The finalists for the Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA) have been revealed. Across 22 categories, the awards acknowledge the achievements of female and gender-diverse artists and arts workers both on and off the stage – musicians, producers, arts leaders, photographers, journalists and more.

The AWMAs will be presented on 27 May 2027 at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall.

Sophie Rowell, Jessica Gethin and Jessica Wells. Photos supplied

This year’s finalists for the Excellence in Classical Music Award are conductor Jessica Gethin, violinist and Artistic Director Sophie Rowell and composer, orchestrator and arranger Jessica Wells.

The Opera Impact Award finalists are mezzo-sopranos Katrina Waters and Jessica O’Donoghue and director and producer Laura Hansford.

Katrina Waters, Jessica O’Donoghue and Laura Hansford. Photos supplied

Up for this year’s Diversity in Music Award are violinist and educator Karen Kyriakou, Emma Memma and guzheng virtuoso and composer Mindy Meng Wang.

Meng Wang has also been nominated for the Sony Music Australia Artistic Excellence Award alongside Jessica Wells and clarinettist, composer and improviser Aviva Endean.

Composer, pianist and music educator Margaret Brandman is one of the three nominees for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as is judge and folk musician Judy Small and jazz vocalist Anita Wardell.

Celebrating an “unsung champion of the Australian music industry”, the Tina Arena Special Impact Award nominees are singer-songwriter and label manager Deb Suckling, soprano and social entrepreneur Tania de Jong and writer ad broadcaster Tracee Hutchinson.

Composer and sound artist Yantra de Vilder, arts leader and creative producer Zoe Scrogings and Nala Music Management Director Louise Sawilejskij are finalists for the Humanitarian Award, acknowledging their contribution in supporting female and gender-diverse artists in remote and regional communities.

The Music Journalism Award finalists are broadcaster and DJ Clare Neal, community radio broadcaster Heather Anderson and ABC Classic host Megan Burslem.

Australian Women in Music Awards 2025. Photo supplied

This year, the AWMAs offer the ARIA Music Advocacy Award for the first time; its inaugural finalists are The Push CEO Kate Duncan, music therapist and director Alexandra Morse and music and entertainment industry leader Chrissie Vincent.

The Australian Women in Music Inspiration Award was presented on 20 March to performer, music director, composer and sound designer Kim ‘Busty Beatz’ Bowers, who passed away in April.

“It is an honour to announce the AWMA finalists every year to spotlight the extraordinary depth of talent thriving across all areas of industry. This is how we collectively rewrite the future of Australian music culture,” said Executive Producer Vicki Gordon.

“Warmest congratulations to all the exceptional artists, leaders, techs and music practitioners working behind the scenes who have been recognised this year.”

The full list of finalists for the 2026 AWMAs can be found here.