Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA), an initiative of Australian Women in Music, recognises and celebrates First Nations women, female and gender-diverse artists and music practitioners shaping the Australian music industry. For Collarts, the 2026 Australian Women in Music Awards hold particular significance.
Collarts has been an exclusive Education Partner of AWMA for several years, supporting an organisation that celebrates the people working across every part of the music industry – from artists and touring professionals to producers, technicians, leaders and advocates.
This year, that connection is particularly meaningful. Chrissie Vincent, Senior Lecturer in our Entertainment Management course, has been named a finalist for the inaugural ARIA Music Advocacy Award, alongside Kate Duncan and Alexandria Morse.
Collarts and the Australian Women in Music Awards
Our partnership with AWMA goes beyond simply putting the Collarts logo alongside the awards.
As an Education Partner, Collarts presents the Collarts Creative Leadership Award, recognising excellence in creative programming by a female or gender-diverse person working in broadcast media, music festivals or live performance venues, particularly those championing female and gender-diverse artists.
The partnership also creates opportunities for Collarts students to gain real-world experience in the music and entertainment industry.
In 2025, Entertainment Management student Jacquie spent several months interning with AWMA in the lead-up to the awards ceremony in Brisbane. Her work covered everything from spreadsheets and trophy logistics to green room setup and artist liaison at Fortitude Music Hall.
For Jacquie, it was an opportunity to see an event like AWMA come together from bump-in through to show night, putting the skills and knowledge developed through her Entertainment Management studies at Collarts into practice in a professional environment.
That kind of industry access is a key part of the Collarts experience.
Four Decades of Speaking Up For The Industry
It’s fitting that Chrissie Vincent has been recognised as a finalist for the 2026 ARIA Music Advocacy Award.
Chrissie's career in the Australian music industry began at Festival Records in Sydney in 1981. Since then, she has worked across publicity, artist management, television production and radio promotion, including five years with Virgin Records Worldwide in Los Angeles and roles with MTV in Australia and the US.
Her career has seen her work with some of the world's biggest artists, including the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Lenny Kravitz, as well as Australian artists such as The Living End, Pete Murray and Tex Perkins.
She has also led major publicity campaigns for festivals including Falls Festival and St Kilda Festival, bringing decades of practical music industry experience into her teaching at Collarts.
For Chrissie, advocacy has been a consistent part of her career.
Advocacy has been a constant thread throughout my career in the Australian music industry. I've always believed that if we want a strong, sustainable music industry, we need to be prepared to speak up for it – and for the artists, industry professionals and young people who are its future.
It’s that combination of industry experience, advocacy and education that makes Chrissie's AWMA nomination particularly significant for the Collarts community.
Celebrating the People Shaping Australia's Music Industry
Australian Women in Music Awards play an important role in recognising the often-unseen work that keeps Australia's music industry moving.
From creative leadership and artist management to production, technical roles, touring, broadcasting and advocacy, AWMA shines a light on the diverse professionals contributing to Australia's music culture.
For Collarts, supporting Australian Women in Music is also about helping the next generation of music and entertainment professionals understand what it means to build a sustainable career in the industry.
Through industry partnerships, work-integrated learning opportunities and teaching from active industry professionals, our students can connect what they learn in the classroom with the realities of working in music and entertainment.
The winner of the 2026 ARIA Music Advocacy Award will be announced at the Australian Women in Music Awards ceremony on Thursday 27 May 2027 at The Fortitude Music Hall in Meanjin / Brisbane, following the inaugural AWMA Conference.
We’ll be cheering on Chrissie.
Want to Build a Career in Entertainment Management?
If you're interested in the business, creative, and practical side of the music industry, Collarts' Entertainment Management course is designed to connect your studies with the real world of music and entertainment.
Learn from experienced industry professionals, develop practical skills and build connections through industry opportunities and partnerships.