The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is thrilled to announce the ARIA Award for Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement will return for a fourth year, as the ARIA Awards mark 40 years in 2026.
Entries open tomorrow, Friday 21 August. Interested agencies can take the pledge to support homegrown music and begin preparing their entries here.
Last year, Fox Sports Australia took home the award for Fox League 2025: Our Greats, featuring 3%. Nominees included Menulog with Bliss n Eso, Paramount+ Australia with Briggs and Kobie Dee, Tooheys with Dune Rats, and Tourism and Events Queensland with Kita Alexander. Bolster Group and Publicis Groupe won in 2024 for Cancer Council’s End The Trend, featuring JK-47.
Entry fee starts at $500, all fees exclude GST. Entries close 4th September. The eligibility period covers 23 August 2025 and concluding on 21 August 2026 inclusive.
An academy of advertising and music sync specialists will again oversee the nomination and judging process.
ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said: “The ARIA Awards entering their 40th year means 40 years of songs Australians can attach to a Summer, a car or a first job… and there’s plenty more before the ARIAs even existed. Those stories are what a brand picks up when it licenses an Australian track: a collective, national memory bank that is a powerful driver of purchase.
We’re delighted to bring this award back for such a special celebration of Australian music, recognise incredible collaboration between industries and shine a light on creativity across sectors. We can’t wait to see what Adland brings us in 2026.”
The winner will be announced at the 2026 ARIA Awards in partnership with Spotify on Wednesday, 18 November at the Hordern Pavilion on Gadigal land.
For more information and to enter, please click here.
