Malyangapa Barkindji rapper Barkaa has been named Artist of the Year at the National Indigenous Music Awards (Nimas) over the weekend.
Barkaa, whose real name is Chloe Quayle, was up against five other artists for the award, including Eurovision contestant Electric Fields, rap collective 3%, Yolŋu surf-rockers King Stingray, and singers Budjerah and Emma Donovan.
But it was the 29-year-old rapper from Western Sydney who won the top prize at the Nimas in Darwin on Saturday night. The Malyangapa Barkindji woman also won the award for Film Clip of the Year for the music video for one of her latest songs, ‘We Up’.
Accepting the award on stage, Barkaa, whose name is derived from the Barkindji word for the Darling River, dedicated the award to her family, her crew and her fans.
“I love you man, what the heck,” she said.
“You know what else I love? Being a Blackfella.
“I love you mob, I just want to thank everybody again – thank my babies back at home, thank my mum, thank my family, thank everybody on my team, and thank yous man! I couldn’t do this without all the little Blak sisters, all the tiddas, all my brothers, all my aunties, all my uncles, all my sibs man.
“Yeah, this take over season.”
Barkaa has released two singles this year – ‘Preach’ and ‘We Up’. The singles are coming from her new album, Big Tidda, which will be released on August 30.
Barkaa dropped her first album, Blak Matriarchy, in December 2021. She dedicated the album to First Nations women in her life and those who paved the way for the next generations.
“My main inspiration has been my mum; raising us kids, working, going to uni and juggling like a superwoman,” Barkaa told NITV in 2021.
“We have a lot of women like that in our lives, our aunties, grandmothers and mothers are people who carry community on their backs.”
This year’s event on Saturday night was the 20th annual Nimas. The winner of the Album of the Year was Dan Sultan for his self-titled record. On his album, he covers themes including racism and sobriety.
Pop singer and Kamilaroi-Samoan woman Becca Hatch won the award for Best New Talent. Previous winners of this award include Briggs, Thelma Plum and Baker Boy.