PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALISTS AND LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ANNOUNCED + PERFORMANCES CONFIRMED FOR 2025 QUEENSLAND MUSIC AWARDS
Tickets selling fast!
Image: Christine Anu
Queensland’s hottest homegrown talent will sizzle with the Queensland Music Awards (QMAs) revealing the star-studded line-up of live acts and local artists performing at the awards ceremony.
Past QMAs winner and three-time 2025 nominee Thelma Plum will take to the stage at The Fortitude Music Hall on Tuesday 25 March. Also wowing guests are the twice-nominated Beddy Rays, local rockers Full Moon Flower Band, punk-rock rapper Randy Thrill$, self-proclaimed “brutal jazz orchestra” Voltozash, and MIC Project.
Deservedly taking her place in the spotlight is Christine Anu, the beloved Queensland performer and recording artist has been announced as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 2025.
A proud Torres Strait Islander woman, Christine is an award-winning singer and actor across stage and screen, whose signature hit, ‘My Island Home’, is an enduring classic, affectionately regarded as Australia’s unofficial anthem.
She joins past winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award, including James Blundell, Lindy Morrison, Ed Kuepper, Kev Carmody and The Bee-Gees.
Following a record number of public votes, finalists across four People’s Choice Award categories: Album of the Year, Festival of the Year and Metro and Regional Venues of the Year have also been revealed.
This marks the first year the coveted Album of the Year award was open to popular vote, with the public nominating Between the Fires by Troy Cassar-Daley, Sunday Sadness by Amy Shark, I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back by Thelma Plum and Caught in a Reverie by The Dreggs.
Four diverse music events held across the state will contest the 2025 Festival of the Year award: Big Pineapple Festival, Gympie Music Muster, Airlie Beach Festival of Music and Clairvaux MacKillop College’s Battle of the Rock Bands.
The Metro Venue of the Year finalists are The Fortitude Music Hall, The Triffid, Riverstage and The Tivoli and Regional Venue of the Year finalists are Sandstone Point Hotel, Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Norton Music Factory and Banshees Bar & Artspace.
Aside from the People’s Choice Awards, presented by Oztix and 4ZZZ, the QMAs celebrate the best in blues, folk, pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, country, electronic and more across 18 categories judged by a panel of over 100 Australian and international music industry professionals.
QMusic CEO Kris Stewart said this year’s People’s Choice Awards finalists reflected the wealth of diversity and talent that spans the state.
“This year, we handed Queensland fans who share our passion and appreciation for local music and musicians the power to choose the finalists of four awards,” Stewart said, adding a combination of public votes and expert judge scoring will determine the winners.
“Just as Album of the Year embraces music from country and folk to indie and pop, the Festival of the Year finalists also underscore what is so great about Queensland’s music scene.
“Where else can an iconic music event that attracts the nation’s best country artists share equal footing with a school battle that celebrates a new generation of young rockers?
“This is an exhilarating time for Queensland music and I urge everyone to get their tickets to the QMAs because this event will be a sell-out!”
#2025 QUEENSLAND MUSIC AWARDS – FINALISTS
2025 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – Presented by Hutchies
Christine Anu
ALBUM OF THE YEAR | PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS – Presented by Brisbane City Council
Troy Cassar-Daley – Between the Fires
Amy Shark – Sunday Sadness
Thelma Plum – I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back
The Dreggs – Caught in a Reverie
METRO VENUE OF THE YEAR | PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS – Presented by Oztix & 4ZZZ
The Fortitude Music Hall
The Triffid
Riverstage
The Tivoli
REGIONAL VENUE OF THE YEAR | PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS – Presented by Oztix & 4ZZZ
Sandstone Point Hotel
Mo’s Desert Clubhouse
Norton Music Factory
Banshees Bar & Artspace
FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR | PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS – Presented by Oztix & 4ZZZ
Big Pineapple Festival
Gympie Music Muster
Airlie Beach Festival of Music
Clairvaux MacKillop College’s Battle of the Rock Bands
BLUES | ROOTS AWARD – Presented by IJS Productions
Dana Gehrman – 'Let It Be You'
Full Flower Moon Band – ‘Illegal Things’
Pat Tierney – ‘The Devil’s Door’
Sunny Luwe – ‘We’ve Got The Power’
CHILDREN’S MUSIC AWARD – Presented by MEAA
Easy Peasy – ‘Who Can Toucan?’
Sharron Mirii Bell – 'WINHANGAGIGILANHA'
The Mini Moshers – ‘Really Really Tall’
The Wobble Bus – ‘Rubbish Bin Day’
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL & MUSIC FOR STAGE – Presented by Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University
Karin Schaupp – 'Dreamscapes'
Nicole Murphy – ‘Untangled’
Shugorei – 'Overture'
Tara Lynam – ‘Ultraviolet: I. Formations’
COUNTRY AWARD – Presented by North Australian Festival of Arts
Denvah – ‘Making Cups of Tea’
Jacob Vincent – ‘What Would I Say’
Lily Grace – ‘Old Enough To Know Better’
Troy Cassar-Daley – ‘Let’s Ride’
ELECTRONIC AWARD – Presented by Oasis & Seadeck
1tbsp – ‘Oh No’
AYLA – ‘Fade Into Forever’
The Kite String Tangle – ‘Need U Here’
Young Franco – ‘Wake Up ft. Master Peace’
FOLK AWARD – Presented by APRA AMCOS
Asha Jefferies – ‘Spinning’
Lottie McLeod – ‘Expire’
LT – 'Real Life = No Fun'
Tenzin Choegyal – 'Jhala I Fly to You'
HEAVY AWARD – Presented by Fireball & Greaser
A Somerset Parade – ‘Morningstar’
Citadel – 'Bonestorm'
SAME PAINS – ‘candle memory’
Wildheart – ‘The Darkest Path’
HIP HOP AWARD – Presented by IT&C
Jamiesha – ‘Bloodshed’
Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra – ‘LIVE LAUGH DECOLONISE’
Randy Thrill$ – ‘Walked Away’
Rivermouth – ‘Notice to Leave’
INDIGENOUS AWARD – Presented by BMD Group
Beddy Rays – ‘Stay The Same’
Jem Cassar-Daley – ‘Big Container’
JUNGAJI – ‘Gummy Bamarra (Grandson’s Story)’
Thelma Plum – ‘Nobody’s Baby’
JAZZ AWARD – Presented by Trentham Estate
Andrew Butt Trio + – 'Peregian'
Kellee Green – ‘River to Sea’
Sophie Min – ‘Western Sunsets’
Valtozash – 'Jekyll, Hyde & Seek (Live @ BJC)'
MUSIC FOR SCREEN – Presented by Screen Queensland
Ack Kinmonth – ‘Parents Prologue’
Alice Benfer – 'Cataclysm Down Under '
Tenzin Choegyal – 'SOS End Music – Tenzin Sings with Nightingales'
Tristan Barton – ‘Legend Is Born’
POP AWARD – Presented by Aruga
Confidence Man – ‘I CAN’T LOSE YOU’
Hope D – ‘Nails’
Sycco – ‘Meant To Be’
Thelma Plum – ‘Nobody’s Baby’
ROCK AWARD – Presented by The Forititude Music Hall
Beddy Rays – ‘Stay The Same’
Greta Stanley – ‘If I get in where would I go?’
Platonic Sex – ‘Hanging Out The Window’
Sahara Beck – ‘Special’
SOUL | FUNK | RNB AWARD – Presented by The Sound Garden
Beckah Amani – 'Sober'
JUNO – ‘I’m the Man’
Lemonade Baby – ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah (Lifestyle)’
Tanisha – ‘Things Bout You’
WORLD AWARD – Presented by ABC Brisbane
“BCHARRE بشرّي – ‘My Family’s Orange Tree’
Cigány Weaver – ‘Horatio Hornblower’
JUNGAJI – ‘Gummy Bamarra (Grandsons Story)’
Menaka – ‘Bittersweet’
YOUTH (AGES 10 – 17) AWARD – Presented by Fender
Frank and Louis – ‘Fat Man’
Jon Trotta – ‘Impression, Water-Lilies’
Mackenzie May – ‘Little Things’
The Royals – ‘It’s A Joke’
REGIONAL/REMOTE AWARD – Presented by QMF
Beckah Amani
Denvah
Greta Stanley
LT
VIDEO AWARD – Presented by Creative Productions
Andrew Nolan – ‘Invader Summer - A Somerset Parade’
Dan MacArthur – ‘Fade Away - Nice Biscuit’
Michael Soiza – 'Decisions - Semiirè'
Tom Carroll – ‘Hocus Pocus - Mallrat’
