Overview
- The National Film and Sound Archive and APRA AMCOS launched the National Songbook and publicly lodged the first 10 inductees at a gala in Canberra on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026.
- A 10-person expert panel chaired by APRA chair Jenny Morris and NFSA chair Annette Shun Wah selected the inaugural entries to reflect songwriting, composition and cultural impact.
- The first cohort spans 1927–2007 and includes Waltzing Matilda, Beds Are Burning, Treaty and The Presets’ My People, with more than half of the selections referencing Indigenous culture or protest themes.
- Eligibility requires songs to be written or co-written by an Australian APRA member, released at least 10 years earlier and to show demonstrable cultural significance, and the Songbook focuses on composition rather than specific recordings.
- Organisers present the project as a tool to strengthen the visibility of homegrown music amid concerns about venue closures, festival cancellations and a low local share of streaming, and they plan annual additions that could spotlight overlooked artists and works.