Ninajirachi Dominates 2026 AIR Awards

With five wins, Ninajirachi was untouchable at the 2026 AIR Awards, presented Thursday evening (July 31) at Adelaide Town Hall.

The EDM producer and DJ (real name: Nina Wilson) scooped the night’s big categories, including independent album, independent producer, and best independent electronic album or EP for I Love My Computer, while her breakthrough song “iPod Touch” took out best independent electronic single and independent song of the year.

Co-written with Darcy Baylis, “iPod Touch” took shape in 2024 and was “one of the hardest songs to finish, ever,” Ninajirachi explained in a taped acceptance speech. “A lot of my album tracks just fell from the sky and they were so easy. ‘iPod Touch’ had 100,000 versions and at a point I really didn’t think it was going to make it onto the album. But I’m so happy it did. It’s a real lesson in persistence and I’m so grateful that it’s won.”

Ninajirachi has been an all-conquering force on the awards circuit since I Love My Computer dropped a year ago. In the months since, she bagged three ARIAs, the Australian Music Prize for album of the year, J Awards, the NSW Music Prize for breakthrough artist, and took out second place in the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition for “iPod Touch.” Prior to Thursday evening, she had never won an AIR Award.

After attending last year’s ceremony, Ninajirachi had an excellent reason to miss the AIR Awards this time; she’s currently touring the United States, with a show a Lollapalooza in Chicago on the same day as the indie awards. “If I could teleport, I would,” she insisted in a precorded bit.

I Love My Computer also swept the industry segment of the 20^th annual AIR Awards, with the independent mix, studio or mastering engineer of the year honor (Thomas Purcell PKA Wave Racer), independent publicity team of the year (Melody Forghani’s Twnty Three) and independent marketing team of the year (NLV Records, The Orchard).

The good times didn’t end there. Nina Las Vegas (real name: Nina Agzarian) and her team at NLV Records snagged the last of 24 awards announced on the night, independent label of the year. In her victory speech, Las Vegas recounted a grumpy email sent five years ago to the team at The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), producers of the awards and the annual Indie-Con, also presented this week in the South Australian capital.

“I just work really hard to get what I wanted, and I really wanted this,” she told the full house of industry guests. Earlier in the week, Las Vegas and her team launched the latest Ninajirachi single, “WannaCry,” a collaboration with Porter Robinson.

With a trio of trophies, the ceremony was a massive success for Folk B*tch Trio. The rising act won for best independent blues and roots album or EP, breakthrough artist of the year and independent music video of the year for “Cathode Ray” (Bridgette Winten).

Other artist winners included Wilsn (best independent soul/RNB album or EP), Devaura (best independent hip hop album or EP), Ruby Gill (best independent country album or EP), Way Dynamic (best independent pop album or EP), Playlunch (best independent rock album or EP), Thornhill (best independent heavy album or EP) and These New South Whales (best independent punk album or EP).

Meanwhile, Sebastian Chase, founder of MGM Distribution, earned the outstanding achievement award. The industry veteran’s son Michael Chase was on hand to read a speech prepared by his dad.

The awards were first established in 2006 as an effort to “recognize, promote, and celebrate the success of Australia’s Independent Music sector.” AIR itself was founded 30 years ago to the month, in July 1996.

At the top of the 2026 edition, Hilton Gumbys, a Labor member of the Legislative Council in the South Australian Parliament, announced two additional years of state funding for the awards and Indie-Con, to secure the event in Adelaide until at least 2028.

Performers including The Tullamarines, Cookin’ on 3 Burners, Georgia Knight, and Elsy Wameyo, and Dylan Lewis and Jessica Braithwaite were back on hosting duties.

“Tonight we’re celebrating you,” AIR CEO Maria Amato told guests at the invite-only gathering. “The independent artists that do things that you love, on your own terms, and don’t let anyone stand in your way.”

Best Independent Blues And Roots Album Or EP
John Butler – Prism
Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time (WINNER)
Liz Stringer – The Second High
Melbourne Ska Orchestra – The Ballad Of Monte Loco
Sons Of The East – Sons

Best Independent Jazz Album Or EP

Natalie Gauci – Pictures Of Mars
Phia – When I’m Holding You, I’m Holding Me
Temporary Blessings – Sumbisori (WINNER)
The Cat Empire – Bird In Paradise
Touch Sensitive – In Paradise

Best Independent Classical Album Or EP

Andrea Lam – Piano Diary
Australian String Quartet – Vanessa Perica, String Quartet No.1 No Feeling Is Final
Joseph Tawadros – The Forgotten Path To Humanity
Rose Riebl – Dust
William Barton, Omega Ensemble – Gift – Our Breath Of Life (WINNER)

Best Independent Children’s Album Or EP

Diver City – Weekend Baby
Emma Memma – Dance Island Party
Justine Clarke – Mimi’s Symphony
Teeny Tiny Stevies – Brain Fart (WINNER)
The Wiggles, The Tree Of Wisdom – The Tree Of Wisdom

Best Independent Country Album Or EP

Emily Lubitz – Two Black Horses
Hayley Jensen – Country Soul
Imogen Clark – Choking On Fuel
Ruby Gill – Some Kind Of Control (WINNER)
Wade Forster – Gooseneck Party

Best Independent Soul/RnB Album Or EP

Bumpy – Kanana
Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Cookin’ The Books
Don West – Give Me All Your Love
Felivand – My Body’s My True North
Wilsn – Bloom (WINNER)

Best Independent Pop Album Or EP

Georgia Knight – Beanpole
Montaigne – It’s Hard To Be A Fish
Stella Donnelly – Love And Fortune
The Tullamarines – Safety Blanket
Way Dynamic – Massive Shoe (WINNER)

Best Independent Rock Album Or EP

Playlunch – Sex Ed (WINNER)
Spacey Jane – If That Makes Sense
Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers – Glory
The Belair Lipbombs – Again
The Southern River Band – Easier Said Than Done

Independent Marketing Team Of The Year

Mushroom Music – Bliss N Eso, The Moon (The Light Side)
Nlv Records, The Orchard – Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer (WINNER)
Playlunch, Abc Music – Playlunch, Keith
Secretly Group – Folk Bitch Trio, Now Would Be A Good Time
The Annex – Ocean Alley, Love Balloon

Independent Music Video Of The Year

Ball Bass John – Ninajirachi, Fuck My Computer
Bridgette Winten, Folk Bitch Trio – Folk Bitch Trio, Cathode Ray (WINNER)
Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore – Miss Kaninna, Backstreets
Tas Wilson, James Adams – Jem Cassar-Daley, Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving
Jasper Van Daatselaar – Way Dynamic, People Settle Down

Independent Mix, Studio Or Mastering Engineer Of The Year

Becki Whitton, Timothy Harvey, Hannah Cameron – Ruby Gill, Some Kind Of Control
Leon Zervos – Ocean Alley, Love Balloon
Michael Carpenter – Imogen Clark, Choking On Fuel
Stephen Mowat – Wilsn, Bloom
Thomas Purcell Pka Wave Racer – Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer (WINNER)
 
Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year – Presented By PPCA

Folk Bitch Trio (WINNER)
Georgia Knight
Rageflower
Rona.
Yes Boone

Best Independent Hip Hop Album Or EP

Bliss N Eso – The Moon (The Light Side)
Devaura – Vol 1. Learning In Public (WINNER)
Elsy Wameyo – Wameyo
Jamaica Moana – Bud & Deni
Teether & Kuya Neil – Yearn Iv
 
Best Independent Electronic Album Or EP

Essendon Airport – Mor
Mel Blue – No More Jackets Please
Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (WINNER)
Rona. – It’s All Here (EP)
Shouse – Collective Ecstasy

Best Independent Dance/ Club Single
Confidence Man, Jade – Gossip
DJ Pgz And Yikes – Ouss Ouss
Fisher – Stay
Shouse  – Sunrise
Vv Pete – Wassa Feat. Utility, Formation Boyz (WINNER)

Best Independent Electronic Single

Cosmo’s Midnight – 45
Keanu Nelson – Place Where I Go / Kapi Ngalyananni
Ninajirachi – Ipod Touch (WINNER)
Robert Baxter & Sweatbaby – Icy (Take It Off)
The Superjesus & The Journey – Something Good

Best Independent Punk Album Or EP
Press Club – To All The Ones I Love
Private Function – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Radio Free Alice – Empty Words Ep
These New South Whales – Godspeed (WINNER)
Wet Kiss – Thus Spoke The Broken Chanteuse

Best Independent Heavy Album Or EP

Battlesnake – Dawn Of The Exultants And The Hunt For The Shepherd
Hands Like Houses – Atmospherics
Npcede – Npcede
The Maggie Pills  – Hearts Induring Lingering Loss
Thornhill – Bodies (WINNER)

Independent Album Of The Year

Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time
Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (WINNER)
The 046 – Legacy In Motion
The Belair Lipbombs – Again
Way Dynamic – Massive Shoe

Independent Song Of The Year

Jem Cassar-Daley – Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving
Keli Holiday – Dancing2
Ninajirachi – Ipod Touch (WINNER)
Playlunch – Keith
Way Dynamic – Miffed It

Independent Label Of The Year

ABC Music
Astral People Recordings
College Of Knowledge
Mushroom Music 
NLV Records (WINNER)

Independent Publicity Team Of The Year

Cult Logic – Ocean Alley, Love Balloon
Mushroom Music – Bliss N Eso, The Moon (The Light Side)
Mushroom Music – Wilsn, Bloom
Twnty Three – Folk Bitch Trio, Now Would Be A Good Time (WINNER)
Twnty Three – Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer

Independent Producer Of The Year

Angus Stone – Dope Lemon, Golden Wolf
Benjamin Stewart – Slowly Slowly, Forgiving Spree
Dylan Young – Way Dynamic, Massive Shoe
Nick DiDia – Ocean Alley, Love Balloon
Nina Wilson – Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer (WINNER)