Association of Artist Managers Announce 2026 Award Finalists, Sydney Ceremony to be Hosted by Matt Okine

The Association of Artist Managers has unveiled the nominees for the 2026 AAM Awards, spotlighting a new cohort of Australian managers driving both commercial success and cultural impact across the local and global music landscape.

Already confirmed is this year’s Legacy Award recipient, Melita Hodge of Six Boroughs Management, recognised for her longstanding contribution to artist development. Hodge’s roster includes Kasey Chambers, Andy Golledge, and Denvah, among others.

The annual awards celebrate excellence in artist management across multiple categories, with finalists selected through consultation with a judging committee comprising senior figures from across the Australian and international music industries.

According to AAM, this year’s finalists reflect the breadth of Australia’s artist management sector, with nominees representing a diverse mix of emerging talent and globally recognised acts. Collectively, their work continues to elevate Australian music on the world stage.

Finalists across the four categories include UNIFIED Music Group's Caleb Williams and Nick Lynagh, Good Intent's Rick Bridgman, Heartstop Music's Alastair Burns, One Louder's Jade Nazareth, and more. See the full list below.

Winners will be announced at an invite-only ceremony at Crowbar in Sydney on April 29th, kicking off from 12pm. The event will feature live performances and will be hosted by comedian, writer and presenter Matt Okine.

Okine, known for his work across television, radio and stand-up, brings more than two decades of experience to the role. His semi-autobiographical series The Other Guy earned AACTA nominations following its 2017 debut on Stan, while his recent work includes the ABC reboot of Mother and Son. He also co-hosts the All Day Breakfast show on the LiSTNR app alongside Alex Dyson.

The AAM Awards remain a key fixture on the Australian industry calendar, recognising the often behind-the-scenes figures shaping the careers of the country’s leading artists.

AAM Awards Finalists 2026:

Manager of the Year
Presented by White Sky

Aidan McLaren & Joe Miles, Weird Fishes
Roster: Boy & Bear, The Dreggs, Pete Murray, Steph Strings, Tim Hart, RAGEFLOWER

Alastair Burns, Heartstop Music
Roster: Folk Bitch Trio, Marlon Williams

Caleb Williams, UNIFIED Music Group
Roster: Radhika Das, Jahnavi Harrison, Bodyjar, The Amity Affliction, Premanjali, Violent Soho (Co-Manager)

Dan Nascimento, UNIFIED Music Group
Roster: Ocean Alley, Jack Botts

Simone Ubaldi & Andrew Parisi, Sundowner Artists
Roster: Amyl and The Sniffers, Grace Cummings, The Gnomes, Girl and Girl, Nice Biscuit (Consultant Managers), Baby Cool (Consultant Managers)

Breakthrough Manager of the Year
Presented by DMT Law Firm

Ashlyn & Ken Dinsdale, Goldspur Entertainment
Roster: Mack Geiger, Briana Dinsdale

Christopher Kevin Au, 24 Karat Enterprises
Roster: POSSESHOT, SPEED (Co-Manager), Shady Nasty (Co-Manager), FUKHED (Co-Manager)

Jade Nazareth, One Louder
Roster: Matthew Ifield

Melody Forghani, Twnty Three MGMT
Roster: Shady Nasty (Co-Manager), These New South Whales, Stella Bridie, Parissa Tosif, Ashwarya (Lead Manager), GAUCI (Co-Manager), Dogworld (Co-Manager)

Nick Lynagh, UNIFIED Music Group
Roster: Wade Forster (Co-Manager), Brad Cox (Co-Manager), ISHAN (Co-Manager)

Emerging Manager of the Year
Presented by PPCA

Ali Tomoana, Soul Has No Tempo
Roster: Miss Kaninna

Beau Somers, BASE LEVEL ONE
Roster: Dear Seattle, Lucky, STUMPS, Fletcher Matthews

Darcy O'Brien, Wildfire Music Management
Roster: Go-Jo, Yes Boone, Ullah

Hugh Cruickshank, moretocome entertainment
Roster: Velvet Trip, Le Shiv

Rick Bridgman, Good Intent
Roster: Close Counters, Fool Nelson

Community Engagement Award
Presented by The Orchard

Ali Tomoana, Soul Has No Tempo
Roster: Miss Kaninna

Greg Carey, Grow Yourself Up / Ripple Effect
Roster: The Rubens, Mia Wray, Cloud Control, Urthboy, Rob Amoruso, Pip Norman, Miiesha

Laura Semple, Hunger Digital
Roster: Dirty Versachi, Dyan Tai, GUARD, Kit Genesis, Lara Villani

Tani Webb, First Nations Focus (FNFocus)
Roster: FLEWNT, INKABEE, Taija