The Australian Women In Music Awards opened with a moment of reverence for those no longer with us but whose legacies echo through every chord played by today’s artists. Among them was Ruby Hunter, posthumously inducted into the AWMA Honour Roll. The Ngarrindjeri, Kukatha and Pitjantjatjara singer-songwriter, who in 1994 became the first Aboriginal woman to sign with a major record label, was remembered not just for her groundbreaking debut album “Thoughts Within,” but for her fierce advocacy for Stolen Generations stories and her nurturing presence in the lives of younger First Nations musicians.
This year’s ceremony marked a historic milestone with the introduction of the Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Cultural Legacy Award. The inaugural recipients were the cultural songwomen of the Arrkula Yinbayarra (Together We Sing) project alongside Dr. Shellie Morris AO. Rooted in Borroloola in the Northern Territory’s Gulf region, their work revives and sustains endangered Indigenous languages through song—a quiet but revolutionary act of cultural preservation. Their live performance at the event was both a celebration and a reminder: music as memory, music as resistance.
Dr. Shellie Morris AO emerged as the night’s most decorated artist, receiving not only the new Cultural Legacy Award but also the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Artistic Excellence Award. Her decades-long commitment to community music-making, language revitalization, and mentorship exemplifies the spirit AWMA seeks to uplift. On stage, she spoke softly but with unwavering conviction: “Our songs carry our ancestors. When we sing, they sing with us.”
While veterans were honored, the future shimmered brightly too. Missy Higgins accepted the Songwriter Award with heartfelt gratitude, acknowledging the women who lifted her up: “I Would Not Be Where I Am Without The Incredible Women In My Life.” Meanwhile, Chinese-Australian artist Grace Chia won the Diversity In Music Award for her genre-blurring R&B and hip-hop, and composer Katia Geha took home the Emerging Artist Award proof that the pipeline of talent is not only full but fiercely diverse.
The awards extended beyond performers to those shaping music’s infrastructure. Tina Broad received the Humanitarian Award for her work in regional Australia through programs like Play For Life and SongMakers. Dark Mofo music director Kimberley Galceran earned the Creative Leadership Award for championing gender-diverse and culturally rich lineups. Even photographers, journalists, and filmmakers were recognized Suzanne Phoenix, Jules LeFevre, and Emily Dynes among them underscoring that music’s ecosystem thrives only when every role is valued.
Vicki Gordon, AWMA’s founding executive producer, framed the night not as a celebration of arrival but as a call to continue the climb: “We Pay Tribute To The Many Among Us And Those Who Have Gone Before Us, Who Have Fought For Safety, For Opportunity, For Creative Excellence.” The Superjesus frontwoman and AWMA Chair echoed this, declaring, “Equality Should Be The Starting Point, Not The Finish Line.” As Kate Miller-Heidke closed the show with a wry anthem “You Underestimated Me Dude” the room swelled with laughter, tears, and resolve. The Tide Is Turning, And It Sings In Many Tongues.
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