Queensland-based artists, filmmakers, producers, venues, and festivals are now invited to submit their entries for the 20th Queensland Music Awards (QMAs), set to celebrate the state’s music industry in April next year.Â
The annual awards ceremony invites Prospective nominees to act quickly, as submissions for the 20 genre and excellence awards will close on Monday, 1 December 2025, at 11.59 pm, with organizers stipulating there will be NO EXTENSIONS.
Artists and industry professionals are encouraged to self-nominate for the genre and excellence categories. As the music industry evolves, the QMAs have introduced several changes for the 2026 awards.
New this year is the Producer of the Year award, which is designed to recognise outstanding work by a Queensland music producer over the past year.
Also updated is the Indigenous Artist of the Year award, which replaces a historical song genre category. Any First Nations artist who enters the standard self-nomination awards and identifies as Indigenous will automatically be eligible for this award.
Additionally, the Industry Excellence category includes a new Breakthrough Artist of the Year award, which is determined by an expert judging panel. All self-nomination entries will be reviewed by over 100 Australian-based industry professionals.
Beyond the artist and production categories, nominations are also open for the popular People’s Choice Awards, supported by The Music.
Live music venues and festivals have been invited to nominate since Thursday, 30 October 2025, for a chance to be crowned Festival of the Year, Regional Venue of the Year, Metro Venue of the Year, or Accessible and Inclusive Venue of the Year. Notably, the criteria for the Accessible and Inclusive Venue of the Year have been updated to recognise that accessibility extends beyond physical facilities, celebrating venues that champion both physical access and efforts to foster diversity and inclusivity in their programming and audiences.
Once eligible finalists are selected in these People’s Choice categories, fans will be invited to cast their votes via The Music’s website in early 2026.
In addition to the main awards, the full suite of QMusic Scholarships and Prizes will be presented during the QMAs ceremony. Applications for the Dennis ‘Mop’ Conlon Scholarship, Billy Thorpe Scholarship, Carol Lloyd Award, and Grant McLennan Fellowship are open from Wednesday, 22 October 2025, and submissions will close slightly later than the main awards, on Thursday, 8 January 2026
