Call for Entries: AACTA Reg Grundy Award 2022

Entries have opened for the annual AACTA Reg Grundy Award -a rare contest seeking TV format ideas with a prize worth $50,000 -the largest of its kind in the world.

Now in its third year, the AACTA Reg Grundy Award is open to any Australian with an original idea for the nation’s next favourite unscripted television show.

Reg Grundy pioneered the international trade of television formats, allowing Australian unscripted television shows to be adapted and enjoyed around the world.

It comes with a prize comprised of $20,000 in cash and $30,000 in development funding.

Previous recipients include Jason Chong, who took out last year’s top prize for his winning concept Stealing Second, and inaugural recipient Geraldine Coy and Bryan Cockerill for Seven Pups. Stealing Second went on to be considered by the development department at Banijay and the pilot and sizzle reel, funded by the Reg Grundy Award, is ready for domestic commissioners.

“Being awarded the 2021 Reg Grundy Award has been incredibly positive for my career.  AACTA and the Reg Grundy judges have been extraordinarily supportive and encouraging in supporting my original idea and helping it develop into a rock-solid format before hitting the market.  The generosity they have afforded me – with their time, advice, and industry contacts – have shown a genuine interest in helping me and Stealing Second succeed,” said Jason Chong, 2021 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Recipient.

“The Reg Grundy Award is a development initiative that embodies Australia’s give-it-a-go attitude, and we encourage everyone toying with an idea for a show to enter. The appetite for shows that fit within the unscripted genre is only growing, and we think one of the best ways to find a fresh concept is by asking the Aussie audience what they want to see,” said Ivan Vukusic, AACTA’s Awards and Industry Development Manager.

In partnership with Reg Grundy’s wife, Chairman of RG Capital, author and businesswoman Mrs Joy Chambers Grundy, the Reg Grundy award asks Australians from all walks of life and across all experience levels to pitch an idea that is original, viable and possesses a shimmer of Grundy ‘magic’.

The recipient of the Reg Grundy Award is determined by a judging panel made of up industry experts. Debbie Cuell, Head of the newly formed Sparkle Pictures, and previously Head of Entertainment at the ABC and an AACTA Award winning executive at Endemol Shine Australia (Old People’s Home For 4 Year Old), and Steve Oemcke, co-founder of WTFN, one of Australia’s most successful, innovative and prolific content businesses (Postcards, Bondi Vet) join returning judges Sharon Wheeler (Award-winning Senior Entertainment Executive), Marion Farrelly (Speaker, Consultant, Creative Strategist), and Ian Hogg (Media CEO, Advisor, Australian Idol, Australia’s Got Talent, Family Feud).

“I had the great pleasure of working for Grundy in the early 2000’s – when I hosted iconic game show Wheel of Fortune. I learnt a lot about Reg Grundy and his genius with formats, which helped ignite my creative passion,” said 2022 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Judge, Steve Oemcke. I’m really excited to join this group of highly regarded industry experts, to help mentor the next generation of format creators. As the content world explodes across countless new global platforms – there’s never been a better time to be in the ideas business.

Round 1 entries call for your show’s title, a logline (1 – 2 sentence description), and a synopsis that’s up to 1 page long by 5pm AEST Friday 14 October 2022.