SCREEN FOREVER / News / SPA Announces Finalists for the 24th Annual SPA Awards
spa announces finalists for the 24th annual spa awards
24 February 2026
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) today announced the finalists for the Production Award categories in the 24th Annual SPA Awards, recognising outstanding Australian screen productions across all platforms and genres.
Finalists were determined by a confidential vote of SPA members, reflecting peer recognition from across the independent production sector. Winners will be revealed at the prestigious SPA Awards ceremony on Thursday 30 April 2026, the final evening of SCREEN FOREVER 40, at The Star, on Queensland's Gold Coast.
SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said the breadth and quality of this year’s finalists highlights the strength and resilience of Australia’s screen production businesses.
“These finalists represent the extraordinary range of storytelling being delivered by Australian producers - from premium drama and feature films to innovative factual, entertainment and children’s programming. Being recognised by peers makes this acknowledgement particularly meaningful.”
This year’s finalists span animation, scripted and unscripted series, feature films, online productions and short-form storytelling, demonstrating the diversity and ambition of Australian screen production.
24th Annual SPA Awards Production Awards Finalists
Animated Production of the Year
- Do Not Watch This Show - Lee Bones Productions (ABC)
- Kangaroo Beach S3 - Cheeky Little (ABC)
- Space Nova S2 - SLR Productions (ABC)
- Tales From Outer Suburbia - Flying Bark Productions & Highly Spirited Productions (ABC)
Children’s Production of the Year (Excluding Animation)
- Dreaming Big – Wirrim Media (NITV)
- Fizzy & Suds S2 – Tilt Media & Entertainment (ABC)
- Hard Quiz Kids – Thinkative TV (ABC)
- Knee High Spies – Werner Film Productions (ABC)
Comedy Program or Series Production of the Year
- Austin – Northern Pictures & ITV Studios Australia (ABC)
- Bump S5 – Roadshow Rough Diamond (Stan)
- Ghosts: Australia – BBC Studios Productions (Network 10)
- Good Cop/Bad Cop – Jungle Entertainment (Stan)
- Top End Bub – Goalpost Pictures (Prime)
Documentary Series Production of the Year
- End Game with Tony Armstrong – Allstory Pictures, Barking Mad Productions & Smashing Films (ABC)
- Muster Dogs: Collies & Kelpies – Ambience Entertainment (ABC)
- Revealed: Death Cap Murders – Dreamchaser Entertainment & Den of Martians (Stan)
- The Assembly S2 – Helium Pictures & Bus Stop Films (ABC)
- The Kimberley – Wild Pacific Media (ABC)
- The People Vs Robodebt – CJZ (SBS)
- The Piano S1 – Eureka Productions (ABC)
- When The War Is Over – Mint Pictures (ABC)
Drama Series Production of the Year
- Black Snow: Jack Of Clubs – Goalpost Pictures (Stan)
- Mystery Road Origin S2 – Bunya Productions (ABC)
- Playing Gracie Darling – Curio Pictures (Paramount+)
- Reckless – BBC Studios Production (SBS/NITV)
- Scrublands: Silver – Easy Tiger Productions (Stan)
- The Family Next Door – Beyond Entertainment (ABC)
- The Newsreader S3 – Werner Film Production (ABC)
- The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer S3 – Easy Tiger Productions & Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia (Foxtel & BINGE)
Factual Series Production of the Year
- A Girl's Guide to Hunting, Fishing, and Wild Cooking S2 – Broken Yellow & Barking Mad Productions (SBS)
- Australia: An Unofficial History – Stranger Than Fiction Films (SBS)
- Grand Designs Australia – Eureka Productions (ABC)
- Outback Truckers S11 – Prospero Productions (7 Network)
- Restoration Australia – Eureka Productions (ABC)
Feature Documentary Production of the Year
- Ballkids – Run Wild Productions & Mischief Media
- Edge of Life – Stranger Than Fiction Films
- Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Man – CJZ
- Joh: Last King of Queensland – WildBear Entertainment
- Journey Home, David Gulpilil – Savage Films & Brindle Films
- PNG Road to Independence – WildBear Entertainment
- Surviving Malka Leifer – In Films
- The Raftsmen – WildBear Entertainment
Feature Film Production of the Year
- How to Make Gravy – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia
- Jimpa – Closer Productions & Mad Ones Films
- Kangaroo – STUDIOCANAL, Brindle Films & Bunya Productions
- Lesbian Space Princess – We Made A Thing Studios
- One More Shot – GoodThing Productions & Truce
- The Correspondent – Pop Family Entertainment
- Together – Princess Pictures
- Spit – Freshwater Pictures
Light Entertainment Production of the Year
- Dancing With The Stars S23 – BBC Studios Productions (7 Network)
- Farmer Wants A Wife – Eureka Productions (7 Network)
- Hard Quiz – Thinkative TV (ABC)
- MASTERMIND – BBC Studios Productions (SBS)
- The Weekly with Charlie Pickering – Thinkative TV (ABC)
Online Series Production of the Year
- Moonbird – Sheoak Films and Kutikina Productions
- Not Russian Anywhere – Lucinda Bruce, Annisa Belonogoff & Nicole Scharf
- Ruff & Ruby – Jessica Trinity Fisher
- Run Club – Laughlines AU
- The Worst That Could Happen – Haven’t You Done Well Productions
Reality Series Production of the Year
- Australian Idol – Eureka Productions (7 Network)
- The Amazing Race Australia S10 – Eureka Productions (Network 10)
- The Great Australian Bake Off S8 – BBC Studios Productions (Foxtel & BINGE)
Short Film Production of the Year
- I'm The Most Racist Person I Know – Suriyna Sivashanker
- Safe Haven – Blue Sparrow Entertainment
- The Day We Saved the Zoo – Media Stockade
- They Kill By Night – Grace Uther
- Writers in Love – Jacqueline Kerwick
Telemovie or Mini Series Production of the Year
- Apple Cider Vinegar – See-Saw Films & Picking Scabs (Netflix)
- Invisible Boys – Asphodel Films & Feisty Dame Productions (Stan)
- Mix Tape – Aquarius Films (Foxtel & BINGE)
- The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Curio Pictures (Prime)
- The Survivors – Matchbox Pictures & Tony Ayres Productions (Netflix)
Winners will be announced at the 24th Annual SPA Awards ceremony on 30 April 2026 during SCREEN FOREVER 40 on the Gold Coast.
SCREEN FOREVER is proudly supported by the Queensland Government, through Screen Queensland.
Screen Producers Australia respectfully acknowledges the people of the Yugambeh language region, the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet. We thank the traditional custodians for welcoming us all onto their lands.
We acknowledge and pay respect to them and all their descendants, both past and present. We also acknowledge the many Aboriginal people from other regions, as well as Torres Strait and South Sea Islander people who now live in the local area and have made an important contribution to the community.
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