Winner announced for 2026 APRA Best Jazz Composition Award

Announcing the 2026 recipient of the APRA Best Jazz Composition Award. The award was presented at a private event in Te Whanganui-a-Tara last night on the final day of the Wellington Jazz Festival. 

It’s a pleasure to announce that first-time finalist, Tyaan Singh, has been awarded the 2026 APRA Best Jazz Composition Award for his impressive work ‘Lunar Sparks’. 

2026 winner: 

• ‘Lunar Sparks’, composed by Tyaan Singh, performed by Tyaan Singh, Louisa Williamson, Hayden Afele Nickel, Callum Allardice, Seth Boy, Shaun Anderson 

Tyaan receives the award for ‘Lunar Sparks’, a track from his album Imaginary Friends. Across the album, he pushes his compositional voice, stepping outside traditional structures to create a heightened sense of surreality. Lunar Sparks embodies this approach and is a frantic, frenzied burst of sound that channels the dizzying, almost delirious rush of uninhibited joy. Performed by Tyaan, Louisa Williamson, Hayden Afele Nickel, Callum Allardice, Seth Boy, and Shaun Anderson.   

Listen to Lunar Sparks 

Tyaan Singh is a multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. He grew up on the Kāpiti coast, where he spent his teen years developing a wide range of musical interests across jazz, rock, reggae and classical music, inspired by his peers and the local music scene. In recent years Tyaan has worked as a saxophonist in jazz with local artists including Louisa Williamson and Umar Zakaria, and in a more pop music direction with artists including Dallas Tamaira, and LA Women. As a bass player, Tyaan has focussed more on RnB and hip hop, working with artists including Zoe Moon and Mā. Although Tyaan's musical life has been varied, he primarily considers himself a jazz musician, as the energy and values learned through jazz underpin all of his work, with a focus on emotional authenticity, intensity, and support and connection between musicians.