9 November 2026 – Ninajirachi Wins $80,000 NSW Music Prize as Australian Electronic Music Celebrates a Breakthrough

Australian electronic producer Ninajirachi has added another major achievement to her rapidly expanding career, winning the 2026 NSW Music Prize and its substantial A$80,000 award for her album I Love My Computer. The announcement provides another indication of the increasing cultural recognition being given to electronic musicians working outside conventional mainstream-pop structures.

Born Nina Jo Wilson and raised on Australia's Central Coast, Ninajirachi has developed a distinctive musical identity combining intricate electronic production, energetic dance arrangements and a deeply personal relationship with the digital environment in which she grew up. I Love My Computer reflects those experiences, incorporating references to local bus journeys and familiar Central Coast locations. Music videos associated with the project were filmed around Copacabana and Avoca, connecting its electronic soundscapes with recognisable Australian landscapes.

The award arrives shortly before the ARIA Awards, where Ninajirachi has received six nominations. Her career has already attracted substantial industry attention, including previous recognition as NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year. The NSW Music Prize ceremony took place at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art and recognised musicians contributing to the state's creative identity.

For independent electronic artists, the result illustrates how music developed through personal experimentation and digital production can achieve recognition traditionally associated with more established commercial genres. The financial award also represents a meaningful opportunity to support future recordings, performances and creative development. Apparently spending an extraordinary amount of time making music on a computer can occasionally produce something considerably more rewarding than an alarming electricity bill and several unfinished project files. Explore cutting-edge dance sounds in our electronic music section and browse daily industry updates in our news archive.