Environmental Music Prize


The Environmental Music Prize is a prize launched in partnership with Green Music Australia. It aims to celebrate and amplify powerful music videos that inspire action for climate and conservation. It was launched during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2021 and is a call-to-action for artists to use their voice both on and off stage. The Environmental Music Prize was launched as a quest to find a theme song to inspire action on climate and conservation.

Awards by year

2022

To be eligible for the inaugural prize, Australian citizens and residents could apply between November 2021 and February 2022) if they had released an original work in the last 5 years that 1) referenced nature or an environmental issue in its lyrics, or in the visual content of its music video and 2) inspires us to protect the environment with a message of hope or a call-to-action, or highlights the urgency of action.
Between February and April 2022, a shortlisting committee composed of music ambassadors, environmental leaders and impact partners selected the 24 finalists.
Public Voting commenced on Earth Day, 22 April 2022 and closed on 22 May 2022.
In June 2022, King Gizzard were announced as winners and donated the $20,000 prize money to The Wilderness Society.
TitleArtistResult
"If Not Now, Then When?"King Gizzard and the Lizard WizardWon
"Addicted to the Sunshine"Lime CordialeNomitated
"Can't Take The Ocean Out of Me"Billy OttoNomitated
"Hello My Beautiful World"Holy HolyNomitated
"Hey Wanhaka"King StingrayNomitated
"Housefyre"Briggs & Tim MinchinNomitated
"In Love with This Place"Jess RibeiroNomitated
"Messin' Me Up"What So Not featuring Evan GiiaNomitated
"Mother"L-FRESH the Lion featuring Moza and MirrahNomitated
"Our Song"Tambah Project Nomitated
"Port Road"Holy HolyNomitated
"Say Something"Eskimo JoeNomitated
"Sky Was Blue - The Bushfire Song"Reverend BonesNomitated
"Sleep Australia Sleep"Paul KellyNomitated
"Ta'u Tama"Small Island Big SongNomitated
"The Night"Little GreenNomitated
"The Truth"Rory PhillipsNomitated
"Voices"Sage RoadknightNomitated
"We Are the Youth"Jack RiverNomitated
"What If"Ciaran GribbinNomitated
"When a Tree Falls"The Boy of Many Colors featuring Emily WurramaraNomitated
"World Migratory Bird Day Virtual Choir"Bowerbird Collective & The East Asian-Australasian Flyway PartnershipNomitated
"Worldwide Suicide"In Hearts WakeNomitated
"Your Country"William Crighton featuring William Barton & Julieanne CrightonNomitated

2023

In January 2023, entries were open to Australian citizens and residents who had released an original song and music video between 1 January 2020 and 28 Feb 2023.
The submitted works must:
• Reference nature or an environmental issue in its lyrics, or in the visual content of its music video.
• Connect us to the natural world, encourage us to reflect, or inspire us to protect the environment.
• Be submitted as a music video on Youtube that is publicly available to watch and share.
Finalists were announced on 22 April 2023, with public voting to open shortly after that. The winner was announced on 13 June 2023.
TitleArtistResult
"Stoney Creek"Xavier RuddWon
"Losing Wild"Anya AnastasiaNomitated
"Smoke and Mirrors"Beckah AmaniNomitated
"Lady Blue"Emily WurramaraNomitated
"Go"FlumeNomitated
"Gentle"Georgia MaeNomitated
"Golden Chains"Hazel MeiNomitated
"Being Human"Jen CloherNomitated
"Milkumana"King StingrayNomitated
"Singing Up Country"Kutcha EdwardsNomitated
"Warrior"Meraki MaeNomitated
"Rising Seas"Midnight OilNomitated
"Change Has to Come"Mo'JuNomitated
"Vessel"SheisArjunaNomitated
"End of the World"SunfruitsNomitated
"Willow Tree"Tash SultanaNomitated
"The Godwit and Curlew"The Bowerbird CollectiveNomitated
"Back On Country"Troy Cassar-DaleyNomitated
"Mararradj"Wildfire ManwurrkNomitated
"Backburner"WildheartNomitated
"Forever After"WoodesNomitated
"Together"Ziggy AlbertsNomitated

2025

In 2025, thirty songs were named as finalists for the 2025 Environmental Music Prize, a $20,000 award that recognises Australian artists using music to connect audiences with nature and inspire climate action.
Finalists were announced on 12 November 2025 and voting closed on 14 December 2025. The winner was due to be announced on 17 December, but was delayed due to the 2025 Bondi Beach shooting on 14 December with a post on the Environmental Music Prize website reading "The Prize founder and CEO is part of the Bondi community. We wish to stand with all those affected at this time, and give her time to be there for her children. We will share the winner of the 2025 Prize, and other uplifting announcements, early next year."
TitleArtistResult
TBATBAWon
"Power in Us"Anderson RocioNomitated
"Mother Nature"Angie McMahonNomitated
"Down to the Sea"Angus & Julia StoneNomitated
"Deep Blue Sea"Anna LunoeNomitated
"The Birds"Belle RoscoeNomitated
"This Land"Charlie Needs BracesNomitated
"Dirrpi Yuin Patjulinya"DobbyNomitated
"Feathered Thing"Emily BarkerNomitated
"Running on Our Own"GaillaNomitated
"Takayna"GoannaNomitated
"Up Armidale Road"Grace and Hugh
Nomitated
"On the Way"Hollow CovesNomitated
"Nature's Cry"Jack River
Nomitated
"Little Finch"Kate MahoodNomitated
"Reflecting"Kim Churchill & Emily BrimlowNomitated
"Through the Trees"King StingrayNomitated
"What Do We Tell the Kids"Laura FrankNomitated
"Speak"MagnetsNomitated
"Everything is Green"Maxon & Like BearNomitated
"Yugal Yulu-gi"Mitch TamboNomitated
"Tangerine"Ocean AlleyNomitated
"Window to the Sky"OceaniqueNomitated
"Innocence Parts 1 & 2"Peter GarrettNomitated
"In the Water"Pierce BrothersNomitated
"Hits the Heart"Ruby RodgersNomitated
"Lion"Steph StringsNomitated
"We've Got the Power"Sunny LuweNomitated
"The Seed"The SeedingNomitated
"Sacred Ground"WildheartNomitated
"Lifetime"WoodesNomitated