Screen composers, producers, directors and publishers are invited to nominate and submit a piece of work for the 2026 Screen Music Awards, with nominations open now and closing 11.59pm AEST 25 June.
Proudly presented by music rights management organisation APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, the 2026 Screen Music Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in the field of screen composition, recognising outstanding contributions to short films, television series, documentaries, children’s programming, feature films, and more. The awards ceremony will return to Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on 28 October.
Submissions can – and should! – be made for any APRA composer member whose work was featured in a production that received its first public screening, broadcast or release between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, including first releases on YouTube, Facebook, Netflix or any other public platform.
Submissions can be entered by the composer, their employer, the production company or a third party such as a director or publisher.
As part of the required documentation, submissions must provide responses to:
- Details of the work’s first broadcast (date, location and platform)
- Composer information
- Any additional composer/s
In total, the 2026 Screen Music Awards comprise 14 award categories. The following two awards are given based on APRA AMCOS’ statistical analysis:
- Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia
- Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas
Meanwhile, the awards listed below are judged by panels of leading screen composers from across Australia:
- 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
Two further special awards are given at the discretion of the APRA Board of Directors:
- Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award
- Emerging Screen Composer of the Year
Screen Music Awards: recent winners
Melbourne-based composer Cornel Wilczek secured two awards at last year’s Screen Music Awards, winning Best Music for a Television Drama with Alex Olijnyk for Fake, and Best Opening Title Television Theme alongside Thomas Rouch for the Netflix adaptation of The Survivors by Jane Harper.
Among other winners at last year’s event, Joff Bush won Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas for his work on Bluey, which was the most-streamed show in the United States in 2024. Megan Washington picked up Best Original Song Composed for the Screen for Dream On from How to Make Gravy, delivered in a surprise live performance by Electric Fields with a choir led by Deline Briscoe.
The 2024 Awards, held in Melbourne, introduced three new categories: Best Music for Unscripted & Reality Television Series; Best Music for a Video Game or Other Interactive Media; and Emerging Screen Composer of the Year.
Michael Allen, winner of the 2024 award for Best Music for a Video Game or Other Interactive Media for his work on Solium Infernum, said: ‘There’s a lot of great music being made in the games industry and it’s fantastic that it’s now recognised here in this way.’
Speaking to ScreenHub, Pash Ostovar, Screen and Games Manager at APRA AMCOS, said: ‘Australia’s screen music sector is world-class, and these awards provide a wonderful opportunity to recognise that outstanding talent.
‘We encourage you to take a moment to nominate a screen composer who has created exceptional work over the past year. It could make a meaningful difference to their career.’
