Rules & Guidelines

Art Music Awards: Rules & Guidelines

1. General Information

The Art Music Awards are presented annually by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre (AMC) to celebrate the achievements of Australia’s art music community. Awards are presented across the following categories:

  • Work of the Year – 7 categories
  • Performance of the Year – 3 categories
  • Excellence Awards – 3 categories
  • Luminary Awards – up to 10 awards for sustained contribution
  • The Richard Gill Award – for Distinguished Services to Australian Music

2. Nomination & Eligibility

  • All nominations and supporting materials must be submitted via the online nomination form at artmusicawards.com.au
  • Who can nominate?
    • APRA AMCOS composer or publisher members
    • Current financial members of the Australian Music Centre
  • Nominee process:
    • Nominees will be notified of all nominations received. They will then select which nomination to proceed with and provide the required materials.
    • Each nominee may submit one nomination per award category.
  • Use of Indigenous content:
    • If a work includes Indigenous content (e.g., language, titles, narratives, or themes) from outside the nominee’s own cultural heritage, documentation must be provided showing consultation with the appropriate communities and permission to use their cultural content and intellectual property.
  • Nominations without the required documentation will be deemed ineligible.
  • APRA AMCOS and AMC reserve the right to:
    • Not present an award in any category, or
    • Defer a category to the following year if six or fewer eligible nominations are received.
  • Self-nominations are not permitted, unless otherwise noted. This includes nominating:
    • Yourself
    • People or organisations you work for, represent, or employ
  • All categories are open to all genres and practices of art music, including but not limited to:
    • Contemporary classical
    • Contemporary jazz
    • Notated composition
    • Improvised music
    • Digital music
    • Sound art
    • Experimental practice

3. Nominee Licence

By submitting material to the Art Music Awards, the nominee (or the copyright owner, if different) agrees to:

  1. Performance and Recording Rights
  • Permit APRA AMCOS, and any authorised party, to perform the entry during the Art Music Awards ceremony if appropriate.
  • Allow the entry to be recorded for the ceremony, public communication, and promotional purposes.
Promotional Use
  • Allow APRA AMCOS to use audio and video related to the nomination package for promotional purposes.

4. Work of the Year Categories

The seven Work of the Year categories are:

  1. Small Ensemble – Works with 1–4 parts, with or without vocal parts or electronics.
  2. Medium Ensemble – Works with 5–12 parts, with or without vocal parts or electronics.
  3. Large Ensemble – Works with 13+ parts, with or without vocal parts or electronics.
  4. Choral – Accompanied or unaccompanied works for multiple voices.
  5. Dramatic – Music primarily intended for theatre or dance (e.g., opera, music theatre, contemporary dance, ballet).
  6. Electroacoustic / Sound Art – Works using digital and/or analogue sound as the primary medium, including interdisciplinary works.
  7. Jazz & Improvised Music – Works primarily engaging with jazz and improvisation.

Definition of a Work:
A work is a single complete musical composition or expression. This includes:

  • Music with movements or sub-works (e.g., song cycles)
  • Installations
  • Real-time compositions (improvised music)

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Composed by an Australian citizen or permanent resident registered with APRA AMCOS and/or AMC.
  • First made publicly available (live or digital performance, broadcast, or commercial release) within the year prior to the Award (2025).
  • A work may only be submitted in one category. If eligible for multiple categories, the nominee must choose one.
  • Self-nomination by composers is not permitted in Work of the Year categories.
  • All categories are open to all genres and practices of art music, including but not limited to:
    • Contemporary classical
    • Contemporary jazz
    • Notated composition
    • Improvised music
    • Digital music
    • Sound art
    • Experimental practice

5. Performance of the Year Categories

The three Performance of the Year categories are:

  1. Classical & Experimental – Performances of Australian classical and experimental works.
  2. Jazz & Improvised – Performances of Australian jazz and improvised works.
  3. Soloist – Performances of Australian solo works, or soloists featured within larger works (open to all art music genres).

Eligibility Requirements:

  • The performance must have taken place publicly during the calendar year prior to the Award (2025).
  • Performances may occur anywhere in the world.
  • The work performed must be composed by an Australian citizen or a composer with permanent residence in Australia.
  • There is no restriction on the year of composition (heritage works are eligible).
  • Public broadcast of a live studio or concert performance in the same year qualifies as a public performance. This includes:
    • Radio broadcasts
    • Live streams
    • Podcasts
    • Other digital distribution of a live recording
  • Performances of non-score-based works are encouraged.
  • A performance may only be submitted in one category. If eligible for multiple categories, the nominee must choose one.
  • Self-nomination by performers is not permitted in Performance of the Year categories.

6. Excellence Categories

The Excellence Awards recognise outstanding contributions to Australian art music across three categories:

  1. Award for Excellence in Experimental Practice
    For works, people, or events that interrogate, extend, or challenge standard artistic practice within the Australian repertoire.
  2. Award for Excellence in Music Education
    For pedagogical, creative, or professional development activities that champion Australian art music repertoire.
  3. Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
    For activities undertaken in a regional area, by or in collaboration with the local community, that utilise Australian repertoire to create a positive impact.

Eligibility and Guidelines:

  • Awards for Excellence may recognise a range of activities that champion Australian repertoire, including:
    • Specific projects
    • Activities
    • Recordings or recording projects
    • Events undertaken by an individual or organisation
  • Activities must have taken place in the year prior to the Award (2025).
    • Nominations for sustained contribution should be made in the Luminary Award categories instead.
  • Previous year winners in any Excellence category are not eligible for nomination the following year.
  • Nominations for organisations should demonstrate excellence beyond the standard remit or mission of that organisation.
  • Experimental Practice nominations must include a rationale explaining how the work interrogates or extends standard practice.
  • Music Education nominations must focus on pedagogical, creative, or professional development activities that champion Australian art music repertoire.
  • For the Regional Area Award, metropolitan organisations and individual nominees must provide a regionally based partner as a co-nominee.
  • Self-nomination is permitted only in the Regional Area category, in recognition of additional barriers faced by regional artists.
  • Self-nomination is not permitted in the Experimental Practice or Music Education categories.
  • All Excellence categories are open to all genres and practices of art music, including but not limited to:
    • Contemporary classical
    • Contemporary jazz
    • Notated composition
    • Improvised music
    • Digital music
    • Sound art
    • Experimental practice

7. Luminary Awards

The Luminary Awards honour individuals or organisations who have made a sustained contribution to the art music community over a period of 3–5 years.

Categories:

  • National Individual
  • National Organisation
  • State & Territory Awards – ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA

Eligibility and Guidelines:

  • Nominations recognise activities undertaken during the five years prior to the Award (2021–2025).
  • Winners are not eligible for nomination in the same category for three years following their award.
  • A nominee may be nominated for both a National Luminary Award and one State Luminary Award.
    • If multiple State nominations are received, the nominee must select one state based on their geographic location during the period in question.
  • Only recipients of State and Territory Luminary Awards will be announced; there are no finalists for these categories.
  • Self-nomination is not permitted in Luminary Award categories.

8. Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music

  • This award is presented at the discretion of the APRA and AMC Boards of Directors. Public nominations are not solicited.
  • The award honours an individual, group, or organisation that has made a sustained contribution over many years, impacting the national art music community through:
    • Visionary leadership
    • Fearless trailblazing
    • High-level artistic practice
    • Championing Australian repertoire

9. Judging Process

For all categories except Luminary Awards:

  • Each category is assessed by a panel of three industry judges with relevant expertise, overseen by an independent chair.
  • All eligible submissions are provided to the panel for assessment.
  • APRA AMCOS and AMC are committed to ensuring diversity of viewpoints across gender, genre, geography, generation, and culture.
  • A list of all judges (in aggregate) is published after assessment is completed.
  • The panel will select four finalists for each category, including one winner.

For Luminary Awards:

  • All Luminary categories are assessed by a single national committee with representatives from:
    • QLD
    • NSW/ACT
    • VIC/TAS
    • NT/SA
    • WA
  • The committee is overseen by an independent chair.
  • All eligible submissions are provided to the committee for assessment.
  • Diversity principles apply as above.
  • The committee will select:
    • Four finalists for the National Luminary categories, including one winner.
    • One winner for each State/Territory Luminary Award where submissions are received and deemed of worthy quality.

10. Announcement of Finalists & Awards

  • Winners of all categories will be announced at the 2026 Art Music Awards ceremony.
  • Where applicable, finalists in each category will be announced ahead of the ceremony.
  • Recipients of the State & Territory Luminary Awards and the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music may be announced ahead of the ceremony, at the discretion of the APRA and AMC Boards of Directors.
  • After the ceremony, APRA AMCOS and AMC will publish:
    • A list of all judges (in aggregate)
    • The chairs’ reports for each category