The ARIA Awards are stepping firmly into the streaming era, with Spotify joining as presenting partner in what ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd has called “a game-changer” for the event and the wider Australian music industry.
“When Spotify approached us with an incredible proposal to take the ARIA Awards to the next level, using the platform, its tools, and all the resources at its disposal to really promote and celebrate the nominees and artists, it didn’t take long for us to see that this was going to be a game-changer for the awards,” Herd told Mediaweek.
It’s more than a brand alignment – it’s an evolution.
The partnership transforms the ARIAs from a traditional television broadcast into a globally networked, streaming-first platform, leveraging Spotify’s technology, reach, and AI-powered music discovery tools to amplify Australian artists like never before.
ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd, and Spotify AUNZ Managing Director Mikaela Lancaster
From broadcast to digital ecosystem
The three-year partnership aims to make the ARIAs as discoverable online as they are iconic on television. Spotify AUNZ Managing Director Mikaela Lancaster told Mediaweek the collaboration was born from a shared mission to “elevate Australian artists” and give them a louder, more global voice.
“The ARIA Awards are such an important moment for Australian music, and we both share a common goal, elevating Australian artists,” she said.
“Last year, we saw a spike in streams for ARIA nominees and winners, and it got us thinking: if that’s the organic impact, imagine what we could achieve as an official partner with the full weight of our platform, marketing, and investment behind it.”
Through in-app programming, editorial curation, and even a curated event, Spotify will extend the life and reach of the Awards long after the broadcast.
The platform has already launched an ARIA Hub featuring category playlists, behind-the-scenes content, and voting for publicly decided awards like Song of the Year and Best Video.
“It’s about being where audiences are,” said Herd. “Connecting music with listeners not just in Australia, but around the world.”
A new frontier
For Herd, the partnership marks the next phase in ARIA’s post-COVID evolution. After years of rebuilding the event, she said the goal has always been to position Australian music within a global context.
“We’ve really been rebuilding the ARIA Awards since COVID, when everything came to a standstill,” she said.
“Our goal has always been to put Australian music on a global stage, to create an elevated, aspirational event that makes Australian artists feel like they’re part of a global music industry, which they absolutely are.”
That global ambition is being powered by Spotify’s international reach.
Lancaster said the streaming giant’s scale will allow the Awards to extend far beyond the broadcast. “Winners will soon feature across high-impact out-of-home placements around the world, including London, New York’s Times Square, and even Cairo,” she said.
Both leaders agreed the partnership is about more than exposure, it’s also about values.
Herd said ARIA wanted to align with a technology company that genuinely supports creativity. “From an ARIA perspective, we feel strongly that we’re aligning with a tech company that genuinely supports creativity,” she said.
“A recent example is the joint statement from major record labels and Spotify committing to only use copyright-protected works when developing AI tools and products.”
Lancaster added that this stance reflects a broader shift toward responsible innovation in the creative industries.
“We’re developing AI tools for artists, with the foundations built around protecting their copyright, and that’s something that truly sets us apart,” she said.