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The incendiary First Nations group and their debut album Kill The Dead, which won two ARIA Awards last year, have been shortlisted for the inaugural NSW Music Prize, worth $80,000. Nooky and his bandmates Dallas Woods and Angus Field join an eclectic field dominated by emerging electronic and hip hop artists selected as finalists for the three awards launched by the NSW Government to boost local music. 3%, named for the percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian population, is also up for the First Nations Music Prize, worth $40,000. Other NSW artists with two nominations are leading 2025 ARIA nominee and electronic star Ninajirachi, First Nations rap queen Barkaa, hardcore punk group SPEED and genre-bending band Shady Nasty. A couple of big names who have already busted onto the global stage also made the shortlists, with electronic kings Rufus Du Sol in the NSW Music Prize category, and indie rock duo Royel Otis for the Breakthrough Music Prize, worth $40,000. Controversial rap group Onefour is one of 10 finalists for the main NSW Music Prize with debut album Look At Me Now. Meanwhile, a clutch of rappers are shortlist finalists selected by industry insiders, including Vv Pete, Djanaba, Kobie D and Ziggy Ramos, while overnight soul sensation Don West was nominated for the Breakthrough Prize. The 15 artists contending the long overdue NSW music awards have generated more than five billion Spotify streams. Nooky said the success of Kill The Dead, which also features guests Jessica Mauboy and the Presets who joined the group to deliver one of the live performance highlights of last year’s ARIA Awards, “happened very fast.” “We had every intention of success, but to see what this album has done and the heights it’s achieved... I’m not sure any of us had dreamed up that much. They study the album in the HSC, which is a big trip for me seeing as I was kicked out of school in year 12,” he said. As Australian artists battle to get noticed on streaming and social media platforms dominated by a clutch of international superstars, state government and corporate-sponsored music prizes are not only a financial windfall to offset touring and recording costs - or a trip to Disneyland - but much-needed confidence and profile boosters for struggling creators. “The NSW Music Prize is a massive win, it’s a nod from a well respected panel of industry experts and it’s cash money in your pocket,” Nooky said. “Being a finalist in such a prestigious prize really reinforces that you created what you was meant to create. It shows that your project resonated. It’s one of the many things that reminds you: the blood sweat and tears was worth it. Especially for First Nations artists, because of the windmill of trauma and joy, pain and love we go through creating these songs. “So to receive the recognition feels good that our voices are being heard and in this day and age that means a lot. Apart from the industry recognition, the money can help artists create new projects and build their fanbase and spread their voices even further.” Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham, who has been a big champion of homegrown artists and loves a gig, said the first-ever NSW Music Prize was intended to “send an important message about the cultural value of local music.” “Unless we back local musicians, the wave of algorithmically enhanced American music will continue to swamp us. We have amazing song writers and world class live performers here in NSW and this is a moment to celebrate them,” he said. “Awarding the biggest prize in Australian music will provide a vital financial boost for the winners and a big incentive for the next generation of aspiring stars. When you look at these names you can see how much talent we have in NSW.” The winners will be announced at the Museum of Contemporary Art on November 24 when many of the nominees will be in town post the ARIA Awards in Sydney on November 19. NSW Music Prize ($80,000) 3% (Kill the Dead) BARKAA (Big Tidda) Kobie Dee (Chapter 26) Ninajirachi (girl EDM) ONEFOUR (Look At Me Now) Party Dozen (Crime in Australia) RÜFÜS DU SOL (Inhale / Exhale) Shady Nasty (Trek) SPEED (Only One Mode) Vv Pete & Utility (Varvie World) NSW First Nations Music Prize ($40,000) 3% (Kill the Dead) BARKAA (Big Tidda) Djanaba (Did I Stutter?) Stiff Gins (Crossroads) Ziggy Ramo (Human?) NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year ($40,000) Ninajirachi Shady Nasty
