Spotify has renewed its partnership as the presenting partner of the 2026 ARIA Awards, launching a nationwide and international out-of-home (OOH) campaign to champion the calibre of Australian music talent and empower fans to directly shape cultural moments via the Spotify app.
Building on the success of the 2025 campaign, which saw a record number of votes cast (over 600,000 through the Spotify App – more than 200 per cent higher than the previous year), the 2026 campaign features more than 800 high-impact placements across Australia and key international markets including the US and UK. With more than half of all Australians using Spotify, the integration turns the ARIA Awards into an interactive experience for millions of fans, driving streams for local artists and complementing official web voting.
Nominated Australian artists will be spotlighted on prominent street-level and digital billboards, as well a Sydney Lightrail wrap equipped with direct QR codes that immediately transport fans to Spotify’s dedicated ARIA voting hub. Following the ceremony, winner celebrations will once again light up premier global landmarks, taking local success stories from Australian venues to iconic stages in New York, London, and more.
This campaign forms a key pillar of Spotify’s ongoing commitment to championing the talent coming out of the Australian music scene, a long-term investment in powering local discovery, protecting artist rights, and driving global export.
Beyond street-level visibility, Spotify is rolling out its most robust on-platform experience to date, with short-form editorial including written track commentary and editor videos called Watchfeeds, as well as the return of a dedicated ARIA Awards Hub with nominee spotlights, curated collections, and the return of playlist-embedded public voting across major categories: Best Australian Live Act, Song of the Year, Best Video, and Most Popular International Artist
Alongside the OOH rollout and in-app voting hub, Spotify’s 2026 campaign embraces comprehensive fan and artist activations, including social campaign elements, sponsorship of the Global Impact Award and Breakthrough Artist Award, and the exclusive ARIA Awards Spotify Artist Party.
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“Forty years on, the ARIA Awards are still Australian music’s night of nights, and Spotify is giving fans more ways than ever to be part of it,” said Rosie Rothery, head of marketing, Spotify ANZ. said:
“Last year more than 600,000 votes were cast through Spotify. This year we’re putting nominees front and centre again for millions of fans in the app, through playlists, in-app video and voting, and on billboards from Sydney to Perth. Then we’ll take our homegrown heroes to the world, with ARIA winners lit up in iconic locations including NYC’s Times Square and Leicester Square in London. Australian music deserves a home crowd, and a global one.”
“This year and every year we do whatever we can to put our ARIA nominees on the biggest stage possible. We’re thrilled to have Spotify taking the ARIA nominees to more people, across more countries, for a second year in a row,” said Annabelle Herd, CEO of ARIA.
“It’s a thrill for all of us to see Australia’s leading artists on billboards across the country and along the walk to work in cities around the world. Australians rally around our artists when we give them the right platform and the votes we have already seen prove it. Fans are dialled in and waiting with bated breath to see who comes out on top at the Hordern on Wednesday, 18 November. The stage is certainly set for an unforgettable 40th ARIA Awards, see you there!”
Credits:
The Publicis OneVibe Team (Media Agency):
Business Director: Sarah Harris
Digital Manager: Keeley McCahon
Senior Planning Manager: Patrese Beasley
Akcelo (Creative Agency):
CEO: Aden Hepburn
Global Executive Creative Director: Louise McQuat
Creative Partner: Jay Morgan
Art Director: Leah Spadone
Copywriter: Lawrence Parmenter
Design: Rob Trostle, Hayley Rodrigues
Client Partner: Oliver Cassidy
Business Lead: Matty Graham
Account Director: Anagha Jouault
Senior Producer: Daniel Burns
Spotify:
Head Of Marketing, AUNZ: Rosie Rothery
Marketing Executive: Laura Heydon
Experiential & Event Specialist: Tilley Dickens
Artist & Label Partnerships Lead: Leah Harris
Artist & Label Partnerships Manager: Kris Farrenkothen
Creative Manager AUNZ: Thomas McMullan
