National Indigenous Music awards 2024: Barkaa wins artist of the year | Australian music

Malyangapa Barkindji rapper Barkaa has won artist of the year at the National Indigenous Music awards (Nimas), held in Darwin on Saturday night.

The musician, real name Chloe Quayle, was nominated alongside Australia’s Eurovision contestant Electric Fields, rap collective 3%, Yolŋu surf-rockers King Stingray, and singers Budjerah and Emma Donovan.

Barkaa, who takes her moniker from the Barkindji word for the Darling River, also won film clip of the year for her anthemic single We Up, from her second album Big Tidda.

Album of the year went to Dan Sultan for his self-titled record, charting his experiences of racism, sobriety and transformation. Sultan, who also won the same category a decade ago for his album Blackbird, saw off competition from The Kid Laroi, Emma Donovan, Jessica Mauboy and Troy Cassar-Daley.

Rap collective 3%, made up of Triple J host Nooky, Noongar rapper Dallas Woods and Gumbaynggirr singer Angus Field, took out song of the year for Our People, their debut track that samples The Presets’ 2008 single My People.

Warumpi Band lead singer Sammy Butcher earned a place in the hall of fame, joining the likes of Yothu Yindi and the late Gurrumul.

The Indigenous Language award, for music performed in First Nations languages, was split between two winners this year: Yolŋu performer Rrawun Maymuru, and Electric Fields for their 2023 song Anpuru Maau Kutjpa, which featured in Baz Luhrmann’s television series Faraway Downs.

Kamilaroi-Samoan pop singer Becca Hatch won best new talent, a category that has previously been awarded to the likes of Briggs, Thelma Plum and Baker Boy.

With music and rap always being a method of storytelling among First Nations communities, the Nimas includes a community clip of the year award, a category set up to recognise the musical achievements of young people around Australia.

This year it went to the tiny community of Bulman, a Northern Territory town of about 250 residents. The students of Bulman school won for their song Nidjarra performed in Dalabon language, which they were taught by Dalabon elder Dudley Lawrence.

Now in their 20th year, the 2024 Nimas will be broadcast on NITV and SBS On Demand from Saturday 10 August 8pm.