Now in its ninth year, Sounds of Australia is a program established by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) to recognise the contribution of recorded sound to Australia’s ever-evolving identity, from AC/DC to ‘Waltzing Matilda’.
The archive covers everything from obscure experimental artists to intentional stars, from extinct Indigenous languages to inspiring speeches, and everything in between and you actually get to have a say in what gets chosen.
You have just one week left to nominate the songs, radio programs, speeches, and other sounds that you think should be added to the prestigious Sounds of Australia registry of historically, culturally, and artistically important recordings this year.
Last year, the public nominated four iconic 1980s bands to make it into the registry – Cold Chisel, ICEHOUSE, Divinyls, and The Go-Betweens. This year, the NFSA is asking people to think about the late 1990s and early 200s.
Sounds recorded as recently as 2005 are eligible for nominations, so think about that year’s ARIA winners and nominees, such as Missy Higgins, Ben Lee, or Eskimo Joe, as well as all your favourite ’90s icons.
“Sounds of Australia is the who’s who of our country’s audio history; a reminder of the power of a piece of music or radio program to stay in the public consciousness and help shape who we are as a nation,” said NFSA CEO Michael Loebenstein.
“That is why we really want people to have their say and help us select this year’s new entries. We’re looking for diversity across all genres.” You can nominate anything, from popular songs to radio broadcasts, as long as they’re Australian and more than 10 years old.
The Australian public nominates the sounds to be added, with final selections determined by a panel of industry experts. Nominations can be submitted several ways:
Twitter: @NFSAonline #SoundsOfAustralia
Facebook: facebook.com/nfsaa
Email: [email protected]
Web: nfsa.gov.au/collection/sound/sounds-australia/how-it-works/

Nominations are set to close on Friday, 4th September, so make sure you act fast. The 2015 Sounds of Australia entries will be announced on Wednesday, 18th November. For a list of previous entries, head on over to the official NFSA website.
