King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard win the Environmental Music Prize

Congratulations to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard for winning the inaugural Environmental Music Prize, for their song-If Not Now Then When?
Plus huge thanks to them for donating the $20,000 prize to the Wilderness Society - thanks for supporting the life that supports us all.

“If Not Now Then When? indeed. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s Environmental Music Prize-winning song calls for action amidst the normalised calamity. The joyousness of the groove belies the urgent message for climate and nature. We congratulate them on the award and we are deeply grateful for their decision to donate their $20,000 prize to the Wilderness Society to act now.

Congratulations to all of the artists who participated, music can surely change the world!”

- Matt Brennan, CEO, Wilderness Society

The lyrics capture both the need for urgent action and the need to support the life that supports us all, something that is core to the Wilderness Society vision. Protecting nature (the forests and the bees—to quote the song) is what will make a safe climate and a liveable planet.

To us, the song itself evolves into a beat and melody to keep you humming toward a solution. The chance to turn things around—for people and for nature—is before us, truly if not now, then when.

Our thanks go to Edwina Floch for making the Environmental Music Prize happen, all the artists who contributed and the 7500 people who voted. We loved the Music Prize idea immediately when Edwina shared it with us, it has been a pleasure to be an Impact Partner and we look forward to next year.

We are super grateful to everyone in King Gizzard for donating their $20,000 prize to the Wilderness Society. It will help with our work to shift the power away from the big destructive industries (hello fossil fuel industry) and support and amplify local community and First Nations voices in decisions about the future of nature and climate. We know when communities get a real say we get better outcomes for the environment and people.

Governments and corporations come and go—but the climate, forests, oceans, animals (and yes the lizards), plants, insects and all of us live with their decisions for generations. But with the Music Prize and supporters like King Gizzard, together we can be heard and make change for now and the future.