Tenzin Choegyal’s Music for State of Statelessness Earns 2025 Queensland Music Award Nomination
We are delighted to share the exciting news that Tibetan-Australian musician Tenzin Choegyal has been nominated for a 2025 Queensland Music Award in the Music for Screen category for his track “Tenzin Sings with Nightingales”.
The nomination recognizes Choegyal’s original music for State of Statelessness, a 2024 anthology film produced by Drung Tibetan Filmmakers Collective that explores the exile experience of the Tibetan diaspora through four distinct and interwoven stories. The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and later screened at the Sydney Film Festival, earning recognition from international audiences and critics alike.
“Tenzin Sings with Nightingales”: A Song for the Screen
The nominated track “Tenzin Sings with Nightingales” comes from Choegyal’s album Whispering Sky, released in August 2024. This piece stands out for its rich blend of traditional Tibetan melodic sensibilities and atmospheric soundscapes, creating an evocative accompaniment for the film’s meditation on identity, belonging, and movement. The song’s nomination in the Music for Screen category highlights how integral Choegyal’s music is to the emotional and narrative texture of State of Statelessness.
A Creative Partnership
Choegyal’s contribution to State of Statelessness went beyond composition. In addition to scoring music for the film, he also made his acting debut in the project, appearing on screen in a role that deepened his connection to the film’s artistic expression. This multi-layered engagement reflects his commitment to storytelling through both sound and presence.
The film itself was directed by a collective of Tibetan filmmakers including Tenzin Tsetan Choklay, Tenzing Sonam, Ritu Sarin, and others, all collaborating under the banner of Drung Tibetan Filmmakers Collective. State of Statelessness has been widely celebrated for giving voice to diverse Tibetan perspectives, weaving together personal and shared histories in a powerful cinematic experience.
Recognition from Queensland
The Queensland Music Awards celebrate artistic achievement across a range of music genres, and the Music for Screen category specifically honors outstanding compositions written for film, television, and other audiovisual media. Choegyal’s nomination places him among Australia’s most respected composers in this field and brings international attention to Tibetan artistry intersecting with global cinema.
For Choegyal and for the wider community of artists involved in State of Statelessness, this nomination marks a meaningful moment of recognition — an acknowledgment of how music and film together can deepen our understanding of exile, memory, and home.
We join audiences around the world in congratulating Tenzin Choegyal on this well-deserved nomination and look forward to celebrating the continued success of Tibetan storytelling in music and cinema.
