Contenders for regional music awards celebrating the best artists, live music venues and industry figures have been made public.
The Sunshine Coast Music Industry Collective (SCMIC) published the finalists for the 2026 Sunshine Coast Music Awards on Monday.
Now in its second year, the awards aim to showcase the depth, creativity and diversity of the region’s live music scene.
Finalists span 11 awards categories including: Artist of the Year, Artwork of the Year, Song of the Year, Live Act of the Year, the Indidge Award, Rising Star, Young Artist of the Year and Musician of the Year.
The awards also recognise the wider creative community and industry spaces supporting live music on the Coast with categories such as Recording Studio of the Year, Venue of the Year and Punter of the Year.
SCMIC chair Melissa O’Bryan said this year’s awards had attracted an overwhelming response from the local music community.
“The diversity of genres this year is exceptional, and with increased nominations in categories such as the Punter of the Year and Artwork of the Year, it is telling that these awards are shaping up to be one of the more eclectic programs out there,” she said.
Among the standout finalists, acclaimed singer-songwriter Katie Noonan received nominations for Artist of the Year, Live Act of the Year and Musician of the Year, while blues-rock artist Minnie Marks was recognised in both Artist of the Year and Musician of the Year.
Australian Idol 2025 winner Marshall Hamburger also earned multiple nominations including Live Act of the Year and Rising Star.
The Song of the Year finalists include Alys Ffion’s “Secret”, Buttermello’s “Low”, Che Burns’ “Devil Like You”, Cora’s “(boy)cott” and Jesse Taylor’s “I Can Feel It”.
Contenders for the Indidge Award include Adam James, Al Bartholemew and Deline Briscoe.
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Emerging acts are strongly represented across the awards with Cora nominated for both Rising Star and Young Artist of the Year alongside artists including Elke Louie, Jemzel and Layla Havana.
In the venue categories The Presynct, Norton Music Factory and Kings Beach Tavern are among those recognised for their contribution to the local live music community.
Finalists were selected by a panel of Australian music industry professionals including representatives from triple j and the Woodford Folk Festival, as well as industry figures from Oztix, Moshtix and Airlock Studios.
Winners will be announced at the 2026 SCMIC ceremony on June 7 at The Shed in Palmview.
