Nominees For The 2023 APRA Awards Have Been Revealed

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

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