2026 APRA Professional Development Awards Finalists Unveiled

The 61 songwriter and composer finalists for the 2026 APRA Professional Development Awards have been revealed.

Run by APRA AMCOS, the PDAs create career-boosting opportunities for music creators at all stages of their careers, with 13 individual recipients each taking home $10,000 to invest in their professional growth. The funds can be used for workshops, courses, composer seminars, co-writing sessions, and other development activities locally or internationally.

An expert pane of more than 50 industry judges selected this year's finalists, including Danny Harley (aka the Kite String Tangle). He said: "This was my first time judging the awards and I was just so impressed by the strength of the applications. The music was of such high calibre and the level of creativity and thought put into how the funds could be used to support artistic and professional development was exciting to hear about.

“It speaks to a music community that is ambitious, considered and full of potential. I hope that no matter what the result for each applicant, that the process was encouraging and gave clarity for their ambitions regardless, because the applications were all outstanding.”

Finalists this year include a range of rising stars and already established names in songwriting, including pop powerhouse Eliza Hull, country royalty Queenie, psych-rocker Zeppelin Hamilton (aka Velvet Trip). Composers up for the prize include screen composer Darren Lim, tar player Hamed Sadeghi, and classical maestro Jasmin Wing-Yin Leung.

See below for the full list of finalists. A playlist featuring their work is also now available on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

Previous PDAs recipients include Angie McMahon, Baker Boy, BARKAA, Gotye, Jem Cassar-Daley, Melanie Dyer, Miss Kaninna, Ngaiire, Rebecca Bracewell, Romy Vager (from RVG), Samuel Marks, and Yirrmal.

This year’s recipients will be announced on Thursday, February 12th.

2026 APRA Professional Development Awards finalists:

Classical/Experimental
Eduardo Cossio
Gabriella Smart
Jasmin Wing-Yin Leung
Lizzy Welsh
Thea Rossen

Country/Americana
Dylan Ollivierre
Max Jackson
Queenie
Soren Walker (Sweet Talk)
Tori Darke

Dance/Electronic
Andy Garvey
Dugong Jr
Fatshaudi
Rromarin
Savannah Osei (Kinder)

Hip Hop/Rap
Chandler Jewels
JJ4K
Kwasi
Yawdoesitall
Zafty

Jazz/Improvised Music
Hamed Sadeghi
Hayley Chan
Jacques Emery
Mina Yu
Yutaro Okuda

Music Theatre
Jules Orcullo - My Dad Never Saw The Beatles
Lincoln Elliott - Artefact
Lucy O’Brien - Adventurers
Max McKenna - Creating Ivy
Tim Hansen - Murder Horse

Popular Contemporary (2 awards)
Annie Hamilton
Babitha
bella amor
Chitra
Don Glori
Eliza Hull
Grace Woodroofe
Lucy Sugerman
REDD.
Ruby Gill

R&B/Soul
Adrian Dzvuke
Ella Thompson
Rita Satch
Setwun
TANISHA

Screen Composition
Cassie Parke
Carla Dobbie
Darren Lim
Josie Mann
Paul Nicolaou

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander General (2 awards)
Alyssa Skye
Boox Kid
DJ PGZ
Emma Sibosado (Saltwater Kin)
Ethan Waters
J-MILLA
Jarulah Slabb
Keely
KYARNA
Zeppelin Hamilton (Velvet Trip)

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Senior
deborahN
Linc Yow Yeh (The Deans of Soul)
Mia Lovelock
Russell Smith
Toni Janke