WAM’s 2025 Song of the Year winners revealed

West Australian Music (WAM) announced the winners of the 2025 WAM Song of the Year competition last night at Freo.Social.

With Perth’s music industry gathering together and live performances from Holli Scott, ICONYX, NEOMANTRA, Brightsider and EDIE, it was a night that celebrated the depth of talent in WA’s contemporary music scene.

Taking out the overall Grand Prize was Helena with their song P’s Get Degrees. Hailing from the Perth Hills, Helena’s blend of rock anthems, pop punk, and harmonies also saw them take home the prize in the Punk/Hardcore category.

Yet again showing the quality of entries in the youth categories, young 17-year-old trailblazer Elianie was Grand Prize Runner Up for my mind, which also won the Schools 15–18 category.

Second Runner Up was awarded to The Hunger by Brightsider ft. Lemon Myrtle, the category-winning song, for ‘Outstanding Regional.’

The winner of the Act Belong Commit category this year was young First Nations performer ICONYX with Blak on Trak, which featured in the top five of three different categories and won the Outstanding Indigenous category.

“With over 800 submissions across 17 categories from all corners of the state, these awards have shown that WA continues to publish the best music in the country,” said West Australian Music CEO Owen Whittle. “In 2025 we have seen a continued emergence of young musicians into the awards, with under-18 musicians winning five categories, including our Outstanding Indigenous, Act Belong Commit, and Hip-Hop/R&B.”

“WAM was pleased to debut a new award, ‘A Song of Sophie,’ developed in honour of local music enthusiast and artist Sophie Smith, and is possible thanks to the Sophie Smith Fund, held with the Fremantle Foundation.”

“This unique, additional category welcomed under 25 artists to be judged by a specialist panel, with the winner set to receive a cash prize of $2,500 and an exclusive mentoring programme with a renowned local artist, Jordi Davieson from San Cisco. WAM would like to congratulate the recipient of this award, Liz-Zard, for her song Hard to Believe. WAM is proud to honour Sophie’s legacy by developing and nurturing local talent and celebrating West Australian music.”

Check out the full list of winners below:

GRAND PRIZE

WINNER P’s Get Degrees – Helena.

RUNNER-UP, my mind – Eliane

SECOND RUNNER-UP The Hunger – Brightsider ft. Lemon Myrtle

ACT BELONG COMMIT 

Presented by Healthway and Act Belong Commit | Studio Sponsor Sundown Studios

WINNER Blak on Trak – ICONYX

OTHER NOMINEES

Creature Comfort – Call Me Charlie
Keep A Little Faith – Hope River Road
Magic – Lachy John and the Red Bellies
Somewhere in the Middle – Tracey Barnett

A SONG FOR SOPHIE

Presented by The Sophie Smith Fund held with the Fremantle Foundation

WINNER hard to believe – Liz-Zard

OTHER NOMINEES

Afternoons in the Graveyard – Ella Grace
Angel – Missy
BE MY MAN – Amberley Maryellen
Lost Again – Misticia

BLUES/ROOTS

Studio Sponsor Artisan Music

WINNER Somebody Told Me – Tanya Hemi

OTHER NOMINEES

Everything – Blue and Bird
Lost Again – Misticia
Someday, Somewhere – Savanah Solomon
These Long Drives – Danella

COUNTRY 

Presented by Honky Tonk Blues | Studio Sponsor Sundown Studios

WINNER Wild Card – Whisky Jack

OTHER NOMINEES

Cyclones – Danni K
Devil’s Got Me Made – South 76
Indian Ocean Road – Helen Townsend
Wiley Blue – Adele Oliver

ELECTRONIC

Studio Sponsor Tone City Records

WINNER Waiting – Ownlife

OTHER NOMINEES

Buon Giorno – Kayps & Calvin Bennett
Flip Side – Indigo Hearts
Recession Pop – RinRin
Say what you want – Adrian Dzvuke

EXPERIMENTAL

Studio Sponsor Encoder Sound

WINNER Echoes in Flight – samarobryn

OTHER NOMINEES

Flood (Interlude) – Holli Scott
Harmony of Rhapsody on 8.5 by 4 – Avra Banerjee
Love Chants – Josten Myburgh performed with the Prague Quiet Music Collective.
The Journey – Jack Maher

FOLK

Studio Sponsor Crank Recording

WINNER Content but I Find – Sophie Lilah

OTHER NOMINEES

Boys Don’t Cry – Finn Pearson Band
Fade – Isabella Radici
Let’s Be Real – Danella
Wild Card – Whisky Jack

GLOBAL

Presented by Freo.Social | Studio Sponsor Vision Studios

WINNER Kayamba – Tchéga

OTHER NOMINEES

Call Me – Rochelle O’Reilly
Classically Perth – Avra Banerjee
Dance Again – Kol Nafshi
Green Fields of Eire – Theatre 180

HEAVY METAL

Presented by Rosemount Hotel | Studio Sponsor Oracle Sound

WINNER CRITICAL HIT – Indigo Blaze

OTHER NOMINEES

Atman/Brahman – NEOMANTRA
Black Moon Medicine – Mayatrix & The Psychics
ChainsawGirl – RinRin
Hummingbird – Broken Hymns

HIP-HOP/RNB

Studio Sponsor Tone City Records

WINNER enough for me – Elianie

OTHER NOMINEES
Peripheral – Madoc Plane
Prophase – Zafty
Pull Away – Lana Burford
Say what you want – Adrian Dzvuke

JAZZ

Studio Sponsor Soundbaker

WINNER Back the Way We Came – Holli Scott

OTHER NOMINEES
Dance Again – Kol Nafshi
Hope is the Thing with Feathers – Jessica Carlton
I don’t mind. – Ethan French
Riah – Drea

OUTSTANDING INDIGENOUS 

Presented by City of Cockburn | Studio Sponsor Emerald Room Studios

WINNER Blak on Trak – ICONYX

OTHER NOMINEES
Cut Me Up – Kayps & Calvin Bennett
Landslide – Boox Kid
Magic – Lachy John and the Red Bellies
Take Me Home – Emma & AJ

OUTSTANDING REGIONAL

Presented by Nannup Music Festival | Studio Sponsor Lamb Chop Studio

WINNER: The Hunger – Brightsider ft. Lemon Myrtle

OTHER NOMINEES

Cuss the Black Dog – Darren Gillis
Lay Low – Kris Nelson
Missy’s Room – Missy
Wiley Blue – Adele Oliver

POP

Presented by Tone Deaf | Studio Sponsor Dylan Ollivierre

WINNER Brown Hair Green Eyes – Gianni Capri

OTHER NOMINEES

Bleed – EDIE
By Your Side – Dune Cartel
Floating – Have A Good Day ft. Drea
How Could You? – Joan & The Giants

PUNK/HARDCORE

Presented by Milk Bar at The Civic | Studio Sponsor Poons Head

WINNER Death Of Us All – Crosscheck

OTHER NOMINEES

Backseat – Increment
Booze Cruise – STIKZ
D.U.I. – The Gremlins
Guilt_emo_rs_song.mp3 – RATSALAD

ROCK

Presented by RAC Arena | Studio Sponsor Lance Robinson Producer

WINNER P’s Get Degrees – Helena.

OTHER NOMINEE

Medicate – Zac Mawson
Still Breathing – Joan & The Giants
Water from the Stars – Red Temples
Worth It – Daisy Park

SCHOOLS 14 & UNDER

Presented by SAE University College | Studio Sponsor Calvin Bennett Productions

WINNER Daisy Chain – Charlie Daniels

OTHER NOMINEES

Apologies – Finley James
My Dad Bought Me A Car – The Dependents
Promises – Imogen Whyte
Stand Up – Skye Colcott

SCHOOLS 15–18 

Presented by ECU | Studio Sponsor Calvin Bennett Productions

WINNER my mind – Elianie

OTHER NOMINEES

Blak on Trak – ICONYX
Seven Months Ago – Birdland
Stereo – Angelina Curtis
The Last Fairy – Charli Rose

WAM announced the winners of the 2025 Song of the Year at Freo.Social on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.