With two trophies each, Ball Park Music and Jem Cassar-Daley were the big winners at the 2026 Queensland Music Awards, presented Wednesday night (April 22) on the Gold Coast for the very first time.
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Cassar-Daley was on hand to collect the pop award for “Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving,” and doubled up with song of the year.
On winning the night’s major prize, Cassar-Daley quipped: “To say I wasn’t expecting this is an absolute understatement.” When her name was called out, she was eating a “few little carrot sticks” with her mother, the veteran broadcaster Laurel Edwards. “Honestly, every year I feel like I’m more and more blown away by the talent that comes out of Queensland, and Brisbane. But it’s also the support from venues, metro and regional.”
By winning song of the year, Cassar-Daley, daughter of homegrown country music great Troy Cassar-Daley, is awarded with a plaque on the Walk of Fame in Brisbane’s Brunswick Street Mall. She already has one, for nabbing song of the year in 2024 with “King of Disappointment.”
Ball Park Music capped a massive 12 months with a brace for their eighth album, Like Love, which won QMAs for album of the year and highest selling album. Like Love went to No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in April 2025, the band’s first leader after long streak of near-misses which included three titles that peaked at No. 2: Puddinghead (2014), Ball Park Music (2020), and Weirder & Weirder (2022). Later in 2025, the band opened for Oasis on the reunited Britpop legends’ stadium tour of Australia.
“We have loved being a band for almost 20 years now. To get together and to make songs together, has always been a labor of love,” frontman Sam Cromack remarked after winning album of the year. “It’s a great honor to win an award but it’s never been the driving force. We absolutely love making music together and performing music. So to have an honor like this is very special.” With his final words, a blunt reminder of the important things in life. “Go and start a f—ing band,” he remarked.
Young Franco, too, knows a little about life in the winners’ circle. Just 24 hours after he was inducted into the Valley Walk of Fame, a permanent reminder of his 2025 song of the year win for “Wake Up” featuring Master Peace, Franco made the trip 50 miles south to the QMAs where he snagged the 2026 electronic award for “Lose Control.” Franco was tapped for Spotify’s RADAR emerging artist program in 2024, as he opened for Dom Dolla on the EDM superstar’s record-breaking tour of Australia.
Other winners at the 2026 QMAs included Hollow Coves (export artist of the year), FISHER (highest Selling single for “Stay”) and 4ZZZ, the Brisbane community radio station that was presented with the lifetime achievement award in recognition of 50 years on air, supporting homegrown acts, and for the station’s epic fights for good causes.
4ZZZ isn’t just a station. It’s an institution in the domestic music community. “This award is a testament to every artist we’ve ever played before anyone else would, every volunteer who showed up on a Sunday morning and every listener who tuned in because they wanted something real,” commented 4ZZZ presenter, Quentin Ellison of Friday Neon. “Queensland music has always been world class, and we’ve just been lucky enough to have a front row seat.”
Guests and presenters at the Miami Marketta included ex-Powderfinger and the Church guitarist Ian Haug; former Powderfinger bandmate, now venue operator and night-life economy commissioner John “JC” Collins; Hutchies chairman Scott Hutchinson; and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.
“We’re serious about our creative enterprise and understand the importance of supporting events such as the QMAs,” commented Tate. “We’re not just talking about it, we’re investing in our cultural capital with new venues such as the Gold Coast Music Hall under construction and the Gold Coast Arena in the pipeline.”
Launched in 2006 and presented by QMusic, the awards are the state’s peak recognition of musical excellence with support by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. Each category is judged by a panel of over 100 industry professionals.
Performers included Screamfeeder, DZ Deathrays, Dami Im, Sunny Luwe, Tori Darke and others, while Ash McGregor and Matt Okine were presenters.
The full list of QMAs category and scholarship winners can be seen at qmusic.com.au/qma and below.
Full list of the 2026 Queensland Music Award Winners
Category Award WinnersBlues/Roots — Lontano, “Way Too Long”Children’s Music — Joff Bush, I Don’t Have a Chimney (ft. Emma Dean)Contemporary Classical — Abigail Lui & Camerata, Memory in the Distant Hills (presented by Griffith University)Country — Tori Darke, “Remember Me Like That”Electronic — Young Franco, “Lose Control” (presented by Comiskey Group)Folk — The Dreggs, “We Don’t Talk”Heavy — Upsetter, “Best Years of My Life” (presented by The Lanes Fortitude Valley Festival)Hip Hop — Say True God?, “COUNT US IN” (presented by Eumundi Brewery)Jazz — Dami Im, BubbleMusic for Screen — Georgia D’Arcy, CreekMusic Video of the Year — Loki Liddle & Joshua Tate, “Breaking Into Heaven (from the album Selve) (presented by PixelFrame)Pop presented by ARUGA — Jem Cassar-Daley, Kiss Me Like You’re LeavingRock presented by Miami Marketta — DZ Deathrays, SkylineSoul/Funk/RnB — BADASSMUTHA, BUBWorld Award presented by 612 ABC Brisbane — Tenzin Choegyal, Snow Flower
People’s Choice Awards presented by Oztix and The MusicFestival of the Year — Maleny Music FestivalMetro Venue of the Year — The TivoliRegional Venue of the Year — Miami Marketta
Major AwardsAlbum of the Year — Ball Park Music (presented by Gold Coast Music Awards)Highest Selling Album — Ball Park Music (presented by QMusic)Highest Selling Single — Fisher, “Stay” (presented by QMusic)Export Artist – Hollow Coves (presented by Sounds Australia)Song of the Year — Jem Cassar-Daley, “Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving” (presented by City of Gold Coast through Invest Gold Coast)Lifetime Achievement presented by Hutchies – 4ZZZ
Industry ExcellenceAccessible & Inclusive Venue – Den DevineBreakthrough Artist presented by SAE University College – Odd MobIndigenous Artist of the Year – JUNGAJIProducer of the Year, presented by APRA AMCOS – MallratRegional Artist of the Year – Djawarray
Scholarships, Fellowship and Award – supported by the Queensland Government throughArts Queensland(The awards were presented at the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Music event in March)Billy Thorpe Scholarship – Frank and LouisCarol Lloyd Awards – PaulinaDennis Mop Conlon Scholarship – DubbzoneGrant McLennan Fellowship – Banff
Source:
www.billboard.com
