2022 SPA Awards Finalists Revealed

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) announced the finalists for all thirteen production categories in the 2022 SPA Awards.

The Awards celebrate content produced by SPA members and champion outstanding Australian screen productions, showcasing the skill, imagination, and innovative thinking of Australia’s world-class production businesses.  

The 2022 SPA Awards encompass SPA member productions that screened between the 1st of July 2021 to 31st of December 2022 and are the only awards voted solely by production businesses whose work drives the industry.

Finalists in each of the categories below are now open for voting by SPA members, with the production receiving the highest number of votes in each category declared the award recipient.

“We continue to be impressed by the incredible talent, creativity, originality, and ingenuity of our producers and their productions. The work of our finalists announced today highlights the success of our sector driven by the businesses that take the creative and financial risks to bring our nation’s screen stories to life.

“I congratulate those associated with each of these productions, s well as all the great work that has taken place this year. We look forward to celebrating our member’s achievements at our awards ceremony on Friday, 5^th May 2023, as part of SCREEN FOREVER 37,” said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner. 

Finalists for the Production Awards categories are listed below. Finalists and recipients of Individual and Business Awards categories will be announced in 2023.

SERIES:

Animated Production of the Yea

• Adventure Beast (Netflix) – Kapow Pictures.
• Bluey (S2) (ABC) – Ludo Studio.
• FriendZSpace (ABC) – Flying Bark Productions.
• The Strange Chores (S2) (ABC) – Media World Pictures.

Children’s Production of the Year (excluding Animation).

• MaveriX (ABC) – Brindle Films.
• PM’s Daughter (ABC) – Fremantle Australia.
• Surviving Summer (Netflix) – Werner Film Productions.
• First Day (S2) (ABC) – Epic Films.
• Barrumbi Kids (NITV) – Ambience Entertainment and Tamarind Tree Pictures.

Comedy Program or Series Production of the Year.

• Upright (S2) (Foxtel and Binge) – Lingo Pictures.
• Aftertaste (S2) (ABC) – Closer Productions.
• Rosehaven (S5) (ABC) – Guesswork Television.
• Colin From Accounts (Foxtel and BINGE) – Easy Tiger Productions.
• Frayed (S2) (ABC) – Guesswork Television and Merman.

Documentary Series Production of the Year.

• And We Danced (ABC) – WildBear Entertainment.
• Old People’s Home for Teenagers (ABC) – Endemol Shine Australia.
• Miriam Margolyes Australia Unmasked (ABC) – Southern Pictures.
• People’s Republic of Mallacoota (ABC) – Renegade Films (Australia).
• Muster Dogs (ABC) – Ambience Entertainment.

Drama Series Production of the Year.

• Heartbreak High (Netflix) – Fremantle Australia.
• Bump (S2) (Stan) – Roadshow Rough Diamond.
• The Twelve (Foxtel and BINGE) – Easy Tiger Productions and Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia.
• Firebite (ABC) – See-Saw Films.
• Mystery Road: Origin (ABC) – Bunya Productions.
• Significant Others (ABC) – Fremantle Australia.
• Troppo (ABC) – EQ Media and Beyond International.
• Love Me (Foxtel and BINGE) – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia and Aquarius Films.

Entertainment Production of the Year.

• Grand Designs Australia (S10) (Foxtel/Lifestyle) – Fremantle Australia.
• Gogglebox Australia (S16) (Network 10) – Endemol Shine Australia.
• Tomorrow Tonight (S2) (ABC) – Thinkative Television.
• The ABC of (ABC) – Guesswork Television.
• Question Everything (S2) (ABC) – Cordell Jigsaw Productions.

Online Series Production of the Year.

• Latecomers (SBS) – Mad Ones Films and Lazy Susan Films.
• Black As (ABC) – Totem Global.
• A Beginner’s Guide to Grief (SBS) – KOJO Studios.
• Krystal Klairvoyant (TikTok) – Example Content.
• Superwog (ABC) – Century Artists.

Reality Series Production of the Year.

• The Great Australian Bake Off (S5) (Foxtel) – BBC Studios Australia.
• The Bridge (Paramount+ and Network 10) – Endemol Shine Australia.
• Australia’s Got Talent (S10) (Seven Network) – Fremantle Australia.
• Farmer Wants A Wife (S12) (Seven Network) – Fremantle Australia.
• Real Housewives of Melbourne (S5) (Foxtel) – Matchbox Pictures.

Telemovie or Miniseries Production of the Year.

• Christmas Ransom (Stan) – Every Cloud Productions.
• Bali 2002 (9 Network and Stan) – Endemol Shine Australia.
• Barons (ABC) – The Two Jons and Fremantle Australia.
• Savage River (ABC) – Aquarius Films.
• True Colours (NITV and SBS) – Bunya Productions.

FEATURE:

Feature Documentary Production of the Year.

• We Were Once Kids – Resolution Media.
• Ithaka: The Fight To Free Julian Assange – Shipton House.
• Our African Roots – Chemical Media.
• Watandar, My Countryman – Light Sound Art Film.
• Incarceration Nation – Bent3Land Productions.
• Girl Like You – Rush Films.
• Unseen Skies – In Films.
• Under the Volcano – Rush Films.

Feature Film Production of the Year.

• The Drover’s Wife – The Legend of Molly Johnson – Oombarra Productions and Bunya Productions.
• Here Out West – Co-Curious.
• The Power of the Dog – See-Saw Films.
• The Stranger – See-Saw Films and Blue-Tongue Films.
• Sissy – Arcadia.
• Gold – Deeper Water Films.
• How to Please A Woman – Feisty Dame Productions and Such Much Films.
• Interceptor – Ambience Entertainment.

INTERACTIVE AND GAMING:

Games, XR and Immersive Media Production of the Year.

• Sorella’s Story – Soul Vision Films.
• Lustration – New Canvas.
• Reflections Of Iwanoff – Frame Labs.

SHORT FILM:

Short Film Production of the Year.

• Unlimited Ducks – LateNite Films.
• Mate – October Media.
• When The Sky Was Blue – Jacaranda Pictures.
• Wirnitj – Komixx Entertainment.
• MumLife – Claudia Shephard.
• Voice Activated – Mad Ones Films and Spaceboy Productions.

Production Award categories are open for voting from 3pm AEDT 22 December 2022 until 11.59pm AEDT 28 February 2023.

The Award recipients will be revealed at the prestigious 2022 SPA Awards ceremony, which will take place on the Gold Coast on Friday, 05 May 2023, the final day of SCREEN FOREVER 37, Australia’s premier screen industry event.

Registrations for SCREEN FOREVER 37 are now open, and a ticket to the SPA Awards is included in the price of a GOLD COAST delegate pass.

Link to SCREEN FOREVER 37 registration info HERE.

Media Release – Screen Producers Australia