The 2025 APRA Music Awards have been announced with a stellar line-up of hosts and the return of an important accolade.
In a significant development for Australian songwriters achieving success overseas, the International Recognition Award makes its comeback to the prestigious event. The award celebrates members who predominantly live and work internationally, acknowledging their remarkable achievements separate from domestic performance metrics.
APRA has confirmed the event will feature award-winning music journalist Zan Rowe as host, alongside R&B and future soul artist Ngaiire and newly-announced co-host Hau Lātūkefu.
APRA Music Awards 2025
- Venue: Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne
- Date: Wednesday 30 April, 2025
- Tickets here
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The International Recognition Award, previously known as the Overseas Recognition Award, has celebrated Australian songwriting excellence at events in music capitals including Los Angeles, London and Nashville. Past recipients include notable songwriters Jed Kurzel, Kylie Sackley, Lindsay Rimes and Phil Barton.
APRA Chair Jenny Morris emphasised the importance of this recognition: “Australian artists are having huge success internationally and making their mark on the world stage, but here at home they often get overlooked for airplay on commercial radio or streaming services. We hope that this new award goes some way to acknowledging the incredible success of these stellar music creators and highlighting the impact their music is having on this important industry stage.”
Julian Hamilton of electronic duo The Presets returns for his second year as Music Director. Hamilton brings substantial pedigree to the role, having won APRA Song of the Year in 2008 for co-writing Silverchair’s Straight Lines with Daniel Johns, and claiming Songwriter of the Year alongside Presets bandmate Kim Moyes in 2009.
As Music Director, Hamilton will curate the live performances for the awards ceremony, creating unique collaborations between diverse musical talents to interpret the five compositions nominated for the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year.
The APRA Music Awards celebrates outstanding achievements in contemporary music across multiple categories, recognizing excellence in songwriting, composition and music publishing. This year marks another significant milestone for the organisation, which represents over 124,000 members across Australasia.
Nominees across all award categories will be announced on Wednesday 2 April, building anticipation for the main ceremony at month’s end. The event continues to be supported by key industry partners including Marsh, YouTube, Stage and Screen, and Reload Agency.
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