The Northern Territory Performing Arts Awards (NTPAAs) has today announced its 2026 nominees. Celebrating the talent of NT’s performing arts community, the awards will be announced on 10 August during Darwin Festival.

Netanela Mizrahi. Photo courtesy of Darwin Symphony Orchestra.

This year’s awards see five nominations for the Production of the Year Award. Darwin Symphony Orchestra’s word premiere performance of Wuyal’s Journey, a compositional collaboration between Composer-in-Residence Netanela Mizarahi and Rirratjiŋu songman Banula Marika has been recognised, as has educational music-theatre work Gene Tree: Listen. Now. Again  and Lankan Dance Academy’s celebratory Wes and Pahimpath Ceremony

Two Brown’s Mart productions – Gary Owen’s Greek myth-inspired Iphigenia in Splott and Jeffrey Jawy Fowler and Sara Reuben’s The Present – are also up for the award.

The Performer of the Year finalists are Alyson Evans (Iphigenia in Splott), Kamaron Arthur (Frank-n-Furter, Rocky Horror) and Harley Mason (Billy Flynn in Darwin Musical Theatre’s Chicago the Musical).

Dancers Amalia Baker and Anuhas Methnuka Bandara Rathnayake, singer and guitarist Calum Murrapuma McKenzie and advocate, creative and producer Jules Gabor are recognised for this year’s Young Achiever Award.

Technician Brad Fawcett, comedian Briant Clark, Artback NT’s General Manager Kelly Blumberg and artist and audiovisual technician Letitia Inez are all up for the Behind the Scenes – Production Award, recognising the achievements of creatives offstage.

For the Behind the Scenes – Creative Award, this year’s nominees are writer and dramaturg Ciella Williams, producer an musician James Mangohig (Kuya James), designer Jean-Eddy Moutou and Netanela Mizrahi with a second nod.

Mizrahi is also amongst the nominees for the Inspiring Educator Award alongside Brendan Flynn, Michelle Fleming and Vincent Perry.

Gary Lang’s Wanga during the Darwin Festival 2022. Photo © Paz Tassone

The Impact Award nominees are Darwin Fringe and its CEO artist Hannah Illingworth, and Gary Lang NT Dance Company.

Larrakia choreographer-dancer Gary Lang has also earned a nomination for the Ultimate Legend Award alongside Tracks Dance’s founding co-Director David McMicken and musical theatre performer Paolo Fabris, who directed Rocky Horror.

This year’s ceremony also marks the first year of the Ted Egan Regional Award, celebrating excellence in regional practice. The inaugural nominees are educator and performer Gleny Rae and Swedish-born tuba player Per Forsberg.

Voting closes on 5 August.

More about the Northern Territory Performing Arts Awards can be found here.