In 2021, the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) will return to their traditional home, the Darwin Amphitheatre, for a gala music gathering on 7 August.
After being staged virtually last year, attracting a record-breaking audience on NITV and online platforms (250k-plus viewers), the 2021 event will allow community to gather under the stars on Larrakia land to celebrate the success of First Nations artists as well as discovering new talent.Public nominations are also open from today, with people allowed to put forward Indigenous releases and artists across seven categories – from artist and album of the year, through to Indigenous language and community clip of the year.
"2020 was a year like no other and morphing what has always been an amazing night of connection and togetherness into a completely virtual event was a challenging but rewarding experience," Creative Director Ben Graetz says, who returns to the role in 2021.
"This year, however, we can return bigger and better than ever, creating a stunning physical event once more and using the learnings of last year's record-breaking virtual audience to retain the best elements of both worlds.
"2021 will bring the event to Australia across many platforms, led by our long-time partners NITV, while creating a special night of connection under the stars here on Larrakia Country."
Joining Ben (a descendant of the Iwaidja and Malak Malak clans) as part of the First Nations led NIMA team in 2021 will be new Associate Creative Director Nina Fitzgerald (a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman who has recently returned home to Darwin after eight years studying and working in Melbourne) and NIMAs veteran Romana Paulson (a proud Bundjalung, Mununjali & Wiradjuri woman from Yugembah Country Australia) stepping into the Project Manager role.
The 2020 virtual event saw live performances from Archie Roach, Miiesha, Thelma Plum, Mambali, JK-47 and more.
