Creating an Awards Brand Young Musicians Could Aspire To
COMPANY
Next Up Music Awards
ROLE
Brand Identity Designer
YEAR
2026
Background
Next Up Music Awards (NUMA) is an Australian music awards initiative designed to celebrate and support emerging young talent.
The challenge was to create a brand identity that appealed to students aged 6–18 while avoiding the overly playful or childish aesthetic often associated with youth-focused brands. The identity needed to feel energetic, contemporary and aspirational, while remaining accessible to a broad age range.
Concept
A key requirement of the brief was that the logo incorporate a next track symbol.
Using the geometry of the custom wordmark, the next track icon was integrated directly into the logo to create a distinctive and ownable identity system.
Outcome
The result is a bold visual identity designed to balance youthful energy with credibility, creating a brand that feels equally at home across digital platforms, event signage and marketing materials.
