I’m going to say something that a lot of people in the Australian music industry think but don’t say publicly: our major music awards are struggling with relevance, and the way we structure and present them needs a serious overhaul.

The ARIAs remain the flagship, and they still generate media coverage and public attention. But the disconnect between what the ARIAs celebrate and what’s actually happening in Australian music is growing every year. The ceremony feels like a relic from the album era, and the categories don’t reflect how people create, distribute, or consume music in 2026.

The genre problem

The ARIA categories are built around genres that increasingly don’t match how artists think about their music or how audiences discover it. “Best Rock Album” made sense when rock was a dominant commercial force and albums were the primary format. In 2026, when the most exciting music often defies genre classification and audiences consume songs rather than albums, the categories feel arbitrary.

More importantly, entire genres that dominate Australian music culture are underrepresented or absent. Where’s the category for electronic music that isn’t “dance”? Where’s the recognition for the hip-hop and R&B artists who are among the most streamed Australian musicians? The genre structure reflects the industry of twenty years ago, not today.

The live music gap

Here’s what baffles me most. In a country where live performance is the primary revenue stream for most artists and the primary way audiences experience music, there’s almost no recognition of live excellence in our major awards.

There should be awards for best live act, best live venue, best festival, best tour. These are the experiences that define Australian music culture for most people, and they’re invisible in the awards landscape. A few smaller awards recognise live excellence, but the major ceremonies ignore it almost entirely.

The independence question

The AIR Awards do excellent work recognising independent music, but they operate with a fraction of the budget and profile of the ARIAs. In a market where independent artists and labels produce the majority of new Australian music, this imbalance is significant.

The ARIAs are dominated by major label artists because the voting and nomination processes, however unintentionally, favour artists with the marketing budgets and industry connections to campaign effectively. An independent artist from regional Australia releasing brilliant music on Bandcamp is competing against artists with multi-million dollar promotional campaigns. The playing field isn’t level, and the awards reflect that.

The ceremony itself

Let’s be honest about the television broadcast. The ARIA ceremony has struggled with ratings and cultural relevance for years. The format — a long awards show with awkward presenting, pre-produced packages, and performances that sometimes feel more like promotional opportunities than celebrations of music — doesn’t connect with younger audiences.

The UK’s BRIT Awards went through a similar crisis and responded with a more dynamic, less formal format that leaned into live performance and cultural relevance. Australia could learn from that approach.

What reform could look like

Here’s what I’d propose:

Rethink the categories. Fewer genre-based awards, more recognition of how music is actually made and consumed. Categories for best song (regardless of genre), best live performance, best debut, best collaboration, best music video, and best independent release.

Include live music prominently. A best live act award, voted on by an industry panel who actually attend shows, would be one of the most credible and exciting awards in the ceremony.

Reform the voting process. Broaden the voting body to include more independent industry professionals, venue operators, festival programmers, and music media. Reduce the influence of label lobbying.

Modernise the ceremony. Make it shorter, more energetic, and focused on the performances rather than the speeches. Stream it natively on digital platforms rather than trying to fit it into a traditional TV broadcast format.

Why this matters

Awards matter because they shape public perception of what’s excellent and important in Australian music. When the awards don’t reflect the reality of the industry, they lose credibility with both the industry and the audience. And when young artists look at the award categories and don’t see themselves or their music represented, the message is clear: this institution isn’t for you.

Australian music is in a genuinely exciting place right now. The awards should reflect that energy, not smother it with outdated formats and irrelevant categories.