Australia's Musical Heritage Preserved in New National Songbook

Launched on 4 November 2026 by APRA AMCOS and the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), The National Songbook recognises Australian songs and compositions that have made a lasting cultural impact, ensuring their stories and significance are preserved for future generations.

The inaugural collection spans more than a century of Australian music, featuring classics such as Waltzing Matilda, Friday on My Mind by The Easybeats, Helen Reddy's I Am Woman, Midnight Oil's Beds Are Burning and Yothu Yindi's Treaty. Also included are My Island Home, Down City Streets, Earth Cry, My People and the soundtrack to The Boys.

Selected by a panel of ten industry experts, the songs represent a diverse range of musical styles and cultural experiences, exploring themes of identity, belonging, social change and Australian history. To qualify, songs must have been written or co-written by an Australian APRA member, released at least ten years ago and demonstrated significant cultural impact.

The National Songbook will become a permanent digital archive, providing an important resource for preserving and sharing Australia's musical heritage. For records and information management professionals, the initiative highlights the vital role audiovisual archives play in safeguarding cultural records, maintaining their accessibility and ensuring Australia's creative history remains available for future generations.

The National Songbook will continue to grow annually, recognising the songs, songwriters and composers whose work has helped define Australia's cultural story.

Explore The National Songbook and discover the inaugural collection