NIMA's 2026 Nominations | Predictions

Happy NAIDOC week! 50 Years of Deadly!

Here are my picks/predictions/guesses in red + bold as below. NIMA Awards ceremony will take place at Darwin Amphitheatre on Saturday August 8th. 

Artist of the Year

3%

Baker Boy

Birdz and Fred Leone

BUMPY

Jem Cassar-Daley

Miss Kaninna

South Summit

Best New Talent

Drifting Clouds

INKABEE

Jet Cameron

Say True God

Voices of Resistance

Zipporah

Album of the Year

Baker Boy — DJANDJAY

Birdz & Fred Leone — GIRA

Say True God? — BLAK

Emma Donovan — Take Me to The River

Stiff Gins — Crossroads

Trials — hendle

Film Clip of the Year

3% — "Our Greats"

Baker Boy — "THICK SKIN" feat. Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee'ahn & Jada Weazel

Birdz & Fred Leone — "Wanya Nyin Yanmanj"

Drifting Clouds — "Bawuypawuy"

Kobie Dee — "Aim For The Stars"

South Summit — "Top of the Hill"

Community Clip of the Year

Bulman School & Community — "LOK LOK MAH BURARR (Lizard & Goanna)"

Mossman Gorge — "Yundu Bama Yalada"

Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) — "All The Way From The NPA"

Mossman Mob - “Still Believing”

Geraldton — "Barndi Yarraly - Geraldton TIS"

"Vaping is Vicious - Not Delicious"

Wujal Wujal — "Rainforest to the Sea"

Song of the Year

Baker Boy — "THICK SKIN" feat. Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee'ahn & Jada Weazel

Birdz & Fred Leone — "Wanya Nyin Yanmanj"

Drifting Clouds — "Wanya Nyin Yanmanj"

Jem Cassar-Daley — "Front Left Pocket"

Yung Maynie — "Always Was"

ZIPPORAH — "Some Typa Way"