‘I would still feel so happy’: Mega DJ Ninajirachi on the ARIA Awards and the power of female friendship
Ninajirachi is the most nominated act at this year’s ARIA Awards. Here, she reveals what she REALLY thinks about it.
No-one was more shocked to find themselves on top of the nominations leaderboard for the 2025 ARIA Awards than rising electronic artist Ninajirachi.
The 26-year-old producer, songwriter and DJ released her debut album I Love My Computer in August, just weeks before the eligibility window for this year’s awards closed.
The genre-bending record from the chronically online music-maker was nominated in eight categories, including Album of the Year, ahead of established artists such as Dom Dolla, Amyl and the Sniffers, Hilltop Hoods and Thelma Plum.
“I feel like if I won zero ARIAs – or any awards ever – I would still feel so happy,” Ninajirachi tells Stellar.
“As long as I can keep making music to that quality, because I love it so much.
“The response from the fans and my friends makes me feel like I’ve already won everything, more than I could ever want.”
Nina Wilson – her artist name was inspired by the Pokémon character Jirachi – grew up on the NSW Central Coast, and was writing songs about topics like going to the shops to buy chocolate from age seven.
Creating music on the home studio app GarageBand led to her fascination with electronic dance music (EDM) by the time she was 12.
“It was so detailed and cerebral, and there was no vocal,” she says. “I didn’t understand what was making those noises. I just really wanted to understand this computer music that was making me feel so high; it was so thrilling.
“So I got on YouTube and started watching tutorials to find out.”
Like many music creators of her generation, Ninajirachi indulged her musical hobby throughout high school, uploading her songs to SoundCloud for friends and family to enjoy.
In the mid 2010s, the online streaming platform became a nursery for emerging hip-hop and electronic artists, with record label talent scouts scouring countless uploads each day in search of the next big thing.
One of Ninajirachi’s heroes, DJ, producer and independent label head Nina Las Vegas, started her own imprint NLV Records in 2015, and two years afterwards reached out to the ambitious teenager whose bedroom bangers were grabbing online attention.
“I think Nina [Las Vegas] saw that I was a 17-year-old girl producing music, not knowing anything,” Ninajirachi reflects.
“She messaged me saying if I ever needed to ask anything or wanted to get a coffee or make music together … We became friends.
“Then she offered me a home on her label, which was crazy. Because she is my hero.”
Before releasing her album in August, Ninajirachi had already issued five EPs, a mixtape and several remixes since 2019, and was training aspiring music creators on how to use digital audio software Ableton Live.
While singles and remixes rule the EDM world, Ninajirachi was inspired by artists such as Empire of the Sun and Skrillex to make an album.
“I didn’t want to do it until I had the vision and the resources and the audience, to make sure people would hear it,” she tells Stellar. “I love the style of dance music that I’m inspired by so much, I think it’s cool to elevate it to the stature of the album format.”
Ninajirachi maintains a close relationship with her online fans, who are most active on group chat platform Discord.
“They’re no-nonsense,” she says. “In the Discord, there’s a really low tolerance for any nastiness, which is really good. It makes the shows so nice, too, because everyone is really respectful towards each other; people meet through Discord, then meet up and go to shows together. It’s such a nice community.”
The EDM space remains dominated by male artists, but female and non-binary producers – including Nina Las Vegas, Alison Wonderland, Anna Lunoe and Alice Ivy – are among the trailblazers who are evening up the playing field.
“Maybe there are some things I haven’t even been aware of that have been disadvantages, but
I feel like I’ve always been pretty supported,” Ninajirachi explains. “The people who came before me have broken a lot of barriers.
“I’m so lucky I’ve had Nina Las Vegas. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without an amazing, tough-as-guts woman role model who’s just so ferocious and talented.”
Ticking off her first fashion shoot with Stellar was, she says, a highlight of what has already been a game-changing year.
The styling, a nod to the chaotic and rebellious sound of her music, “felt close to when I was a kid, and me and my friends would dress up and do each other’s make-up.
“It feels playful in that same way. It’s my first time getting to do a lot of this stuff because it’s my first album, but it’s also the first time I’ve been so front-facing with my music.
“Until now, I’ve had cartoons or drawings of myself. I’ve never had my face so attached to my music, so it’s really new. But I’m having the best time.”
The 2025 ARIA Awards in partnership with Spotify will air live from 5pm on November 19 on Paramount+.
See the full shoot with Ninajirachi inside Stellar tomorrow, via the Sunday papers. For more from Stellar and the podcast Something To Talk About, click here.
Originally published as ‘I would still feel so happy’: Mega DJ Ninajirachi on the ARIA Awards and the power of female friendship
