2025 WAM Award winners revealed
West Australian Music (WAM) revealed the winners of the 2025 WAM Awards at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre last night.
The evening featured a mix of emerging and established artists, with a diverse range of nominees that showcased the outstanding achievements and talent within Western Australia’s contemporary music scene.
The 2025 WAM Awards Night live event featured four performances by nominated artists Angie Colman, Anna Schneider, Ricky Neil Jr and Yomi Ship. Four-time nominees Yomi Ship’s set turned out to be a preview of what was to come, with two of the band members receiving a WAM Award for their respective instrumental categories.
Another highlight from this year’s winners list was Walmatjarri elder, teacher and singer-songwriter Kankawa Nagarra, who won the Indigenous Act of the Year award. Following the release of her second album, Wirlmani, Kankawa won the 2024 Australian Music Prize, standing out among a nominee list that included Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Amyl and the Sniffers.
This year, WAM renamed the Blues Artist of the Year Award after legendary local musician Rick Steele. Rick’s son, Luke Steele, best known for fronting popular Australian acts Empire of the Sun and The Sleepy Jackson, said the renaming of the award was a great honour that would continue to honour his father’s musical legacy.
WAM also inducted Matthew De La Hunty into the WA Music Hall of Fame in recognition of his impact as an artist and his contributions to the music community through mentoring, music education, and the recording studio.
Taking home the coveted 2025 Golden WAMi Award were dual recipients Chris Wheeldon (RTRFM) and Amber Jean Hatton (Head of Music Programming & Marketing at Honky Tonk Blues/Artist Manager), with the award recognising individuals whose contributions to Western Australia’s music scene went above and beyond.
The WAM Awards Night was previously postponed in 2024, with this year’s awards recognising artists’ contributions spanning from 2023 to 2025.
Check out the full list of winners and nominees below:
Bassist of the Year
WINNER Jade Champion
OTHER NOMINEES
Jordan Wright
Nick Vasey
Paul Leahy
Scott Henry
Brass/Strings/Woodwind Player of the Year
WINNER Robert Zielinski
OTHER NOMINEES
Daniel Drieberg
Gemma Farrell
Jessica Carlton
Drummer/Percussionist of the Year
WINNER Nick Osborne
OTHER NOMINEES
Alex Megaw
Francis Shoveller
Isaiah Quintana
Ned Broadbent
Electronic Producer of the Year
WINNER Ezines
OTHER NOMINEES
Calvin Bennett
Ezekiel Padmanabham
Ayo Busari
Guitarist of the Year
WINNER Dan Garner
OTHER NOMINEES
Angie Colman
Daniel Carroll
Finn Pearson
Jarred Osborne
Keys/Synth Player of the Year
WINNER Mia Brine
OTHER NOMINEES
James Colton
Jenny Griffiths
Kirsty Hulka
Timothy Nelson
Vocalist of the Year
WINNER Jarred Wall
OTHER NOMINEES
Carla Geneve
Drea
Luke ‘NRG’ Eastman
Ullah
Alternative/Indie Act of the Year
WINNER Ullah
OTHER NOMINEES
CHEZ
Cloning
Ethan French
Ghost Care
Gia Como
Blues Artist of the Year (Rick Steele Award)
WINNER Lightnin Jack
OTHER NOMINEES
Ben Catley
Mama Kin Spender
The Barstools
The Michael Ward Trio
Country Act of the Year
WINNER Helen Townsend & The Wayward Hearts
OTHER NOMINEES
Claudia Tripp
Dave Kent
Finn Pearson Band
Tanya Ransom
Scarlet’s Way
Dance/Electronic Act of the Year
WINNER Adrian Dzvuke
OTHER NOMINEES
Ezines
Jade Rich
NextJen
TAB Family
Folk/Singer Songwriter Act of the Year
WINNER Anna Schneider
OTHER NOMINEES
Clare Perrott
Lloyd and The Leftovers
Tanya Ransom
Timothy Nelson
Global Music Act of the Year
WINNER Avra Banerjee
OTHER NOMINEES
Robert Zielinski
Tchéga
Hip-Hop/Rap Act of the Year
WINNER Bitter Belief
OTHER NOMINEES
BRAT
Kayps
TAB Family
Zero Emcee
Indigenous Act of the Year
WINNER Kankawa Nagarra
OTHER NOMINEES
Family Shoveller Band
Kayps
Phil Walleystack
Zero Emcee
Jazz Act of the Year
WINNER Holli Scott
OTHER NOMINEES
Artemis Orchestra
Gemma Farrell Quintet
Jessica Carlton
Metal/Heavy Act of the Year
WINNER Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
OTHER NOMINEES
Ivory Dusk
LATE 90s
Primrose Path
Yomi Ship
Punk/Hardcore Act of the Year
WINNER The Chain
OTHER NOMINEES
RATSALAD.
Spacerhead
The Points
The Volcanics
Pop Act of the Year
WINNER Elianie
OTHER NOMINEES
Alter Boy
Birdland
Boox Kid
Ricky Neil Jr
R&B / Funk / Soul Act of the Year
WINNER TAB Family
OTHER NOMINEES
Drea
Elianie
Jade Rich
PERSIA
Regional Act of the Year
WINNER RATSALAD.
OTHER NOMINEES
Adele Oliver
Dave Kent
Don’t Tell Daisy
Savanah Solomon
Rock Act of the Year
WINNER Paint
OTHER NOMINEES
DICE
Fool Nelson
Ivory Dusk
LATE 90s
Event, Venue, Business Awards
Live Music Venue of the Year
WINNER Indian Ocean Hotel
OTHER NOMINEES
Honky Tonk Blues
Lucky Bay Brewery
Milk Bar
The Llama Lounge
Live Sound Engineer of the Year
WINNER René de Vries
OTHER NOMINEES
Brad Holder
Jessica Howell
René de Vries
Live Music Event of the Year
WINNER YardStock
OTHER NOMINEES
ARRIVAL
Hottest 100 Kick-Ons – Double U Events
Perth International Jazz Festival
Super Sunday Session 2024
Recording Studio/Producer of the Year
WINNER Dylan Ollivierre
OTHER NOMINEES
Calvin Bennett Studios
Fatback Productions
Oracle Sound
Sleepwalker’s Dread
Golden WAMi Award
WINNER Amber Jean Hatton
WINNER Chris Wheeldon
OTHER NOMINEES
Greg Sanders
Kelsie Miller
Skinny O’Leary
Hall of Fame Inductee
INDUCTEE Matthew de la Hunty
WAM announced the winners of the 2025 WAM Awards at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. For more info head to wam.org.au