When I first heard that people were criticizing the Recording Academy’s new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, my honest reaction was surprise. I didn’t understand why people were upset.

From where I stood, I saw an organization trying to recognize music, languages and cultures that have historically received less attention within the American music industry. Why wouldn’t we welcome that?

Then I started reading more about the concerns, and I began to understand where some Asian artists and fans were coming from. If you have spent years fighting to have Asian artists recognized simply as pop artists, the creation of a separate category can raise an uncomfortable question: Is this opening another door for us, or building another room that people expect us to stay inside?

The language requirement raises questions of its own. An artist can be Asian and create music that does not prominently use an Asian language. Does that make the music less Asian? Should language define genre or identity?

Those are legitimate questions, and I still decided to enter.

That choice is not because I think every detail of the new category is perfect. I don’t. I think the Recording Academy could have benefited from hearing from a wider group of Asian and non-Asian musicians while developing the rules and explaining the intention behind them. (I’m glad the Academy is doing that now.)

I’m entering because I see another possibility in this category, one that I don’t want us to lose sight of while debating its shortcomings: discovery.

As a Recording Academy voting member, I imagine listening to the entries and hearing artists from Japan, China, Korea and other parts of Asia whom I have never encountered before. I might discover a kind of J-pop I never knew existed or hear an independent Mandarin artist who otherwise may never have crossed my path. Even within K-pop, there are many different musical approaches that American listeners rarely encounter because our image of an entire country’s music can become defined by the few artists who achieve enormous global fame.

That matters, because some of the criticism surrounding the category seems to assume that it exists primarily for the Asian superstars we already know. But Asian pop is much larger than the handful of names that have broken through internationally.

For an independent artist working in Mandarin, Japanese, Korean or another Asian language, this category could provide something that is extraordinarily difficult to obtain: the attention of thousands of music professionals who might otherwise never press play.

At the same time, I don’t believe Asian artists should stop competing everywhere else. An Asian artist belongs in record of the year, song of the year and album of the year. Creating a place where Asian-language music can receive additional recognition should never become an argument for excluding those artists from the rest of the music world.

Both things can be true.

That tension feels especially personal to me because I have never thought of language as the thing that defines my music. I was born in China, but I began my professional music career in the United States. I reached the top 25 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Airplay chart, yet I have recorded in Mandarin, English, Spanish, Italian and many other languages.

When I write, I don’t begin with nationality. I begin with emotion. Love does not become a different emotion when I sing about it in Mandarin. Heartbreak does not change because the words are Spanish. Fear, hope, loneliness and joy belong to every culture.

But language still matters deeply.

As a native Mandarin speaker, I know there is a difference between understanding words and feeling them. When I hear an important idea in English, I understand it, but sometimes I am translating it internally or processing exactly what it means. When I hear that same idea in Mandarin, it can reach me immediately. It goes directly to the heart.

That realization is one reason I have recorded so much multilingual music. When I released “Could You Lend Me a Smile” in 16 language versions, I didn’t want people around the world simply to receive a literal translation. We worked to adapt the message so listeners could experience it naturally within their own language and culture.

To me, that distinction is important. Translation tells someone what the words mean. Adaptation gives the listener a chance to feel what I felt when I wrote them.

That philosophy is also why I am submitting the Chinese-English version of “It’s Too Late to Love You,” my duet with three-time Grammy winner Narada Michael Walden.

Narada and I come from very different backgrounds. We grew up with different cultures, musical influences and life experiences, yet those differences have never created a barrier in the studio. If anything, they made the music richer.

Narada is extraordinarily open to sounds outside his own experience. When I first brought him songs influenced by the emotional storytelling I grew up hearing in Chinese music, he did not ask me to make them sound less Chinese or more American. He heard something beautiful in the difference and encouraged it.

That, to me, is what cultural exchange should look like. You don’t have to erase where you came from in order to connect with somebody from somewhere else.

I have spent much of my life moving between cultures, and over time I stopped thinking of that as something I needed to resolve. I began taking what I valued from each place I had lived and allowing those influences to become something new.

My Chinese identity is in me. It shapes how I communicate, how I approach people and how I create. But it does not require me to build a wall around myself.

That is also how I hope we eventually think about this Grammy category.

I understand why some artists may decide that the strongest statement they can make is refusing to participate, and I respect that choice. Mine is different. I would rather participate and help demonstrate what this category could become.

Five years from now, I hope voting members approach it with excitement because they know they are about to discover artists, languages and musical traditions that might otherwise have remained outside their world. I hope Mandarin pop meets J-pop and creates something neither culture would have made independently. I hope artists hear each other, collaborate and bring those discoveries back into the wider music landscape.

Most of all, I hope the category becomes a doorway rather than a destination.

I also hope the Recording Academy continues listening to the artists it is trying to recognize. If the rules need to evolve, let them evolve. If the language needs to become clearer, make it clearer. Inclusion works best when the people being included have a voice in shaping what inclusion looks like.

If Harvey Mason jr. were sitting across from me, I would tell him not to be discouraged by the controversy. The fact that people care enough to argue about this means the question matters.

Listen to the criticism. Learn from it. Improve what needs improving. But don’t lose sight of the possibility.

There are musicians across Asia, including independent artists whosebehin names American audiences have never heard, creating extraordinary work right now. Giving those artists another opportunity to be heard does not have to diminish anyone else. It can expand the conversation.

That is why I am entering.

To me, “It’s Too Late to Love You” can be Chinese and American at the same time. It is also, at its heart, simply a story about love.

And the heart does not need a translation.

Miist is a Chinese-born, U.S.-based singer-songwriter and bestselling author who began her music career in 2022, at 34 — as a wife, mother, and bookkeeper who had never written a song. She has written more than 80 songs since and is also the author of Make Me Smile with Miist. Entirely self-taught, she caught the ear of Grammy-winning producer Narada Michael Walden, and their work together became the album The Songs From the Living Room. With “It’s Too Late To Love You,” Miist hit the top 25 of Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary Airplay chart.

Earlier this year, Diane Warren became the first songwriter in Oscar history to be nominated for best original song nine years in a row. Can she possibly extend that streak to 10 consecutive nominations?

We won’t know for sure until the nominations are announced on Jan. 21, but as of today (Aug. 21), you can hear the song that she hopes will make it happen: “By Any Means,” which she wrote for a feature film of the same name starring Mark Wahlberg. The soulful, midtempo ballad is performed by David Kushner, whose “Daylight” reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, in tandem with the legendary The Isley Brothers, who have had 40 Hot 100 hits, including three that made the top 10: “It’s Your Thing,” “That Lady (Part 1)” and “Fight the Power Part 1.”

Here’s a link to the soundtrack version of the song, which is available on all streaming platforms. The music video will be released on Aug. 28. Here’s a link to the slightly longer film version.

Warren has amassed 17 Oscar nominations for best original song, more than any other woman. One more nod and she will tie the legendary Johnny Mercer for second place on the all-time leaderboard. Another all-time great, Sammy Cahn, has long led the list with 26 nods.

Warren has yet to win a competitive Oscar, but in 2022 she received an honorary award which was inscribed: “To Diane Warren, for her genius, generosity and passionate commitment to the power of song in film.”

By Any Means is directed by Elegance Bratton with a script written by Sascha Penn. Inspired by a true story and set in the 1960s, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent to Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders.  He is forced to work alongside notorious hitman Greg Scarpa (Wahlberg).

Two of Warren’s recent Oscar nominations are for songs from period films that dealt with the civil rights struggle. She and co-writer Common were nominated in 2018 for “Stand Up for Something” from the film Marshall, which starred the late Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice. She was nominated in 2025 for “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight, which told the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-female battalion in World War II.

In a statement, Warren explained her inspiration in writing the song, “I wanted to write a song that captured the spirit of the film which is about those who go beyond the rules to do what is necessary. My idea was to take an iconic artist who came from that era and pair them with an artist from this current era. Having the legendary Isley Brothers come on board was a dream come true. They are as amazing today as they were when they were performing during the time of these events, they are so authentic to this story. David Kushner is a great young singer who sounds like he could have come from that era too.  He is a young guy with an old-soul voice. The combination of him and the Isleys is pure magic, and together they have created a song that could live in many eras to come. I’m proud to be a part of it.” 

Ronald Isley explained his connection to the story. “Having lived through the Civil Rights era, this story is personal. We saw firsthand the courage, sacrifice and struggle it took for change to come. Music has always had the power to speak to what people are going through, and Diane Warren has written a song that carries that kind of meaning. It was an honor for Ernie and me to be a part of it and to lend our voices to a film that remembers this history while reminding a new generation why it still matters.”

Ernie Isley further explained, “I believe the film and the song will have a major impact. Ronald and I are happy to be involved with this project.” 

Kushner, 25, added: “It’s an honor to be a part of the music that soundtracks a powerful film like By Any Means. I’m a huge fan of Mark Wahlberg and being part of this song alongside Diane Warren, a songwriter I’ve looked up to since I fell in love with music and began writing songs, as well as musical legends like The Isley Brothers, is beyond surreal and has been an incredible experience.”

By Any Means, The Album soundtrack is being released by AB Records/The Orchard on Sept. 18 and features two versions of the original song. The single version is produced by Jacob Olofsson, with Ron Isley’s vocals produced by PooBear. Veteran music supervisor Bonnie Greenberg served as executive music producer for the song.  By Any Means is distributed domestically by Paramount Pictures and is scheduled for theatrical release on Sept. 4.  

UPDATE (Aug. 20): The Association for Independent Music (AIM) has announced the final nominees for the 2026 Independent Music Awards, highlighting the artists, labels and businesses driving the U.K’s independent music scene. The award ceremony will be presented Sept. 22 at the Roundhouse, in North London.

Jim Legxacy now joins previously-announced nominees Fcukers as the joint-most nominated artists, with three nods apiece. FAMM and Tru Thoughts also land their first nominations for best independent label, while jungle and drum ’n’ bass pioneers Fabio and Grooverider are set to receive the innovator award for their decades-long contribution to U.K. dance music.

In a statement, the duo said: “We’re incredibly proud to be receiving the innovator award. We’ve spent our lives pushing this music forward, breaking boundaries and staying true to what we believe in, so to be recognized for that journey means a lot to us!”

Other notable nominees include Léa Esmaili, Yorgos Lanthimos, Ocurens, Noel Paul and Zak Watson for best independent music video, while five outlets from across the U.K. make up the best independent record store category: Applestump Records (Nantwich), Jacaranda Records (Liverpool), Just Dropped In Records (Coventry), Ignite Record Store (Birmingham) and Slow Century Records (Solihull). See the full list of nominees below.

PREVIOUSLY (July 16): Fcukers lead all nominees with three nods in the shortlist for the Association of Independent Music’s 2026 Independent Music Awards.

The New York-based electronic duo is nominated in the best independent album (Ö, Ninja Tune), best independent track (“L.U.C.K.Y.”) and independent breakthrough categories.

The 2026 ceremony will take place at London’s Roundhouse on Sept. 22, and will honor an array of indie musicians, labels, companies and creators across a wide variety of categories.

Six acts follow with two nominations each: Jalen Ngonda (Daptone Records), Jim Legxacy (XL Recordings), Jorja Smith (FAMM), Nova Twins (Marshall Records), Romy (XL Recordings) and Tiana Major9 (+1 Records).

Young leads all labels with five nominations across all categories, followed by XL Recordings and Ninja Tune with four apiece, and FAMM and Marshall Records each earning three nominations.

Competing for best independent album are BICEP, Blawan, Fcukers, Geese, Mitski, Nova Twins, Prostitute, Robyn Scaler and Thundercat.

More categories and nominations will be announced in the coming months, with submissions open for the publicly voted best live performer and best independent record store categories. Submissions can be entered at the Independent Music Awards website.

Gee Davy, CEO of AIM said in a statement, “We’re thrilled to share the first nominees list for the 2026 Independent Music Awards, showcasing just some of the broad spectrum of success and authenticity flowing from the U.K.’s independent music community. The array of artists and genres on display here demonstrates once again that the independent music sector is the most exciting, authentic and groundbreaking place in the industry.

“Following our 15th anniversary edition of the awards last year, we have a fresh new look and feel, reflecting the consistent evolution of the independent music sector,” Davy continued. “We look forward to sharing more new features at the ceremony at London’s Roundhouse as we celebrate the success that comes from the collective strength of our mighty community.”

At the 2025 ceremony, Fontaines D.C. won best independent album for Romance, Ezra Collective claimed best independent track for “God Gave Me Feet for Dancing” and XL Recordings took home best independent label. DJ and curator Giles Peterson was recognized with the outstanding contribution to music and Throbbing Gristle member Cosey Fanni Tutti with the innovator prize.

See the full list of nominees so far below.

Best independent track

DEBBY FRIDAY, “Bet On Me” (Sub Pop Records)
Fcukers, “L.U.C.K.Y” (Ninja Tune)
Genesis Owusu, “Stampede” (Ourness)
Jalen Ngonda, “Doctrine of Love” (Daptone Records)
Jim Legxacy, “3x” (XL Recordings)
Jorja Smith, “The Way I Love You” (FAMM)
Nova Twins, “Piranha” (Marshall Records)
Robyn, “Dopamine” (Young / Konichiwa)
Romy, “Love Who You Love” (Young)
Tiana Major9, “Desire” (+1 Records)

Best independent album

BICEP, TAKKUUK (Original Soundtrack) (Ninja Tune, EarthSonic)
Blawan, SickElixir (XL Recordings)
Fcukers, Ö (Ninja Tune)
Geese, Getting Killed (Partisan Records)
Mitski, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me (Dead Oceans)
Nova Twins, Parasites & Butterflies (Marshall Records)
Prostitute, Attempted Martyr (Mute)
Robyn, Sexistential (Young / Konichiwa)
SCALER, Endlessly (Black Acre)
Thundercat, Distracted (Brainfeeder)

Independent breakthrough

Fat Dog (Domino Recording Co.)
Fcukers (Ninja Tune)
Jalen Ngonda (Daptone Records)
Tiana Major9 (+1 Records)
Ego Ella May (Believe UK)

Best independent mixtape/EP

Bricknasty, Blacks Law (FAMM)
Jim Legxacy, black british music (2025) (XL Recordings)
Naima Bock, Live in Toulon (Sub Pop Records)
Strandz, Diaspora Dance Music (Strandz Music)
TTSSFU, Blown (Partisan Records)

Best independent remix

Overmono, “If We Ever” (High Contrast Remix) (XL Recordings)
Sherelle, Romy, “Love Who You Love”(SHERELLE’s Intelligent Dyke Music Remix) (Young)
Robyn, “Sexistential” (Arca’s Take) (Young / Konichiwa)
Jorja Smith, TS7, “The Way I Love You” (TS7 Remix) (FAMM)
House Gospel Choir and Donae’O, “You” (Donae’O Remix) (Swear Down Music)

One to Watch

Ashaine White (Marshall Records)
Alewya (LDN Records)
Lauren Auder (untitled (recs))
Mandy, Indiana (Sacred Bones Records)
Native James (Saviour Music)

Best independent video 

Zak Watson (director) for Antony Szmierek, “The Heron” (Mushroom Music)
Yorgos Lanthimos (director) for Jerskin Fendrix, “Beth’s Farm” (untitled (recs))
Noel Paul (director) for Mitski, “Where’s My Phone?” (Dead Oceans)
Léa Esmaili (director) for Thundercat, “She Knows Too Much” feat. Mac Miller (Brainfeeder)
OCURENS (director) for Tinie Tempah, Skepsis, Carla Monroe, “Eat It Up” (Imhotep Records)

PPL Award for most played new independent artist 

bees & honey
Beyond Chicago
Clementine Douglas 
Jim Legxacy 
Poppy Baskcomb 

Best live performer

Amelia Coburn (Quiet Crown)
Billy Lockett (Lockett Records)
High Fade (RPN RECORDS)
Katherine Priddy (Cooking Vinyl)
The Molotovs (Marshall Records)

Best independent label 

Because Music
Dead Oceans
FAMM
Ninja Tune
Tru Thoughts

Best boutique label

Big Scary Monsters
Black Acre
TLD Records
Sweardown
untitled (recs)

Best catalogue release

The Alan Parsons Project, I Robot (Cooking Vinyl)
Haruomi Hosono – Tropical Dandy (Stones Throw)
Lush – Gala (2025 Remaster) (4AD)
Orbital – The Brown Album (London Records)
Chameleon – The Very Best of Toyah (Cherry Red Records)

Best release campaign

Geese, Getting Killed (Partisan Records)
Genesis Owusu, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE (Ourness/Believe)
Kettama, Archangel (Steel City Dance Disks)
Mitski – Nothing’s About to Happen to Me (Dead Oceans)
Wet Leg – Moisturizer (Domino Recording Co)

Best independent record store

Applestump Records
Jacaranda Records
Just Dropped In
Ignite Record Store
Slow Century Records

Innovator award 

Fabio & Grooverider

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester; singer/songwriter and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund founding artist Victoria Williams; and Kiki Wong, touring guitarist with The Smashing Pumpkins are the first honorees to be announced for the 2027 She Rocks Awards.

The 15th-anniversary edition of the awards will be presented Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027, in Anaheim, California, during the NAMM show. Two-time Grammy-nominated guitarist and singer/songwriter Samantha Fish returns as co-host.

“For 15 years, the She Rocks Awards has had the privilege of celebrating extraordinary women who have changed the music industry through their talent, leadership, innovation and determination,” Laura B. Whitmore, founder of the Women’s International Music Network and co-producer of the She Rocks Awards, said in a statement. “Reaching our 15th anniversary is an incredible milestone, and this first group of honorees reflects exactly what She Rocks is all about—women whose creativity, influence and commitment have made a lasting impact. We can’t wait to celebrate with our community in January.”

Additional honorees, performers and special guests will be announced in the coming months.

Since its launch in 2012, the She Rocks Awards has grown into one of the premier events celebrating women in music, bringing together artists, industry professionals, fans and media. The She Rocks Awards has honored more than 170 notable women across every facet of the music and audio industries, including Melissa Etheridge, Gloria Gaynor, Pat Benatar, The Bangles, Chaka Khan, Sheila E., The Go-Go’s, Linda Perry, Ronnie Spector, Lita Ford, Esperanza Spalding, Shirley Manson, Amy Lee, Lzzy Hale, Suzi Quatro, The B-52s, Colbie Caillat, Nita Strauss and Tal Wilkenfeld.

NAMM is a presenting sponsor of the event, which is open to the public. Tickets are on sale now at The She Rocks Awards site.

SYDNEY, Australia — The 40th ARIA Awards will be presented Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, on Gadigal land — the sixth consecutive year at the iconic venue.

Spotify returns as headline sponsor for the ARIAs, the Australian recording industry’s flagship awards ceremony, while free-to-air network 10 will broadcast the ceremony, and Paramount+ will stream it live.

Also announced today (Aug. 19) by labels body ARIA, the date for the 2026 ARIA Awards nominations. The full shortlist will be unveiled on Thursday, Sept. 24.

“Australian music is electric, ever-evolving and has never failed to set the cultural conversation ablaze right around the world,” comments ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd. “The ARIA Awards have had the best seat in the house for four decades of one incredible show. Whatever gets thrown at Aussie music, our artists find a way to cut through. Now is no exception.”

The likes of multiple ARIA Award winners Amyl and The Sniffers, The Kid LAROI, Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla and Troye Sivan “are all proof of that,” Herd continues, “and there is a generation behind them who will take Australian music somewhere none of us can picture yet.

“That’s exactly what we can’t wait to celebrate at the 40th ARIA Awards: the icons who built these four decades, the superstars carrying Australian music today and the artists who will own the next forty years. I promise the team has thrown everything they have at making this milestone unforgettable, see you in November.” 

Destination NSW supports the ARIAs, while Spotify returns for a second year as presenting partner and will amplify the awards with its global platform, in-app voting and a global OOH campaign.

Last time, ARIA announced “a record year of engagement across Australia and the world,” through its first-year partnership with Spotify. Two weeks after the 2025 ARIAs, organizers reported 696,836 public votes were cast across Spotify and the ARIA website, a total more than 200% up from corresponding edition the prior year.  

That tally was broken down to 614,490 via Spotify and 82,316 via aria.com.au, for one of the “strongest” votes in ARIAs history.

The ARIA’s milestone celebrations got underway in June with a special Hall of Fame event at Sydney’s Carriageworks, where six acts who were inducted: the late Gurrumul, Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano, Spiderbait, The Living End and Vika & Linda.

At last year’s ARIA Awards, Amyl and The Sniffers lead the way with four silver spiked trophies, ahead of Ninajirachi (with three) and Dom Dolla (two), while The Kid LAROI performed at Spotify’s invite-only Artist Party, kicking off the ARIA Week.

Angélique Kidjo has officially made history.

On Tuesday (Aug. 18), the five-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, actress and activist became both the first African musician and the first Black African to be immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Variety’s Angelique Jackson hosted the ceremony, which took place on a breezy California afternoon and drew a list of A-list creatives — including four-time Academy Award-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. — who gathered to celebrate Kidjo, 64, and her impressive four-decade career. Additional attendees included Academy Award-nominated, Benin-born actor Djimon Hounsou and Nigerian music star Adekunle Gold.

“We Africans don’t know what we’ve given to the world, what we continue giving to the world; without us there’s no music possible [on] this planet,” Kidjo said in her speech, which also included her breaking into song before joyously dancing over her brand new star. Just before revealing the star, Ron Frierson, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, proclaimed Aug. 18 as Angélique Kidjo Day in Hollywood.

Hailing from Benin, Kidjo is one of the most important global figures in African music. In addition to her five Grammys, she’s also won the Polar Music Prize, performed at the 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Tokyo, and sent 14 titles to the top 10 of World Albums. In 2021, TIME named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2022, she performed the 1,000th NPR Tiny Desk concert.

Throughout her storied career, Kidjo has collaborated with a plethora of artists across genres, including Alicia Keys, Burna Boy, Yo-Yo Ma, Bono, Peter Gabriel and John Lennon. She is also the most Grammy-awarded artist in the best global music album category, with four of her five wins coming in the last decade. Her latest album, April’s Hope!!, features appearances by Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Davido, Charlie Wilson, PJ Morton, Ayra Starr and more.

“This star is a permanent symbol; it’s not going anywhere, and it’s a symbol of your achievements,” said Mason jr. “But your legacy, it lives in the people that you’ve touched, that you’ve inspired, the barriers that you’ve broken, the connections you’ve created all around the world… I spent much of my career among artists, and every once in a while, you experience someone whose impact extends beyond the stage… someone who isn’t just an artist, but there’s purpose behind the art. Angélique is absolutely one of those rare artists.”

“The first time I saw Angélique perform live, I thought her music, her dancing, her commitment were incredible,” Dafoe, a friend of Kidjo’s since 2002, said. “She is, without a doubt, the hardest-working woman in show business.” He also praised her years-long humanitarian work through her Batonga Foundation, which aims to empower girls and young women in Africa. “This is not a token celebrity involvement; it is an extension of what she does with her music. She stirs us, lifts us up, and reminds us that we’re all connected, and that love and understanding is the way.”

Check out a montage of Angélique Kidjo’s journey to her 2026 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony below.

Baker Boy was the dominant winner at the 2026 National Indigenous Music Awards, taking home three of the night’s top prizes at a ceremony held Saturday (Aug. 8) at the Darwin Amphitheater.

The Yolŋu rapper won Album of the Year for DJANDJAY, while his single “THICK SKIN” — featuring Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn and Jada Weazel — claimed both Song of the Year and Film Clip of the Year. Baker Boy performed the track live at the ceremony, bringing out Donovan as a surprise guest.

Cousin duo Birdz and Fred Leone won Artist of the Year, their first NIMA, on the strength of their debut EP GIRA. Drifting Clouds took Best New Talent, Northern Peninsula Area won Community Clip of the Year for “All The Way From The NPA,” and Bulman School & Community earned the Indigenous Language Award for “LOK LOK MAH BURARR” (Lizard & Goanna). As previously announced, blues musician Marlene Cummins and Elcho Island’s Saltwater Band were inducted into the NIMAs Hall of Fame, with the night closing on a tribute to the band.

“Last night’s celebration brought together some of the most incredible music and musicians this country produces, showcasing the rich connection of family and culture,” MusicNT’s Mark Smith said, noting the evening ran “from the Red Flag Dancers opening to closing the night honouring our newest Hall of Fame inductees, Saltwater Band.”

Born Danzal Baker in Darwin and raised in the Arnhem Land communities of Milingimbi and Maningrida, Baker Boy is widely regarded as the first Indigenous artist to achieve mainstream success rapping in the Yolŋu Matha language. He broke through in 2017 after winning triple j’s Unearthed National Indigenous Music Awards competition, with his singles “Cloud 9” and “Marryuna” both landing in that year’s triple j Hottest 100. He was named Young Australian of the Year in 2019 and awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021. His debut album Gela (2021) earned him five wins from seven nominations at the 2022 ARIA Awards. DJANDJAY is his second studio album.

2026 NIMAs — Full Winners List

Artist of the Year: Birdz and Fred Leone

Best New Talent: Drifting Clouds

Album of the Year: Baker Boy — DJANDJAY

Song of the Year: Baker Boy — “THICK SKIN” feat. Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn & Jada Weazel

Film Clip of the Year: Baker Boy — “THICK SKIN” feat. Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn & Jada Weazel

Community Clip of the Year: Northern Peninsula Area — “All The Way From The NPA”

Indigenous Language Award: Bulman School & Community — “LOK LOK MAH BURARR” (Lizard & Goanna)

Hall of Fame: Marlene Cummins, Saltwater Band

Musical icon Angélique Kidjo is set to become the first African musician, and the first Black African performer, to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Kidjo joins Charlize Theron, a white South African actress, in representing Africa on the Walk of Fame. The Oscar-winning actress received her star in 2005. Kidjo will receive the 2,854th star.

Kidjo’s star ceremony is set for Aug. 18 at 11:30 a.m. PT at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard. Joining Kidjo for the ceremony will be Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and Grammy- and Primetime Emmy-nominated songwriter/producer Harvey Mason jr., better known these days as CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares. The ceremony will be emceed by Variety correspondent Angelique Jackson and will be streamed live exclusively at www.walkoffame.com

Kidjo, 64, was born in the West African country of Benin, but left for Paris in 1983. She has amassed five Grammy Awards. She won best contemporary world music album in 2008 and won best global music album four times between 2015 and 2022. She also received a Polar Music Prize in 2023.

Kidjo has released 19 albums since 1981. She has acquired fans across the world with her ability to fuse West African styles with funk, jazz and R&B. Her long list of collaborators includes such diverse artists as Burna Boy, Philip Glass, Sting, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, John Legend, Bono and Yo-Yo Ma.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the Walk of Fame for the city of Los Angeles. Millions have visited the cultural landmark since 1960.