MPAC and the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance announce Nai Palm as 2026 Artist in Residence
Image credit: Prue Stent
Monash University Performing Arts Centres (MPAC) has announced acclaimed Australian musician Nai Palm as its 2026 Artist in Residence, bringing one of the country’s most innovative creative voices to campus for a program of performance, collaboration and student engagement.
A three-time Grammy nominated songwriter, Nai Palm is internationally recognised as a composer, instrumentalist, producer, vocalist and poet. As the frontwoman of Hiatus Kaiyote, she has helped redefine contemporary music, earning global acclaim for a sound that crosses genres and resists easy categorisation.
At Monash, Nai Palm’s residency will offer students a rare opportunity to connect with a globally celebrated artist whose work spans soul, jazz, hip-hop and experimental music. Through a series of songwriting workshops with students in the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, she will share her creative process and mentor emerging artists developing their own distinctive voices
The residency also connects directly with the Monash University Popular Music Songwriting Prize, with Nai Palm joining the judging panel. The initiative supports the next generation of songwriters, culminating in a major public performance moment. The 2026 prize winner will open for Nai Palm in a special concert at the Alexander Theatre on 16 October.
MPAC Head of Programming Ruth Oakley said the residency reflects Monash’s commitment to connecting students with leading artists working at the forefront of contemporary practice.
“Nai Palm is a singular artist whose work continues to influence musicians around the world. It has never been more important to inspire our young musicians by working with an artist born and raised in Melbourne/Naarm but making music on a world stage; in a time when original Australian music is navigating the shifting sands of reaching audiences both online and onstage. MPAC is thrilled to drive opportunities like this, where Monash music students will learn firsthand from Nai’s creative independence and innovation.”
Nai Palm’s practice is shaped by a lifelong engagement with music and storytelling. A self-taught artist, she has built a global career grounded in originality and experimentation, performing to audiences around the world and collaborating with some of the most respected names in contemporary music.
The residency will culminate in Nai Palm’s debut performance at the Alexander Theatre on Thursday 16 October at 7.30pm. This exclusive Melbourne performance offers audiences the chance to experience her artistry up close in one of the University’s premier performance venues.
The Nai Palm Artist in Residence program continues MPAC’s focus on bringing world-class artists into meaningful dialogue with the Monash community, creating opportunities for learning, experimentation and shared cultural experience.
Tickets for Nai Palm at the Alexander Theatre will be available via MPAC.
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