A plethora Indigenous musicians have been recognised among the finalists for the 2026 Queensland Music Awards, highlighting the growing impact of Indigenous voices across the state's contemporary music scene.

The finalists were announced this week, with the awards recognising excellence across 20 categories including pop, hip hop, electronic, jazz, rock and visual storytelling.

Judged by a panel of more than 100 Australian and international music industry professionals, the Queensland Music Awards celebrate artists shaping the sound of Queensland and the wider Australian music landscape.

Homegrown Indigenous artists have been nominated across multiple genres in this years awards.

The nominees include GLVES in Electronic; JJ4K in Hip Hop and Soul / Funk / RnB; Say True God? in Hip Hop and Soul / Funk / RnB; SOULCHLD in Jazz; Loki Liddle for Music Video of the Year; BADASSMUTHA in Pop and Soul / Funk / RnB; Jem Cassar-Daley in Pop; Selve in Rock; Djawarray in the World category; and Denzel Kennedy in Hip Hop.

Samoan / Tongan Hip hop artist JJ4K described the nomination as a major milestone in his career.

"It's an absolute honour! Honestly speechless!" he said.

"I started this while I was working two jobs and just getting by, now people are recognising my music enough to say it's impacting a MASSIVE part of Australia and especially one I call home."

The Magandjin/Brisbane-based artist said the recognition reflected years of dedication to his craft.

"It means everything. I've poured my stories, my triumphs, tribulations and everything into it," JJ4K said.

"The thousands of hours I've poured into trying to perfect my craft is speaking for itself now, from years of learning to rhyme a million different ways, to learning how to produce different sounds to shape how the audience feels in a song."

Kalkadoon Hip hop artist Denzel Kennedy is also among the nominees this year.

He spoke about the significance of being recognised among a competitive field of artists.

"It's a big honour to be nominated for the Hip-Hop award," Mr Kennedy said.

"I'm up against some incredible artists, and it feels great to be recognised for my art and efforts."

The awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, 22 April at Miami Marketta on the Gold Coast.

It marks the first time the Queensland Music Awards have been hosted outside Brisbane.

Alongside the awards, the QMusic and Arts Queensland Legacy Scholarships recognise artists shaping the state's music scene.

The scholarships honour Queensland music legends and provide $60,000 in funding to support artists at pivotal stages of their careers.

Public ticket sales for the 2026 Queensland Music Awards open on Thursday, 12 April.