AACTA Reg Grundy Award: contest for new formats

If you’ve ever had an idea for a TV format now’s your chance.

AFI | AACTA has announced the AACTA Reg Grundy Award, a $50,000 prize to any Australian with the best new idea for an unscripted television entertainment program.

Established in partnership with Reg Grundy’s widow, Joy Chambers-Grundy, Chairman of RG Capital, the Award is designed to keep Reg’s heritage of hard work and entrepreneurial spirit alive whilst finding a home to foster the next generation’s brilliant and creative ideas.

Reg Grundy formats sold around the world, including Sale Of The Century and Blankety Blanks. In addition to producing Wheel Of Fortune, Family Feud, The Price Is Right and Perfect Match, the Grundy Organization created Sons & Daughters, The Young Doctors, The Restless Years, Prisoner and Neighbours.

Joy Chambers-Grundy said: “I am delighted to partner with AACTA to launch a legacy to my extraordinary husband Reg Grundy that speaks to his remarkable success. Reg’s philosophy, ‘be local to be global’, amassed for him international success producing local versions of television shows for each country and saw him pursue his life-long passion of entertaining people,”

“The AACTA Reg Grundy Award has been created to help discover budding entrepreneurs of Australian entertainment in Reg Grundy’s name. We hope like-minded Australians are able to emulate the spirit of Reg and create formats for new shows.”

“We’re thrilled to honour Reg’s incredible impact on the global television industry with the launch of the AACTA Reg Grundy Award. Reg was a trailblazer who paved the way for entertainment television to develop it into what it is today,” said AFI | AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella.

“With this Award we hope to uncover some incredible new show concepts and grow the Australian entertainment format footprint in the international television landscape. This is an incredible prize – with the opportunity to further develop your concept with invaluable exposure to some of Australia’s key content commissioners and producers alongside the $50,000 prize money and development funds.”

Ian Hogg, former CEO, FremantleMedia Australia and Asia Pacific, is one of 4 judges.

Speaking with TV Tonight, he recalled Reg Grundy as a both business savvy and a creative storyteller.

“He really was a genuinely leader, a great businessman, a phenomenal philanthropist, an incredibly generous and caring human being which, in an industry which is not known for its generosity, is a rare condition,” he said.

“It’s giving people outside of the industry, for the first time, a proper opportunity to prosper. It’s always been a closed industry in some way, shape or form. This is open to any Australian and if any creed or colour.

“Reg had a charisma second to none. He had a business brain second to none. His wit was infectious, but he crossed business and creativity and that’s a really hard thing to do.

“I remember when he saw the first episode of Wentworth, I got a message saying, ‘Absolutely extraordinary. What an amazing reinvention of something from 1978.’

“He was over in Bermuda, watching content and he’s relevant and engaged. And I think that cuts to the cloth of the guy that he was always curious.”

He added, “The best television minds that I’ve ever worked with are the ones that ask questions and listen answers. Reg was a great listener.”

Also on the judging panel are Chris Culvenor (Eureka Productions), Marion Farrelly (producer, Industry Consultant) and Sharon Sussman-Wheeler (Producer and ex Grundy staffer).

To apply visit AACTA

Entry:

$50 for non-members
$25 for AACTA Members
Closes Sunday 4 October 11.59pm AEST

https://youtu.be/D_NgIxLqOEo

How to Pitch includes:
Julian Cress and David Barbour, The Block
David Mott, Love Island
Chris Oliver-Taylor, Farmer Wants a Wife
Kirk Docker, Docker Media, You Can’t Ask That
Jon Casimir, Ex ABC TV, Gruen, You Can’t Ask That, Hard Quiz
Nick Murray and Toni Malone, CJZ, Marry Me Marry My Family, The Checkout
Chris Walker, Hard Quiz, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering and Tomorrow Tonight
Tom Gleisner, Working Dog, Have You Been Paying Attention?

TV Tonight is partner of the 2020 AACTA Awards.