With two trophies each, Ball Park Music and Jem Cassar-Daley were the big winners at the 2026 Queensland Music Awards, presented Wednesday night (April 22) on the Gold Coast for the very first time.

Cassar-Daley was on hand to collect the pop award for “Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving,” and doubled up with song of the year.

On winning the night’s major prize, Cassar-Daley quipped: “To say I wasn’t expecting this is an absolute understatement.” When her name was called out, she was eating a “few little carrot sticks” with her mother, the veteran broadcaster Laurel Edwards. “Honestly, every year I feel like I’m more and more blown away by the talent that comes out of Queensland, and Brisbane. But it’s also the support from venues, metro and regional.”

By winning song of the year, Cassar-Daley, daughter of homegrown country music great Troy Cassar-Daley, is awarded with a plaque on the Walk of Fame in Brisbane’s Brunswick Street Mall. She already has one, for nabbing song of the year in 2024 with “King of Disappointment.”

Ball Park Music capped a massive 12 months with a brace for their eighth album, Like Love, which won QMAs for album of the year and highest selling album. Like Love went to No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in April 2025, the band’s first leader after long streak of near-misses which included three titles that peaked at No. 2: Puddinghead (2014), Ball Park Music (2020), and Weirder & Weirder (2022). Later in 2025, the band opened for Oasis on the reunited Britpop legends’ stadium tour of Australia.

“We have loved being a band for almost 20 years now. To get together and to make songs together, has always been a labor of love,” frontman Sam Cromack remarked after winning album of the year. “It’s a great honor to win an award but it’s never been the driving force. We absolutely love making music together and performing music. So to have an honor like this is very special.” With his final words, a blunt reminder of the important things in life. “Go and start a f—ing band,” he remarked.

Young Franco, too, knows a little about life in the winners’ circle. Just 24 hours after he was inducted into the Valley Walk of Fame, a permanent reminder of his 2025 song of the year win for “Wake Up” featuring Master Peace, Franco made the trip 50 miles south to the QMAs where he snagged the 2026 electronic award for “Lose Control.” Franco was tapped for Spotify’s RADAR emerging artist program in 2024, as he opened for Dom Dolla on the EDM superstar’s record-breaking tour of Australia.

Other winners at the 2026 QMAs included Hollow Coves (export artist of the year), FISHER (highest Selling single for “Stay”) and 4ZZZ, the Brisbane community radio station that was presented with the lifetime achievement award in recognition of 50 years on air, supporting homegrown acts, and for the station’s epic fights for good causes.

4ZZZ isn’t just a station. It’s an institution in the domestic music community. “This award is a testament to every artist we’ve ever played before anyone else would, every volunteer who showed up on a Sunday morning and every listener who tuned in because they wanted something real,” commented 4ZZZ presenter, Quentin Ellison of Friday Neon. “Queensland music has always been world class, and we’ve just been lucky enough to have a front row seat.”

Guests and presenters at the Miami Marketta included ex-Powderfinger and the Church guitarist Ian Haug; former Powderfinger bandmate, now venue operator and night-life economy commissioner John “JC” Collins; Hutchies chairman Scott Hutchinson; and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

“We’re serious about our creative enterprise and understand the importance of supporting events such as the QMAs,” commented Tate. “We’re not just talking about it, we’re investing in our cultural capital with new venues such as the Gold Coast Music Hall under construction and the Gold Coast Arena in the pipeline.”

Launched in 2006 and presented by QMusic, the awards are the state’s peak recognition of musical excellence with support by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. Each category is judged by a panel of over 100 industry professionals.

Performers included Screamfeeder, DZ Deathrays, Dami Im, Sunny Luwe, Tori Darke and others, while Ash McGregor and Matt Okine were presenters.

The full list of QMAs category and scholarship winners can be seen at qmusic.com.au/qma and below.

Full list of the 2026 Queensland Music Award Winners

Category Award Winners
Blues/Roots — Lontano, “Way Too Long”
Children’s Music — Joff Bush, I Don’t Have a Chimney (ft. Emma Dean)
Contemporary Classical — Abigail Lui & Camerata, Memory in the Distant Hills (presented by Griffith University)
Country — Tori Darke, “Remember Me Like That”
Electronic — Young Franco, “Lose Control” (presented by Comiskey Group)
Folk — The Dreggs, “We Don’t Talk”
Heavy — Upsetter, “Best Years of My Life” (presented by The Lanes Fortitude Valley Festival)
Hip Hop — Say True God?, “COUNT US IN” (presented by Eumundi Brewery)
Jazz — Dami Im, Bubble
Music for Screen — Georgia D’Arcy, Creek
Music Video of the Year — Loki Liddle & Joshua Tate, “Breaking Into Heaven (from the album Selve) (presented by PixelFrame)
Pop presented by ARUGA — Jem Cassar-Daley, Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving
Rock presented by Miami Marketta — DZ Deathrays, Skyline
Soul/Funk/RnB — BADASSMUTHA, BUB
World Award presented by 612 ABC Brisbane — Tenzin Choegyal, Snow Flower

People’s Choice Awards presented by Oztix and The Music
Festival of the Year — Maleny Music Festival
Metro Venue of the Year — The Tivoli
Regional Venue of the Year — Miami Marketta

Major Awards
Album of the Year — Ball Park Music (presented by Gold Coast Music Awards)
Highest Selling Album — Ball Park Music (presented by QMusic)
Highest Selling Single — Fisher, “Stay” (presented by QMusic)
Export Artist – Hollow Coves (presented by Sounds Australia)
Song of the Year — Jem Cassar-Daley, “Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving” (presented by City of Gold Coast through Invest Gold Coast)
Lifetime Achievement presented by Hutchies – 4ZZZ

Industry Excellence
Accessible & Inclusive Venue – Den Devine
Breakthrough Artist presented by SAE University College – Odd Mob
Indigenous Artist of the Year – JUNGAJI
Producer of the Year, presented by APRA AMCOS – Mallrat
Regional Artist of the Year – Djawarray

Scholarships, Fellowship and Award – supported by the Queensland Government through
Arts Queensland
(The awards were presented at the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Music event in March)
Billy Thorpe Scholarship – Frank and Louis
Carol Lloyd Awards – Paulina
Dennis Mop Conlon Scholarship – Dubbzone
Grant McLennan Fellowship – Banff

Shania Twain is set to host the Academy of Country Music Awards for the first time. The 61st ACM Awards will stream live on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I’m thrilled to be hosting the 61st ACM Awards in Las Vegas, a place that feels like home,” Twain said in a statement. “It’s such an honor to be part of this incredible night celebrating Country Music’s biggest stars, especially with so many talented women leading nominations this year. I can’t wait to welcome all of the fans and artists out for this unforgettable night.”

“We are honored to welcome global music superstar Shania Twain as our host this year,” ACM CEO Damon Whiteside said. “We couldn’t imagine a more perfect icon to follow our previous iconic hosts, Dolly, Garth, and Reba, blending one of the most important nights in Country Music with the excitement of Las Vegas.” (Editor’s Note: Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks co-hosted the 2023 ACM Awards. Reba McEntire hosted the last two years.)

While this is Twain’s first time hosting the ACM Awards, she hosted the People’s Choice Country Awards in September 2024. That was the second and apparently final installment of that show, which aired on NBC and streamed on Peacock.

Twain is a three-time winner at the ACM Awards. In 1996, she won both top new female vocalist and album of the year for The Woman in Me. Four years later, she won entertainer of the year. In addition, in 2023, she received an honorary award, the Poet’s Award, in recognition of her songwriting career.

Twain has had six top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including a pair of No. 1 albums, Up! and Now.  She has had three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – “You’re Still the One,” “From This Moment On” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Twain, a native of Canada, is also a five-time Grammy Award winner.

Twain’s selection as host was considered a surprise. McEntire has hosted or co-hosted the ACM Awards 18 times and is just one show away from tying Bob Hope‘s record as the most-frequent host of any major awards show. Hope hosted or co-hosted the Oscars 19 times between 1940 and 1978.

This is the second time in two weeks that ACM Awards executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor has confounded expectations with his choice of a host. On April 9, P!nk, who has yet to appear on Broadway (but is a theater fan) was announced as host of the 2026 Tony Awards, another of the many shows Kapoor is overseeing.

Returning to the Sunday night timeslot, the ACM Awards will feature performances by Cody Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Riley Green, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the 61st ACM Awards and ACM Awards week events are available for purchase on AXS.com.

Established in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards is the longest-running country music awards show. The show made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in collaboration with Prime Video. Fans will also be able to watch this year’s show on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, as well as in the Amazon Music app.

The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Kapoor and Patrick Menton are executive producers, with Kapoor also serving as showrunner. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.

The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.

CBS announced its programming slate for the new television season, including the dates of two awards shows.

The MTV Video Music Awards returns to simulcast on CBS and MTV for the second straight year, live from Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27. The show will air live on both coasts (8-10 p.m. ET/5-7 p.m. PT). This will mark the first time the VMAs have been held in the Los Angeles area since 2017, when Katy Perry hosted the show at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Last year’s show, hosted by LL Cool J, was held at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.

Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards will simulcast live on CBS and Nickelodeon for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 14. The 90-minute slime session will air from 8-9:30 p.m. ET/PT. Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards will celebrate young fans’ favorites from across film, television, music, sports and more. The special, produced by Done and Dusted, will simulcast live from Los Angeles. The Nov. 14 date is several months later in the year than usual. Last year’s show, with Tyla hosting, aired from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. on June 21, 2015. The Kids Choice Awards, which originated in 1993, has been held in the Los Angeles area all but three times. It was held in New York City in 1987 and 1996 and in Orlando, Florida in 1994.

CBS also reiterated the dates of several other awards shows that had already been announced. All three will air live on both coasts; all three will be solo-hosted by top female personalities.

Hell could freeze over, pigs could fly. But it’s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame that might just be enough for Peter Hook to bury the hatchet with his old band, New Order.

The beloved ‘80s electronic rock-pop band, and its new wave predecessor Joy Division, was this week announced to the Rock Hall class of 2026. It was a case of third time’s a charm for the iconic British group, which had been nominated in 2023 and again in 2025.

Hook, along with Bernard Sumner, drummer Stephen Morris and keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, is a founding member of New Order, which emerged in 1980 following the death of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis.

In 2007, after a long run of hits, New Order would split. The group reunited in 2011, though Hook was not part of the lineup, instead continuing with his band Peter Hook & The Light. What came next was a very public falling out with his former bandmates, one that culminated in a legal battle over lost royalties, which would eventually be settled in 2017.

When the names of Joy Division and New Order were finally called out for Rock Hall induction, Hook couldn’t have been happier. “I am so happy about being accepted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame you would not believe it! It’s such a compliment to all the fans of Joy Division and New Order and now it’s been confirmed.” He also paid thanks to the late trio of Ian Curtis, Factory Records chief Tony Wilson, and band manager Rob Gretton and Tony Wilson, whose “inspiration and hard work has meant everything to me.”

The Manchester legends join fellow Brits Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Oasis and Sade in the latest round of Rock Hall inductees, alongside R&B great Luther Vandross, and culture-shifting hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan.

Induction is long-overdue for New Order, which boasts two U.K. No. 1 albums with 1989’s Technique and 1993’s Republic, and their anthem for England’s 1990 FIFA World Cup efforts, “World in Motion,” topped the singles chart. In the United States, six New Order singles have impacted the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and nine titles have crashed the Billboard 200. Their influence and sound, a dynamite combination of catchy pop songs with live instruments, future-fitted for dancefloors, goes far beyond chart positions.

New Order posted a slide on their social pages, celebrating their Rock Hall moment.

The 2026 induction ceremony will take place Nov. 14 in Los Angeles, to be aired on ABC and Disney+ in December. With his message, Hook gave the strongest of hints that New Order could get the old band back together for the big occasion. “I will be delighted to be inducted and am looking forward to the night so much! See you there,” he writes.

Peter Hook & The Light will return to North America this August and September for a 22-date tour, performing the 2001 New Order album Get Ready in its entirety, along with the “most seminal” cuts from the Joy Division and New Order catalogues.

New Order’s tenth and latest studio album, Music Complete, was released in September 2015. The group toured through 2025.

INXS is this year’s recipient of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.

The prestigious honor will be presented at the 2026 APRA Music Awards, set for Wednesday, April 29 at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion.

With over 75 million albums sold worldwide, and a slew of international awards from their peers and fans, INXS is one of the most popular bands to emerge from the land Down Under.

They’re “not just part of Australia’s musical history,” reads a statement from APRA AMCOS, “they helped write the global playbook.”

Formed back in 1977, INXS would go on to climb rock’s highest summit, a stadium act whose posters were attached to teenagers’ walls everywhere. The sextet of Andrew (keyboards), Jon (drums), and Tim Farriss (lead guitar), along with Garry Beers, Kirk Pengilly (guitar/sax), and the late, legendary frontman Michael Hutchence, landed five top 20 albums on the Billboard 200, and a No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Kick’s “Need You Tonight.”

In the United Kingdom, the band scored six top 10 albums, including a No. 1 with Welcome To Wherever You Are from 1992, plus a BRIT Award in 1991 for best international group.

“INXS are truly one-of-a-kind,” remarks Jenny Morris, chair of APRA. “Performing with them in the 1980s, at Wembley Stadium opening for Queen to the Listen Like Thieves tour across Europe, North America and Latin America, I saw firsthand the love and adoration they generated. From their compelling and timeless songwriting to their intoxicating performances, few bands have ever left people happily gasping for more the way INXS do.”

Hutchence, who passed in 1997, aged 37, “is as much of a presence in our lives today as the day we lost him,” Morris continues, “and of course the same goes for the band. The legacy of INXS lives on. They remain as relevant as ever, continuing to inspire new generations and bring that unmistakable Aussie spirit to fans around the world.”

INXS called it a day in 2012, with a collection that includes six APRA Music Awards, six ARIA Awards, induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001, and a bank of hits, including “Don’t Change”, “Original Sin,” “Mystify” and “What You Need.”

The group’s music lives on through shrewd syncs and multi-media projects, from Super Bowl to Toy Story 5, and through tireless support from superfans. The classic 1987 song “Never Tear Us Apart” came in at No. 1 on triple j’s inaugural poll of the greatest Australian songs of all-time, counted down last July.

The Ted Albert Award is one of the Australian music industry’s highest decorations, and is decided by the APRA board of writer and publisher directors.

Previous recipients include the late Mushroom Group chairman Michael Gudinski, Paul Kelly, The Seekers, Cold Chisel, former Alberts CEO Fifa Riccobono, Colin Hay of Men at Work and last year’s recipient, Kylie Minogue.

On the night of the 2026 APRAs, guests will be treated to a series of special performances, including a tribute to INXS, a “landmark occasion” that celebrates 100 years of APRA. Confirmed performers include BARKAA, BOY SODA, Ecca Vandal, Ngulmiya, Playlunch, Rob Ruha and more.

The Ted Albert nod will be a bonus for INXS, which was nominated for the 2026 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, but whose name wasn’t called on Tuesday. Another opportunity awaits for the Rock Hall next year, when the band turns 50.

As previously reported, Amyl And The Sniffers, Tame Impala spearhead Kevin Parker, first-time shortlisters Keli Holiday and Ninajirachi, plus Paul Kelly with his nephew and first-time nominee Dan Kelly, are in the hunt for APRA’s song of the year, the top honor at the annual APRA Music Awards.

The APRAs this year counts 52 first-time nominees, seven of whom are up for two awards.

For more information on the APRAs, visit apraamcos.com.au/apramusicawards2026,

The eight artists who were voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the performers category probably haven’t gotten much accomplished today. They’ve been too busy receiving well-wishes from friends and supporters.

The nine artists who were passed over in the voting have also likely been hearing from friends and supporters, but the conversations have been along the lines of “you were robbed” or, perhaps, “don’t worry, you’ll get in eventually.”

As you probably know by now, this year’s inductees in the performers category are Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Wu-Tang Clan and one solo artist who received the honor posthumously: Luther Vandross.

The artists who were passed over are The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, P!nk and Shakira, and, here too, one solo artist who vied for the honor posthumously, Jeff Buckley.

The 2026 induction ceremony will take place Nov. 14 in Los Angeles, to be aired on ABC and Disney+ in December.

This was the third year in a row that Carey was passed over and the second year in a row that The Black Crowes came up short. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’ll never make it. Idol was passed over in last year’s voting before making it this time. Three of this year’s inductees – Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis – had been passed over twice previously.

Carey also stands out because of her phenomenal track record, which includes 19 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. P!nk has had four No. 1 hits and three No. 1 albums on those same charts. Hill has had one of each. The Black Crowes and New Edition have each had one No. 1 album; Shakira and INXS have each had one No. 1 single.

You could also consider these artists’ track records at awards shows. Hill has won eight Grammys. Carey has won five; Shakira, four; P!nk, three; and Etheridge, two. Etheridge also won an Oscar for “I Need to Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary about climate change.

Or you could take into account that New Edition won the fan vote but failed to make the Class of 2026.

You can make your call based on whatever criteria you choose. But let us know what you think. Vote!

Though its absence from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been criticized from many quarters, Iron Maiden is pleased that the number of its beast has finally come up for induction.

The heavy metal stalwart was previously nominated in 2021 and 2023 and has been near the top of most lists of Rock Hall snubs over the years. Now it’s one of eight acts in the performer category that will be inducted during the shrine’s annual ceremony on Nov. 14 in Los Angeles. The group — which formed in 1975 in London — also received 395,000 votes in the fan vote.

In a statement following Monday night’s announcement on American Idol, longtime Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood said, “We’d like to thank the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for including us (and former members who were all part of our story) in the 2026 roll call of inductees. Iron Maiden have always been about our relationship with our fans above anything else, including awards and industry accolades. However, having said that, it’s always nice to be recognised and honoured for any achievements within the music industry too!”

Smallwood added that, “It also seems appropriate for the band to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year as we continue our 50th anniversary celebrations with our Run For Your Lives World Tour visiting the Americas and beyond. We would also like to congratulate our fellow 2026 inductees and extend our gratitude as ever to our fans for their loyalty, perseverance and support for over 50 years now!  See you all, somewhere on tour.”

The tour, which focuses on material from Iron Maiden’s first nine albums, launched last May in Europe and picks up again on May 23 in Greece, with dates through November in Europe, North and South America, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Additionally, a documentary film, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition, opens in theaters worldwide on May 7. The group has said it’s planning a break for 2027.

Guitarist Adrian Smith recently told Billboard in an interview about the film that Iron Maiden’s long history of road work is as integral to the band’s connection with fans as its body of 17 studio albums. “It’s always been a touring band — tour, tour, tour, tour,” Smith notes. “Obviously there were albums in between that, but the philosophy was, ‘Let’s do this the hard way,’ I guess. We were never gonna get massive hit records — and I’m not criticizing people who did. What I’m saying is … we took the music to the people. I think in the long run people remember that, and it’s a very honest way to build up a following. We’re getting the payback for that now. It’s like a celebration, the band and the audience, ‘Look what we’ve done together!’ There’s always been that connection.”

As Smallwood notes, the Rock Hall induction will honor past members such as the late Paul Di’Anno and Clive Burr, as well as ‘90s frontman Blaze Bayley and longtime drummer Nicko McBrain, who retired from touring after 2024 due to health issues. The constant throughout has been bassist Steve Harris, who’s shepherded Maiden through myriad personnel changes and musical trends that have not always been kind to metal bands.

“He’s the driving force behind the band; he always has been and probably always will be,” Smith acknowledged. “We’re part of it. We’re contributors. But Steve is who’s really kept this alive.”

There’s no word yet on what Maiden might have planned for the ceremony. Frontman Bruce Dickinson, who’s in his second stint with the band, has been outspoken in the past about his disdain for the Rock Hall, labeling it “an utter, complete load of bollocks” while speaking to fans in 2018. He’s also said he feels Maiden deserves to be inducted, however.