Queensland Music Awards 2026 Is Heading to the Gold Coast

BRISBANE, Australia — The Queensland Music Awards are on the move. The 2026 edition of the QMAs will be presented April 22 at the Miami Marketta on the Gold Coast, marking the first time the ceremony has been hosted outside of Brisbane, the state capital. “This year, the QMAs returns to its roots,” remarks Kris Stewart CEO of QMusic, which presents the QMAs with support by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

“We’re putting the art and artists at the center by returning to an informal ‘music-first’ show that prioritizes the important things: music and mates.” The move to the Gold Coast, about 50 miles south of the future Olympic city, is a restart after the brouhaha that soured last year’s event at Fortitude Music Hall. On that occasion, organizers were lashed when the jazz award was won by a pro-Palestinian instrumental piece, and its creator gave an impassioned speech on the night which touched on human rights violations in the Middle East.

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