Sia and Troye Sivan back the NUMAs, a new awards platform for young Australian music creators

A new stage for young Australian talent

The Next Up Music Awards, known as the NUMAs, are a new platform for young Australian music creators, and Sia and Troye Sivan have signed on as its first industry patrons. According to Billboard, the initiative was founded by music industry executive Milly Petriella and is open nationally to students aged 6 to 18 and their teachers. The inaugural ceremony is scheduled for January 28, 2027, at Carriageworks in Sydney.

Who is involved

The program has assembled a notable creative team around its founding vision. Mahalia Barnes has been named artistic director, while DOBBY steps in as First Nations artistic director. Ruby Rodgers and Myka Champion have been appointed as the first youth patrons, with a role in shaping the program itself. Further names are expected to be announced.

The NUMAs are not simply an awards night. The platform includes live performance, mentorship, and a paid Youth Intern Program for emerging Australian artists across producing, songwriting, and performance. A music teacher of the year award, presented by Music Australia, will also recognise educators at both primary and secondary levels.

The thinking behind it

Petriella, who received an Order of Australia Medal in the Australia Day 2024 Honours List for her service to music and the performing arts, spent 27 years as director of member relations and partnerships at APRA AMCOS, from 1995 to 2022. She also founded the Vanda and Young Global Songwriting Competition, which has raised over A$2.5 million for Nordoff-Robbins since its 2009 launch.

The NUMAs are framed as a direct response to declining access to music education in Australian schools. The initiative is backed by the federal government's Revive Live program, with Carriageworks, The Song Room, and Music Australia among its confirmed partners.

Nominations and intern applications open in June 2026 at nextupmusicawards.com. If Troye Sivan and Sia's early involvement is any signal, the platform is already punching above its weight before a single award has been handed out.