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Baker Boy, The Kid LAROI, Sycco And More Lead Nominations At 2021 NIMAs

The 2021 annual NIMAs will take place at Darwin on Saturday 7th August, with performances from Miiesha, Alice Skye, Kee’Ahn and more. It's safe to say we're pumped.

Baker Boy, The Kid LAROI and Sycco are just some of the outrageously talented musicians up for honours at this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards. The 2021 ceremony, taking place at Darwin Amphitheatre on Saturday 7th August, will honour the best music from First Nations artists from throughout the past year.

Baker Boy, The Kid LAROI and Sycco are all up for three awards each, while Miiesha, Birdz and Tia Gostelow are up for two. In addition, Budjerah, J-MILLA, King Stingray and Chasing Ghosts all up for their first noms ever! Naturally, JK-47 is up for a nomination too. 

The ceremony will also see some huge performances going down from Fist Nations artists like Alice Skye, Kee’Ahn, Miiesha, Electric Fields and a return to the NIMAs stage for Baker Boy.

“I'm stoked to be performing in front of family in Darwin,” he told MTV Australia earlier this week. “I also feel a bit of pressure after cleaning up at the awards last year”. ICYMI, Baker Boy took home artist, song and film clip of the year in 2020.

Check out the full list of nominations below, and watch the 2021 NIMAs from 7:30pm on Saturday 7th August on NITV and online.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Sycco

Birdz

Miiesha

Baker Boy

The Kid LAROI

Jessica Mauboy

SONG OF THE YEAR

Baker Boy, Dallas Woods and Sampa The Great – “Better Days”

Birdz – “Bagi-la-m Bargan”

Miiesha – “Damaged”

The Kid LAROI – “Without You”

Sycco – “Dribble”

FILM CLIP OF THE YEAR

Budjerah – “Higher”

Baker Boy – “Ride (feat. Yirrmal)”

Troy Cassar-Daley – “Back On Country”

Sycco – “My Ways”

Tia Gostelow – “Two Lovers”

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Tia Gostelow – Chrysalis

The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love

Leah Flanagan – Colour By Number

JK-47 – Made For This

Benny Walker – Chosen Line

COMMUNITY CLIP OF THE YEAR

Kakadu Collective and Victor Rostron - “Mayali”

Dunghutti community in South West Rocks, Fig Tree Mob - “Barrunba (Dreaming)”

Gunbalanya School - “Stories of the Land”

Gunbalanya School - “Talk About Emotions”

Students of Peppimenarti School - “Stand Strong"

INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE AWARD OF THE YEAR

Guwanbal Gurruwiwi and Netanela Mizrahii - “The Djari Project”

Shellie Morris and Jason Durrurrnga - “Dharuk Gurtha”

Garrangali Band - “Tongues of the Fire”

Stuart Joel Nuggett - “I Am That Man/Ngaaya-Baaya”

Stuart Joel Nuggett - “Monsoon/Kuyubulu”

The National Indigenous Music Awards airs at 7:30pm on Saturday 7 August, on NITV, Double J, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. Tickets for the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) are available over at darwinfestival.org.au and you can stream the NIMA 2021 playlist on Spotify now.

Written by Jackson Langford, music contributor at MTV Australia. Hot takes at @jacksonlangford and hotter pics at @jacksonlangford.

More good stuff:

Here's What To Expect From The 2021 National Indigenous Music Awards

Pressing Questions With Alice Skye

Birdz On “Fly”, Family And The Future

Baker Boy Tells Us About Life

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