2026 Screen Music Awards return to Brisbane
The 2026 Screen Music Awards will return to Brisbane's Fortitude Music Hall on Wednesday 28 October
Rob Collins to host with guest presenters Claudia Karvan and Ayesha Madon
The Screen Music Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in screen composition across 16 categories
Australia’s leading celebration of screen composition, the 2026 Screen Music Awards, will return to Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Wednesday 28 October for the second consecutive year.
Presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), the awards celebrate excellence and innovation in screen composition across 16 categories, recognising outstanding contributions in short film, television series, documentaries, children’s programming, feature films and more.
The 2026 Screen Music Awards form part of APRA’s year-long centenary celebrations, recognising a century of Australian songwriting and composition.
Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS, says: “For 100 years, APRA has existed to celebrate and support the people behind the music, and the Screen Music Awards are an integral part of that. Australian screen composers help shape the stories we remember long after the credits roll, and we’re thrilled to return to Brisbane to honour the outstanding creators helping our nation’s stories resonate here and around the world.”
Amanda Brown, President of AGSC, adds: “Once a year, creatures of the studio emerge from their sonic caves to socialise and rejoice in the recognition of their creative fruits. I look forward to acknowledging and celebrating the talent, imagination and expertise of all my colleagues who contribute so much to the screen industry both locally and internationally.”
Hosting this year's awards will be renowned actor, singer and APRA member Rob Collins, alongside guest presenters Claudia Karvan OAM and Ayesha Madon. In his final year as Music Director, composer and performer Erkki Veltheim will lead a live orchestra performing selections from nominated works, bringing the screen to life on stage.
Award recipients are determined either by panels of highly respected Australian screen composers or through statistical analysis. The Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award and Emerging Screen Composer of the Year are selected by the APRA Board of Directors. Nominees will be announced on Tuesday 22 September.
Previous winners include some of the most celebrated names in Australian screen music, including Antonio Gambale, Ayda Akbal, Cornel Wilczek, Fred Leone, Joff Bush, Meg Washington and Missy Higgins.
2026 SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS
5.30pm, Wednesday 28 October
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Hosted by Rob Collins with guest presenters Claudia Karvan OAM and Ayesha Madon
Music Director Erkki Veltheim
2026 SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS CATEGORIES
Chosen by an industry panel:
- Best Music for an Advertisement
- Best Music for Children's Programming
- Best Music for a Documentary
- Best Music for a Short Film
- Best Music for a Television Comedy
- Best Music for a Television Drama
- Best Music for Unscripted or Reality Television Series
- Best Music for a Video Game or Other Interactive Media
- Best Opening Title Television Theme
- Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
- Best Soundtrack Album
- Feature Film Score of the Year
Chosen by the APRA Board of Directors:
- Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award
- Emerging Screen Composer of the Year
Based on statistical analysis:
- Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia
- Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas
