Ninajirachi Wins Top Prize at the 2026 NSW Music Prize
Ninajirachi has won the top prize at the 2026 NSW Music Prize, a state award worth A$80,000 (Australian dollars), for the album I Love My Computer.
The presentation was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art's Foundation Hall in Sydney. Billboard reported the win. I Love My Computer is Ninajirachi's debut studio album, released in 2025. In accepting the prize, Ninajirachi thanked Sound NSW.
The prize is new to the state. It was launched last year by the Minns Labor government, the New South Wales state government led by Premier Chris Minns. Until 2025, New South Wales was the only Australian state without a dedicated music prize. This year is the second edition.
A total of 16 finalists were chosen across three categories, drawing on a prize pool of A$160,000. The pool is the combined amount of money on offer across the awards.
Other winners were also named:
- NSW First Nations music prize: the hip-hop group 3% won A$40,000.
- Breakthrough artist of the year: BOY SODA won A$40,000.
For artists, a state prize of this kind is a cash award and a public spotlight at the same time. The money is the part that can be spent straight away, on recording, touring or simply paying the bills while a new project takes shape. The spotlight matters too, because it puts names in front of people who may never have looked for them.
The three top awards in this round add up to A$160,000, the same figure as the full pool. The prize was designed around that money, so each winner's share is a direct cut of the state's budget for the scheme.
The next step for the winners is the work itself: the next single, the next tour, the next record. The prize does not decide any of that, but it can help pay for it.
