{"id":587465,"date":"2026-08-08T23:42:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T23:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/587465\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T23:42:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T23:42:08","slug":"national-indigenous-music-awards-2026-baker-boy-wins-big-including-album-and-song-of-the-year-national-indigenous-music-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/587465\/","title":{"rendered":"National Indigenous Music awards 2026: Baker Boy wins big, including album and song of the year | National Indigenous Music awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

Baker Boy has won album, song and film clip of the year at the 2026 National Indigenous music awards (Nimas)<\/a>, paying tribute to his late grandmother who his sophomore album, Djandjay<\/a>, is named for.<\/p>\n

The Yol\u014bu hip-hop artist, whose name is Danzal Baker, won three awards for Djandjay, including song of the year and film clip of the year for its hit single Thick Skin, which features Indigenous artists Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee\u2019ahn and Jada Weazel.<\/p>\n

Djandjay marks an evolution from Baker\u2019s 2021 debut, Gela, delivering deeper lyrical themes and a heavier sound.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Djandjay] has the lyricism, the play on words, the whole thing,\u201d he told Guardian Australia backstage at the Nimas. \u201cI would say the persona and the whole Blak look has a very staunch feel, and that vulnerability as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Accepting album of the year, Baker dedicated the honour to his late grandmother, whom he credits with bringing hip-hop to Arnhem Land after returning from a Los Angeles honeymoon with vinyl records and VHS tapes. These inspired his father and uncle to form 1980s dance duo the Baker Boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was the reason that I have confidence and have no shame to be able to get out there and express my feelings, and who I am and where I come from,\u201d Baker said.<\/p>\n

Baker told Guardian Australia he wrote Thick Skin, which won song and film clip of the year, following the voice to parliament referendum.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the middle of working on the album and there was like a brick wall that was happening right in front of me \u2026 I had to speak my voice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The music video was filmed at the colonial-era Werribee Mansion in Victoria. \u201cFilming somewhere with that colonialism, taking back that authority and giving a \u2018this is my house\u2019 vibe,\u201d Baker told Guardian Australia. \u201cIt\u2019s about POC [people of colour] and Blak excellence \u2013 having white butlers and flipping that sort of feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

National Indigenous Music Awards 2026: Birdz and Fred Leone (left and second from R) celebrate after winning artist of the year. Photograph: Leicolhn McKellar<\/p>\n

Artist of the year was awarded to Butchulla duo Birdz and Fred Leone. The cousins \u2013 rapper Birdz and songman Leone \u2013 released a joint six-track EP titled GIRA in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Katherine and this territory really shaped me and inspires me still today. So, thank you, thank you, thank you,\u201d Birdz said, accepting the award with Leone by his side.<\/p>\n

Yol\u014bu musician Drifting Clouds, whose name is Terry Guyula, took home best new talent. Known for his synth-driven tracks with Yol\u014bu Matha lyrics, Guyula accepted the award alongside producer and bandmate Zac Terry, whom Guyula thanked for \u201cbringing me out from the bush to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terry Guyula of Drifting Clouds wins best new talent. Photograph: Leicolhn McKellar<\/p>\n

Guguyelandji and Woppaburra jazz and blues musician Marlene Cummins and Galiwin\u2019ku\u2019s Saltwater Band were inducted into the Nimas Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Jessica Mauboy and Yothu Yindi.<\/p>\n

Baker Boy told Guardian Australia he was \u201cvery proud\u201d to see Saltwater Band inducted, having grown up listening to them, saying: \u201cWhen I was a kid on [Milingimbi] island, they would come perform and I\u2019d be up there dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mauboy presented Saltwater Band with their award, praising their three-decade legacy of blending traditional Yol\u014bu song with reggae, ska and contemporary music.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt fills me with pride to celebrate music from the Northern Territory<\/a>,\u201d Mauboy said. \u201cSaltwater Band created a sound that was completely their own \u2026 they showed artists like me and so many young people watching that you never have to leave your culture to chase your dreams. You can carry it with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Full list of 2026 Nima winners<\/p>\n

Artist of the year: Birdz and Fred Leone<\/p>\n

Best new talent: Drifting Clouds<\/p>\n

Album of the year: Baker Boy \u2013 Djandjay<\/p>\n

Song of the year: Baker Boy \u2013 Thick Skin (feat. Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee\u2019ahn & Jada Weazel)<\/p>\n

Film clip of the year: Baker Boy \u2013 Thick Skin (feat. Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee\u2019ahn & Jada Weazel)<\/p>\n

Community clip of the year: Northern Peninsula Area \u2013 All The Way From The NPA<\/p>\n

Indigenous language award: Bulman School & Community \u2013 Lok Lok Mah Burarr (Lizard & Goanna)<\/p>\n

Hall of fame inductions: Marlene Cummins and Saltwater Band<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Baker Boy has won album, song and film clip of the year at the 2026 National Indigenous music…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":587466,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[93,61,60,278],"class_list":["post-587465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=587465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/587466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=587465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=587465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=587465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}