Australia’s screen industry has named the productions it believes defined the past year, with a heavyweight list of finalists unveiled for the 24th Annual SPA Awards ahead of the sector’s major Gold Coast gathering.
Chosen by producers themselves, the shortlist spans everything from prestige drama and documentaries to animation, reality and online content.
Notable nominees include Stan dramas Scrublands and Black Snow, ABC favourites The Newsreader and Mystery Road Origin, Foxtel and BINGE’s The Twelve, and SBS documentary standout The People Vs Robodebt.
Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner said the finalists demonstrate both the scale and adaptability of the local sector amid ongoing industry pressures.
“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.”
Major television players dominate the nominations, with multiple titles from ABC, Stan, Netflix, SBS and commercial networks appearing across numerous categories.
High profile dramas, factual series and entertainment staples sit alongside children’s programming, feature films and emerging online productions, highlighting the breadth of Australia’s production pipeline.
24th Annual SPA Awards Production Award 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 (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 (Paramount/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 (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 (Netflix)
- Reckless – BBC Studios Production (SBS)
- 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 (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
- 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 (7 Network)
- The Great Australian Bake Off S9 – 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)
The finalists were determined by confidential vote among SPA’s membership, making the awards a rare case of industry peers judging one another’s work.
