ARIA Awards Reintroduce Best Music Festival Category, Laneway Festival Holds Title

On Monday, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) announced that the ARIA Award for Best Music Festival will return for a second year. Entries for the category open the same day and close at 5 p.m. AEST on Friday, September 18, 2026. The award, created in partnership with the Australian Festival Association (AFA), honours festivals that place Australian artists front and centre and reward programmers who weave local talent into their line‑ups.

A festival must feature an Australian headline act or have a line‑up that is at least 50 % Australian artists, and it must hold AFA membership to qualify. Those criteria were first applied in 2025, when Laneway Festival captured the inaugural prize by beating Ability Fest, Beyond the Valley, Bluesfest Byron Bay and Yours and Owls Festival. The 2025 category was noteworthy as one of the first ARIA honours tied specifically to festival programming decisions rather than individual artist or record achievements.

“Festivals are where Australian artists meet the audiences that change their careers,” ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said in a statement. “Programming Australian talent is a deliberate decision and has a huge impact on the careers of local artists. It is a delight to continue celebrating those who go above and beyond to do this.” AFA chair Adelle Robinson, who also leads promoter Fuzzy, added that festivals are “a key part of the music industry’s eco‑system,” having “platformed many Australian artists at the beginning of their career,” and called the award a recognition of “the link between Australian music, fans and a unique live experience.”

The return of the category comes as ARIA prepares for a milestone year. The 2026 ARIA Awards will celebrate the ceremony’s 40th anniversary on Wednesday, November 18, at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. The venue has hosted the event for six consecutive years, and earlier this year it hosted a standalone Hall of Fame anniversary celebration that inducted six artists in June. The 2026 ceremony, presented in partnership with Spotify, will be broadcast on Network 10 and Paramount+, and will reflect on four decades of Australian music while highlighting current stars. Nominations for the main ARIA Awards will be announced Thursday, September 24.

The Best Music Festival category is part of ARIA’s broader effort to recognise the live music sector. The Australian Festival Association, founded in 2018, represents festivals across the country and advocates for fair policies, support for organisers and a thriving festival culture. Membership is open to all Australian festival promoters and organisers. The partnership between ARIA and AFA for the award reflects the growing importance of live events in the Australian music economy, especially after the pandemic‑related disruptions of 2020‑2022.

Laneway Festival, which began in 2005 as an indie music event, now runs in multiple Australian cities—Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth—as well as Auckland, New Zealand. Its 2025 win highlighted the festival’s commitment to Australian talent, with a line‑up that met the 50 % Australian artist requirement. The award’s criteria also ensure that festivals maintain a strong local focus, supporting the development of emerging artists and sustaining the domestic music ecosystem.

The 2026 award cycle will allow other festivals to showcase their programming choices. Eligible festivals will need to submit documentation proving AFA membership and the composition of their line‑ups. The deadline of September 18 gives organisers a narrow window to prepare entries. The ARIA board has indicated that the judging panel will include industry professionals from record labels, radio, and festival management, ensuring a balanced assessment of each festival’s contribution to Australian music.

In summary, ARIA’s decision to bring back the Best Music Festival award underscores the organisation’s commitment to recognising the live music sector’s role in nurturing Australian talent. Laneway Festival remains the current holder of the title, and the 2026 ceremony will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ARIA Awards while continuing to spotlight festivals that champion local artists.