Electronic dance music reigns at the 2025 ARIA Awards, to be presented Nov. 19 in Sydney, as Ninajirachi and Dom Dolla dominate the nominations.
With a record eight nominations, Ninajirachi leads the way. Dom Dolla is close behind with seven.
Ninajirachi, the 26-year-old songwriter, producer, DJ and artist collects an album of the year nod for her debut I Love My Computer (NLV Records), and is shortlisted for best solo artist, Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist, best independent release, best dance / electronic release and more.
“Thank u so much to my friends and fans who are doing it with me and have been around for a really long time”, she says in a message, following the announcement early Thursday of the ARIAs nominations. “Nothing like this has ever happened to me lol.”
When Ninajirachi dropped her album in August, the rising EDM star was named Billboard Dance “Rookie of the Month”. “Much like its maker,” Billboard wrote at the time, “the 12-track project is smart, stylish and ebullient, with a bit of edge and a lot of observations on living and loving in our computer world.”
NLV Records is the label founded by DJ Nina Las Vegas, and which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. “I’ve always believed in Ninajirachi, and I’m so grateful to be part of this journey with her,” she comments. “For me, it was never a question of if, but when. Championing forward-thinking music has always been my mission, just as working alongside powerful women and incredible musicians has been. Nina is all of that and more, and she truly deserves this history-making moment.”
Ninajirachi has performed at Lollapalooza, EDC, Laneway Festival, and earlier this month kicked off her biggest headline run of the U.S.
Meanwhile, Dom Dolla continues his smoking-hot form with seven ARIA nominations, including Best Solo Artist and Best Dance/Electronic Release, a category he has won the previous two years. His ARIA haul comes after Dom (real name: Dominic Matheson) sold out multiple headline shows at Madison Square Garden, completed residencies in Ibiza and Las Vegas, played several of the biggest festivals in the world, and contributed to the soundtrack for F1: The Movie. He’ll finish the year setting another benchmark, by playing Sydney’s Accor Stadium, becoming the first homegrown DJ to do so.
Also setting the music world on fire this year is Amyl and The Sniffers, who are hot on the trail with six nominations, including chances for best group and album of the year, for their third studio effort, Cartoon Darkness.
Also enjoying multiple nomination are Hilltop Hoods and Thelma Plum (five each); plus Folk Bitch Trio, Missy Higgins, Royel Otis and RÜFÜS DU SOL (four each).
“The ARIA Awards are always a celebration of the moments that have defined Australian music over the past year, and 2025 has been extraordinary,” comments ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd. “This year’s nominees are living proof that Australian artists are shaping the global cultural narrative in real time. There’s no longer a singular image of what success looks like for an artist, and the stories set to be celebrated in November are absolute proof of that.”
On the night, winners will be celebrated across 29 categories, including the 2025 ARIA Hall of Fame inductee, You Am I.
In a first, this year’s event will recognize the festivals that create breakthrough moments for local artists. The inaugural nominees for best music festival include Ability Fest, Beyond The Valley, Bluesfest Byron Bay, Laneway Festival, and Yours and Owls Festival.
The 39th ARIA Awards is supported by Destination NSW, and through a multi-year partnership with Spotify.
Also new to the record industry’s flagship night, ARIA’s four publicly-voted categories will be integrated into Spotify, enabling fans to cast daily votes for their fave acts within the app. Public voting opens today on Spotify and the ARIA website for those categories of best Australian live act, song of the year, best video, and most popular international artist, closing Nov. 10.
The event will air live on Paramount+ and broadcast on the free-to-air 10 network.