Gordi performing at The Great Escape with Sounds Australia. Photo by Bree O’Hagan.
The inaugural NSW Music Prize will be a prestigious celebration of the rich creativity and artistic contributions of NSW artists. There will be three awards: the NSW Music Prize, the NSW First Nations Music Prize and the NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
This Expression of Interest will be used to convene two Nominations Committees and two Judging Panels that will play vital roles in delivering nominees and winners for each category of the NSW Music Prize.
Program objective
The objective of this Expression of Interest (EOI) is to convene a Nominations Committee and Judging Panel, as well as a First Nations Nominations Committee and Judging Panel. Committee and judging panel members will use their music industry expertise to nominate, assess and discuss NSW contemporary music artists or acts, releases and their impact over the last 12 months.
The establishment of the Nominations Committees and Judging Panels will result in the following outcomes:
Initiate decision-making
- Nominate bodies of work, artists and acts meeting the criteria of the NSW Music Prize categories and representing the outstanding artistry and achievement in contemporary music.
- Nominations Committee members must analyse and assess nominations and provide well-informed finalist recommendations to the Judging Panel, while Judging Panellists must analyse and assess finalists and provide well-informed recommendations to Sound NSW.
Facilitate communication
- Ensure open communication between the Nominations Committees and Judging Panels and Sound NSW in relation to the NSW Music Prize.
A description of the roles and responsibilities of each judging group can be found below.
The Nominations Committee will consist of 20 members. Their role is to submit nominations for the NSW Music Prize and the NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year, over a two-week period. Subsequently, they will assess the longlist of nominations for both categories, over a three-week period, to deliver a list of finalists for each category.
The Judging Panel will consist of 5 members. Their role is to review the list of finalists for the NSW Music Prize and the NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year and select the winner for each category. Finalists will be reviewed and assessed over a one-week period.
The First Nations Nominations Committee will consist of 5 members. Their role is to submit nominations for the NSW First Nations Music Prize, over a two-week period. Subsequently, they will assess the longlist of nominations for the category, over a three-week period, to deliver a list of finalists.
The First Nations Judging Panel will consist of 3 members. Their role is to review the list of finalists for the NSW First Nations Music Prize and select the winner for the category. Finalists will be reviewed and assessed over a one-week period.
The Nominations Committees and Judging Panels will reflect a diversity of skills and experience and will understand the contemporary music sector, in particular the NSW music landscape and activity over the last 12 months. They will be well positioned to critically assess music releases, growth and impact on community.
Applications are invited from music industry professionals and media professionals. Sound NSW is committed to ensuring cultural, geographical, gender, age and genre diversity on the Nominations Committees and Judging Panels and encourages all interested applicants to apply.
For more information please see the FAQs.
Eligibility Criteria
Who can apply
To be eligible to apply individuals must be
- An active member of the Australian contemporary music sector.
- An Australian resident or citizen; living abroad is acceptable.
- Aged 18 or over.
Who can’t apply
You are ineligible to apply if you:
- Lack demonstrable understanding of, and experience in, the Australian contemporary music sector.
- Don’t hold Australian residency or citizenship.
- Are 17 years or under.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
To apply for this EOI, you will need to provide:
- a short biography outlining your music industry experience and your reasons for applying for the NSW Music Prize Nominations Committees and Judging Panels, while addressing the assessment criteria.
- an up-to-date resume or CV.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants who do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed against the following assessment criteria:
- Understanding of the contemporary music sector and the NSW music landscape.
- Current knowledge of NSW contemporary music artists or acts and related activity, including music releases over the last 12 months.
- Demonstrated experience in music curation and critical assessment of artists and releases.
- Strong communication and collaborative skills, with the ability to work constructively across diverse groups.
Sound NSW will assess applications and make final selections based on the eligibility and assessment criteria. Consideration will also be given to reflect a broad and diverse representation of the contemporary music sector including gender, First Nations people, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, age and career stage, people with disability, people from Western Sydney and regional and remote communities.
How to apply
Applications can be submitted via our webform.
After your application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by Sound NSW.
Eligibility
Sound NSW staff will review applications to ensure they meet eligibility requirements.
Application review
Following eligibility confirmation, applications will be evaluated by an assessment panel of Sound NSW staff against the assessment criteria and these guidelines, to make final determinations of the Nominations Committees and Judging Panels.
Sound NSW staff will ensure the selection of Nominations Committees and Judging Panels members are reflective of the diversity of the contemporary music sector in NSW, with a deep understanding of current industry activity.
Application outcome
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by August 2025.
Nominations Committee and Judging Panel members
Successful applicants will be invited to join the NSW Music Prize Nominations Committees or Judging Panels for the period of the 2025 NSW Music Prize. Members will engage with Sound NSW to fulfil the requirements of their role and be paid a fee. NSW Public Service employees do not receive a fee.