AACTA Reg Grundy Award offers $50,000 for Australia’s next TV format – Australian creators can now enter the 2027 AACTA Reg Grundy Award. AACTA will give $50,000 to the individual or team behind the best original unscripted television format.
The award is for the programme idea, not for people who want to appear on a show. AACTA and Grundy Media welcome entertainment and factual concepts. Entrants could pitch a game show, a reality series or a factual format.
How to enter the AACTA Reg Grundy Award
For Round 1, entrants need a show title, a short logline and a written synopsis. The synopsis can run to 1,000 words. AACTA’s current entry page asks for a logline of up to 50 words.
Entries close at 5pm AEDT on Monday, 9 November 2026. Then AACTA plans to name five finalists on Thursday, 12 November. Those finalists must provide a pitch video of up to three minutes. They must also prepare a pitch deck of up to four pages or slides and a one-minute personal introduction.
AACTA will announce the recipient during its 2027 festival on the Gold Coast. The festival runs from 3 to 7 February. The award honours Australian television pioneer Reg Grundy. His productions and adaptations included Sale of the Century, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, Prisoner and Neighbours.
Judges and previous winner
Wes Dening returns to the judging panel. He leads global formats at Eureka Productions and has executive-produced The Floor, KPOPPED and Australian Idol. Marion Farrelly also returns; her credits include Big Brother and The X Factor.
The panel also includes Ian Hogg and Sharon Wheeler. Hogg previously led Fremantle in Australia and Asia Pacific. Wheeler helped adapt Grundy International formats for American audiences.
Farrelly said the award could give a creator development funding and industry access.
Australia has the imagination to make the world’s next television obsession, but its creator might simply lack a commissioner’s email and the money to develop it. The AACTA Reg Grundy Award opens that door and puts $50,000 behind the idea. As a judge, I want to find the show we’ll all cancel plans to watch.
Marion Farrelly, AACTA Reg Grundy Award judge
Craig Smith and Kate Armon won the 2026 award for Brains on Tap!. Their travelling trivia concept takes its hosts to towns across Australia. Local teams then compete in a battle of knowledge, banter and bragging rights.
For more Australian screen-industry coverage, explore TV Central’s AACTA stories. Applicants can read the full rules and enter on the official AACTA Reg Grundy Award page.
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