo UNIFIED / Sony Music Publishing
Title: Growing Up Is ___
Artist: Ruel
Writers: Ruel Van Dijk / Mark Landon / Julian Bunetta
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing /
Mushroom Music obo Hipgnosis
Title: Hurtless
Artist: Dean Lewis
Writers: Dean Lewis / Jon Hume
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing
Title: On My Knees
Artist: RÜFÜS DU SOL
Writers: Jonathon George / James Hunt / Tyrone Lindqvist /
Jason Evigan
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing
Title: STAY
Artist: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
Writers: The Kid LAROI / Justin Bieber / Isaac De Boni / Omer Fedi /
Magnus Hoiberg / Michael Mule / Charlie Puth / Subhaan Rahman /
Blake Slatkin
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing /
Warner Chappell Music / Kobalt Music Publishing /
Concord Music Publishing
Most Performed Alternative Work
Title: Apple Crumble
Artist: Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba
Writers: Louis Leimbach / Oli Leimbach / Dave Hammer / Idris Elba
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing
Title: Hurtless
Artist: Dean Lewis
Writers: Dean Lewis / Jon Hume
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing
Title: The Man Himself
Artist: Gang of Youths
Writers: Dominik Borzestowski / Maxwell Dunn / Thomas Hobden /
Jung Kim / David Le’aupepe
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing
Title: Superstar
Artist: Sycco
Writer: Sasha McLeod professionally known as Sycco
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Touch Back Down
Artist: Ocean Alley
Writers: Nicholas Blom / Baden Donegal / Lachlan Galbraith / Mitchell Galbraith /
Angus Goodwin / Tom O’Brien
Publisher: Warner Chappell Music
Title: Waste A Day
Artist: The Rubens
Writers: Scott Baldwin / Elliott Margin / Sam Margin / Zaac Margin /
William Zeglis
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Title: I Believe
Artist: Ziggy Alberts
Writer: Ziggy Alberts
Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing
Title: I Want You To Know
Artist: Ash Grunwald
Writers: Ash Grunwald / Fergus James
Publisher: Mushroom Music
Title: Livin’ Like Kings
Artist: The Black Sorrows
Writers: Joe Camilleri / Nicholas Smith
Publishers: Mushroom Music / Jesharo Music*
Title: My Heart Is In The Wrong Place
Artist: Vika & Linda
Writer: Ben Salter
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing
Title: We Deserve To Dream
Artist: Xavier Rudd
Writer: Xavier Rudd
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Most Performed Country Work
Title: Get It Girl
Artist: Taylor Moss
Writers: Taylor Moss / Michael Delorenzis / Michael Paynter / Alys Edwards
Publisher: Mushroom Music*
Title: God Took His Time On You
Artist: Casey Barnes
Writers: Casey Barnes / Kaci Brown / Samuel Gray
Publishers: Mushroom Music / Kobalt Music Publishing
Title: Good Beer
Artist: Seaforth
Writers: Jordan Dozzi / Thomas Jordan / Mitchell Thompson / Rocky Block
Publisher: Warner Chappell Music
Title: Love Is Real
Artist: Morgan Evans
Writers: Morgan Evans / Parker Nohe / Jordan Reynolds
Publisher: Warner Chappell Music
Title: Raised Like That
Artist: James Johnston
Writer: James Johnston
Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work
Title: Heavy
Artist: Flight Facilities feat. Your Smith
Writers: Hugo Gruzman / James Lyell / Jono Ma / Caroline Smith
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic / Concord Music Publishing
Title: Honest (feat. Slayyyter)
Artist: Peking Duk
Writers: Adam Hyde / Reuben Styles-Richards / Kristy Lee Peters / Slayyyter
Publisher: BMG
Title: On My Knees
Artist: RÜFÜS DU SOL
Writers: Jonathon George / James Hunt / Tyrone Lindqvist /
Jason Evigan
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing
Title: Running Away
Artist: Rumor
Writers: Mitchell Curley / Len Pearce
Title: Say Nothing (feat. MAY-A)
Artist: Flume
Writers: Flume / Sarah Aarons
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Future Classic / Sony Music Publishing
Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work
Title: LET’S TROT!
Artist: Brothers & Joel Fletcher
Writers: Bassam Ahmad / Issam Ahmad / Joel Fletcher
Publisher: 120 Publishing
Title: Not Sober
Artist: The Kid LAROI feat. Polo G & Stunna Gambino
Writers: The Kid LAROI / Khaled Rohaim / Stunna Gambino / Polo G /
Subhaan Rahman
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing /
Warner Chappell
Title: Show Business
Artist: Hilltop Hoods feat. Eamon
Writers: Barry Francis (DJ Debris) / Matthew Lambert (Suffa) /
Daniel Smith (MC Pressure) / Andrew Burford
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing
Title: Wicked
Artist: Say True God?
Writer: Nixon Jackson
Title: Wish You Well
Artist: Baker Boy feat. Bernard Fanning
Writers: Baker Boy / Bernard Fanning / Pip Norman
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Mushroom Music
Most Performed Pop Work
Title: Clarity
Artist: Vance Joy
Writers: Vance Joy / Joel Little
Publishers: Mushroom Music obo UNIFIED / Sony Music Publishing
Title: Complete Mess
Artist: 5 Seconds of Summer
Writers: Michael Clifford / Luke Hemmings / Calum Hood / Ashton Irwin
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Glow
Artist: Jessica Mauboy
Writers: Jessica Mauboy / Jessica Higgs / Cosmo Liney / Patrick Liney
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing
Title: Growing Up Is ___
Artist: Ruel
Writers: Ruel Van Dijk / Mark Landon / Julian Bunetta
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing /
Mushroom Music obo Hipgnosis
Title: STAY
Artist: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
Writers: The Kid LAROI / Justin Bieber / Isaac De Boni / Omer Fedi /
Magnus Hoiberg / Michael Mule / Charlie Puth / Subhaan Rahman /
Blake Slatkin
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Universal/MCA Music Publishing /
Warner Chappell Music / Kobalt Music Publishing /
Concord Music Publishing
Most Performed R&B / Soul Work
Title: Bang My Line
Artist: Cosmo’s Midnight feat. Tkay Maidza
Writers: Cosmo Liney / Patrick Liney / Tkay Maidza / Brett Ramson
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing / BMG
Title: Safety
Artist: Becca Hatch
Writers: Becca Hatch / Hau Latukefu / Jamie Muscat / Willie Tafa / Solo Tohi
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Send My Love
Artist: Jordan Rakei
Writers: Jordan Rakei / Imraan Paleker / Jonathan Harvey / Christopher Hyson /
James Macrae
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Still Dream
Artist: Miiesha
Writers: Miiesha / Lucy Blomkamp / Stephen Collins
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Tuesday
Artist: KYE feat. Jerome Farah
Writers: Kylie Chirunga / Jerome Farah / Jacob Farah / Vincent Goodyer
Publishers: Sentric Music Publishing / Mushroom Music /
Universal/MCA Music Publishing
Most Performed Rock Work
Title: Around in Circles
Artist: Jimmy Barnes
Writers: Jimmy Barnes / Jane Barnes / Mark Lizotte
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Mushroom Music
Title: Lunchtime
Artist: Spacey Jane
Writers: Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu / Caleb Harper / Kieran Lama / Peppa Lane
Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Dew Process
Title: Milkumana
Artist: King Stingray
Writers: Roy Kellaway / Yirrŋa Gotjiringu Yunupingu
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Rising Seas
Artist: Midnight Oil
Writer: Jim Moginie
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Title: Struck By Lightning
Artist: The Chats
Writers: Matthew Boggis / Joshua Hardy / Eamon Sandwith
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing
Most Performed International Work
Title: abcdefu
Artist: GAYLE
Writers: Taylor Rutherfurd / Sara Davis / David Pittenger
Publishers: Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Peermusic / Downtown Music
Title: As It Was
Artist: Harry Styles
Writers: Harry Styles / Thomas Hull / Tyler Johnson
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing
Title: Easy On Me
Artist: Adele
Writers: Adele / Greg Kurstin
Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing
Title: Shivers
Artist: Ed Sheeran
Writers: Ed Sheeran / Kal Lavelle / Steve Mac / Johnny McDaid
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing
Title: That’s What I Want
Artist: Lil Nas X
Writers: Lil Nas X / Keegan Bach / Omer Fedi / Blake Slatkin / Ryan Tedder
Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing /
Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Downtown Music