The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has unveiled the five finalists for the fifth annual AACTA Reg Grundy Award, a prestigious accolade celebrating innovation in unscripted television formats. This award, established in partnership with the late Mrs. Joy Chambers Grundy, honors the legacy of television pioneer Reg Grundy by supporting the next generation of creative talent in the industry.
The Reg Grundy Award is an annual award aimed at discovering the best original idea for an unscripted television show. It offers a prize of $50,000 to the winner, encouraging innovation and creativity in Australian television programming. The award is currently in its fifth year, and is the largest prize of its kind in the world.
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The shortlisted concepts vying for the $50,000 prize are:
The five AACTA Reg Grundy Award finalists
Storytime
Creative team: Chris Huntly-Turner, Timothy Walker
Synopsis: In this heartwarming reality show, kids take the reins as writers, directors, and visionaries, crafting unpredictable films straight from their wildest imaginations, while a team of pros scrambles to bring their unfiltered dreams to life … under-budget! Its creativity, chaos, and cuteness rolled into one epic filmmaking adventure!
Quizzical
Creative team: Lincoln Russell
Synopsis: Quizzical is the ultimate fusion of brains and brawn! Three contestants battle it out across three exciting rounds, answering quiz questions by playing nostalgic, amusement-style games – no buttons or buzzers here. With every winning answer, players rack up cash for the growing jackpot. Only the top two advance to the fourth and final round, where they face a thrilling choice: play it safe or up the challenge to claim their jackpot!
Backpackers – The Whitsundays
Creative team: Lynda Heys, Steve Turnbull
Synopsis: ’Work Hard. Play Harder. Live the Dream’. The Backpackers is an unscripted reality series that follows a group of young international travellers who take on seasonal jobs in Australia’s most iconic locations. Driven by visa requirements and the lure of adventure, they dive into the challenges of working, living, and falling in love far from home. Season One takes place in the Whitsundays, where the idyllic resort setting hides the pressures and dramas behind the scenes of this paradise.
The Mitch Churi Chat Show
Creative team: Mitch Churi
Synopsis: Each week beloved comedian Mitch Churi shares his velvet couch with the biggest names in entertainment from Hollywood & home while applying his signature wit and charm to the headlines of the week.
Life Swap
Creative team: Jamie Durie, Neville Poelina, Melanie Hogan
Synopsis: What happens when city slickers swap skyscrapers for red dirt and Wi-Fi for ancient wisdom? Life Swap is here to find out! With bush tucker fails and plenty of laughs, this heartwarming adventure proves nature has the best life hacks around. With Jamie Durie, Neville Poelina and Melanie Hogan.
The Reg Grundy Award judges:
Guiding the finalists through the next phase of development, and determining who will be the recipient of this year’s Reg Grundy Award are:
Paul Hardy
Hardy is a TV consultant with credits on shows such as Alone, 7 Year Switch, Bride and Prejudice, and Beauty and the Geek.
Marion Farrelly
Farrelly is a producer and creator known for her work on Big Brother, Dancing with the Stars, The X Factor, The Celebrity Apprentice, and the ABC’s Q&A
Sharon Wheeler
Wheeler is an Award-winning Senior Entertainment Executive, who has created more than 30 original series and Executive Produced over 2,000 hours of unscripted programming. Her hit original formats include Extreme Dating and The Last Resort.
Steve Oemcke
Oemcke is the host of numerous television programs, including the ratings juggernaut Talk to the Animals and Australia’s longest-running game show, Wheel of Fortune.
Ian Hogg
Hogg is an awarded media industry leader, who most recently served as Regional CEO of FremantleMedia Australia (FMA) and Asia Pacific.
A final meeting with the judging panel where each finalist will have the opportunity to deliver their refined pitch, and a deeper exploration of each project will be undertaken. On the 23rd January, one recipient will be confirmed and they will walk away with the $50,000 prize and a chance to see their idea become a reality.
The recipient of the AACTA Reg Grundy Award will be announced on 7 February at the 2025 AACTA Awards.