Meet The Man and Studio Behind Sydney NYE Midnight Moment
When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, Sydney will ring in 2026 powered by a high-voltage 12-minute blast of Acid House, gospel, rave, electro and full orchestral track. The man behind it? Jono Ma (above), co-founder of Sonar Music.
One of Australia’s most sought-after sonic architects, Ma’s new composition will launch thousands of fireworks across Sydney Harbour, rounding off a strong year for Sonar Music – the creative powerhouse he formed in 2010 with David McCormack (Bluey’s “Bandit” and Custard frontman), Matteo Zingales, Andrew Lancaster, and Antony Partos.
Says Sonar Executive Producer, Sophie Haydon (below): “This NYE project is an exciting creative moment for Sonar Music, showcasing our work on the world stage.”
Home to Australia’s most awarded composers and sound designers, Sonar Music is, literally, the soundtrack to Australian lives – with over 300 accolades across local and international stages.
Its creative influence runs deep across screen and culture – from Oscar-nominated films to global brands including Coca-Cola, Qantas, Commonwealth Bank and Toyota.
Ma produced the original score for Animal Kingdom, and Run – about Australia’s most notorious bank robber, Brenden “Postcard Bandit” Abbott, out on Binge 1 Jan.
“Because Run is an Australian series, we wanted music that evokes the same similar feeling or mood,” explains Ma, who produced the music with Jackson Milas.
“Think dark synth and industrial drum machines – it was a lot of fun.”
Antony Partos – one of Australia’s most celebrated film and television composers – is behind David Michôd’s latest feature Christy, starring Sydney Sweeney, following their acclaimed collaborations on Animal Kingdom and The Rover.
He also continues to shape beloved series including Disney+’s The Artful Dodger and previously walked the Oscars red carpet for Tanna.
Matteo Zingales, joined by IF Magazine’s Rising Talent Josie Mann, scored StudioCanal’s Kangaroo, now the highest-grossing Australian film of 2025.
In the past 12 months alone, Sonar Music’s credits include:
Christy starring Sydney Sweeney and produced by David Michôd (Antony Partos)
Kangaroo – StudioCanal’s family comedy (Matteo Zingales & Josie Mann)
RUN – Binge/Warner Bros – launches on Binge 1 January (Jono Ma & Jackson Milas)
The Artful Dodger – Season 1 & 2 on Disney+ (Antony Partos)
Sunny Nights – a Stan Original (Matteo Zingales)
Kill Jackie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones (Matteo Zingales) – out in 2026
Sonar’s broader catalogue spans 250 TV series’, 100 films, 300+ awards, global campaigns for Coca-Cola, Toyota, Qantas and Commonwealth Bank, and over 150 million Spotify streams.