Sounds of Australia: nominations open for National Film and Sound Archive’s annual celebration of recorded sound

THE National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) is inviting Australians to nominate recordings that have shaped Australia's cultural, historical and social life.

They might be chart-topping songs, memorable radio broadcasts, podcasts, speeches, oral histories, sports commentaries, television themes, advertisements or experimental recordings that challenge the way we listen.

Sounds of Australia is the NFSA's registry of recordings that have had a significant impact on Australia's cultural, historical and social life. Each year, public nominations help shape a capsule of new additions to the registry. 

Sounds of Australia reflects the extraordinary breadth of Australia's recorded sound culture. Past inductees have included everything from songs, speeches and sporting calls to environmental recordings and everyday sounds that have become part of the national story.

The 2026 additions continued that tradition and included Marcia Hines' hit song 'You', the Reading Writing Hotline jingle, and the familiar click of the PB/5 pedestrian crossing signal.

“Opening nominations for Sounds of Australia is always one of the highlights of the year because it gives us an insight into the recordings Australians value most,” assistant curator at the NFSA, Hannah de Feyter said. 

“The nominations we receive each year are often unexpected and deeply personal. Sound is one of the most intimate things we share because it speaks to memory, place and belonging.

“Public nominations help us build a capsule that reflects the full range of recordings Australians listen to and care about.”

For the NFSA, preserving sound is essential to telling the national story. Recordings capture voices, emotions and experiences directly, helping future generations understand not only what Australians thought and did, but how they sounded.

Nominate a recording

Australians can nominate any eligible recording made between 1896 and 2016 via bit.ly/4emek2l

When submitting a nomination, entrants should explain:

• what the recording is
• why it is significant
• how it has influenced or reflects Australian life and culture.
• Selected recordings from the 2026 nomination round will be announced in 2027.
• Nominations are now open via this form

Explore more than a century of Australia’s recorded sound and revisit every Sounds of Australia inductee at nfsa.gov.au/stories/deep-dives/sounds-of-australia

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE OF AUSTRALIA

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is the national audiovisual cultural institution. From the earliest recordings of the 1890s to the latest games and immersive digital productions, the collection comprises video and audio recordings, and contextual materials such as costumes, scripts, props, photographs and promotional materials. It ranges from items inducted into the UNESCO Memory of the World register to sporting matches, game shows and advertising jingles. Originally known as the National Historical Film and Speaking Record Library and operating under the auspices of the Commonwealth National Library, the collection dates back to 1935, making it one of the first audiovisual archives in the world. The NFSA became an independent cultural organisation in 1984. As well as preserving these items for future generations, NFSA curators continue to add to the collection, ensuring it provides an unbroken record of life in Australia, and of Australian creativity.