Female producers took center stage at the 2026 MPEG Awards in Sydney, with Alice Ivy and Ninajirachi winning top honors. The annual ceremony, dedicated to celebrating excellence in music production and engineering, highlighted the growing influence of women in studio spaces.
Alice Ivy Wins Producer of the Year
Alice Ivy, born Annika Schmarsel, claimed the coveted Producer of the Year award. The German-born, Melbourne-based artist has been on a winning streak, collecting trophies at the 2025 MPEG Awards and the AIR Awards. Ivy reflected on the significance of her win, noting that PinkPantheress had recently become the first woman to win Producer of the Year at the BRIT Awards. “It’s so amazing seeing the girls get up this year,” she said.
Ninajirachi Scores Two Awards
Ninajirachi, currently touring abroad, added two major trophies to her collection: Breakthrough Producer of the Year and Self-Producing Artist of the Year. Her debut album I Love My Computer has propelled her into the spotlight. Accepting via video, she shared her lifelong passion for producing: “I taught myself a bunch of software when I was a little girl and I think it’s something I’m going to be doing until I die.”
Lifetime Achievement for Mike Chapman
Veteran producer Mike Chapman received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Inducted by Suze DeMarchi and Dave Leslie of Baby Animals, Chapman reflected on his career and warned about the rise of artificial intelligence in music. “AI is here. AI is a challenge. And it’ll be more so going forward. Remember, we are in the business of trying to make rock stars, not robots,” he said.
Other Winners
- Writer-Producer of the Year: Lucy Blomkamp
- Recording Engineer of the Year: Simon Cohen
- Mix Engineer of the Year: Thomas Purcell (Wave Racer)
- Mastering Engineer of the Year: Joe Carra
- Studio of the Year: 4000 Studios
- Overseas Achievement: Keanu Beats
- Outstanding Community Work: Music Producers Development Program
About the MPEG Awards
Now in its third year, the MPEG Awards are organized by the Music Producer and Engineers’ Guild of Australia. The event, held at The Darling Rooms Dockside at Cockle Bay Wharf, is the only national awards ceremony dedicated to producers and engineers. Sponsors included Shure/Jands, Neumann.Berlin, Yamaha, APRA AMCOS, and more. The night underscored the importance of recognizing behind-the-scenes talent and the growing diversity in Australia’s music industry.
