2027 AIDC AWARDS OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS WITH NEW CATEGORIES

In 2027, the 8th annual AIDC Awards will acknowledge excellence in Australian documentary and factual storytelling in a refreshed set of categories, with submissions opening from today, Thursday 15 October 2026.

To be presented on the closing night of AIDC 2027, Thursday 11 March, in Sydney, the prestigious AIDC Awards are the only dedicated awards for the Australian documentary and factual sector, and recognise the exceptional talent and expertise of Australian creators across long and short-form storytelling, audio and digital media. 

Submissions are now being accepted for outstanding completed works of new nonfiction content across the following categories:

• Best Feature Documentary 
• Best Documentary Series
• Best Factual Series
• Best Documentary / Factual Single
• Best Short Documentary
• Best Audio Documentary
• Best Digital First Documentary 

Nominations for the annual $5,000 Southern Light Award for outstanding contribution to nonfiction screen, digital and/or audio media will also open later this year.

Following a review of new trends and pathways, AIDC has reconfigured the Awards categories and criteria for 2027. Alongside Best Feature Documentary, Best Documentary/Factual Single, Best Short Documentary and Best Audio Documentary, the series awards will be split across two distinct categories for the first time: Best Documentary Series and Best Factual Series.

The Best Digital First Documentary category will also be introduced, which expands the scope of the previous Best Interactive / Immersive Documentary category to accept other non-traditional formats. These may include documentaries for platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok, as well as interactive / immersive works. (Full eligibility guidelines can be found on the AIDC Awards web-page).

Winners of AIDC Awards under the original categories include some of the most significant and engaging productions to emerge from the Australian industry in the last five years.

Best Feature Documentary
Yurlu | Country (2026), Left Write Hook (2025), This Is Going To Be Big (2024), Wash My Soul in the River’s Flow (2023), I’m Wanita (2022), The Australian Dream (2021)

Best Documentary/Factual Series
Revealed: Death Cap Murders (2026) Stuff the British Stole Series 2 (2025) Never Let Him Go (2024), The Australian Wars (2023), See What You Made Me Do (2022), Miriam Margolyes Almost Australian (2021)

Best Documentary/Factual Single
Emily: I Am Kam (2026), Tough Not Toxic (2025), Rebel With a Cause: Oodgeroo Noonuccal (2024), Still We Rise (2023), Our African Roots (2022), Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky (2021)

Best Short-Form Documentary
Wieambilla Reconstructed (2026), Mahika Kai (2025) Marungka tjalatjunu (Dipped in black) (2024), Eden Alone Surpasses Thee (2023), Freedom Swimmer (2022), My Body Says (2021)

Best Audio Documentary
Broken Trust  (2026), This is not a Game (2025), House of Skulls (2024), The Greatest Menace: Inside the Gay Prison Experiment (2023), Tender: Roia Atmar (2022), The Eleventh (2021)

Best Interactive/Immersive Documentary
The World Came Flooding In (2026), Las Awichas (2025), Turbulence: Jamais Vu (2024), Night Creatures (2023), Gondwana (2022), Mt Resilience (2021)

AIDC CEO / Creative Director, Natasha Gadd, said, “In an increasingly challenging climate for documentary and factual creators, the AIDC Awards are an opportunity to spotlight and celebrate bold and unique projects that have been released in the last year across a range of forms, formats and topics. 

“Recognising that documentary and factual filmmakers are continually required to adapt to an evolving sector landscape, AIDC has refreshed our awards categories and eligibility criteria to better reflect changing release strategies across online platforms, direct to audience models and new funding eligibility as well as to distinguish the different approaches to crafting documentary series and factual series.The new categories and criteria will ensure a wider variety of nonfiction storytellers and projects will be eligible. 

“We look forward to seeing the breadth and diversity of projects across these seven categories and to celebrating the excellence of our documentary and factual filmmakers at the 2027 AIDC Awards.” 

AIDC Awards submissions close Sunday 22 November (or Wednesday 25 November with late fee).

To be eligible, projects must be able to demonstrate a public release – a premiere in Australia or internationally – between 1 February 2026 and 1 February 2027. Visit the AIDC Awards page for more information regarding category criteria and guidelines and to submit a project.

AIDC AWARDS

For all questions, please contact awards@aidc.com.au

AIDC 2027 will take place 8-11 March in Sydney, NSW, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of NSW and Botanic Gardens of Sydney, followed by an online international marketplace 23-24 March.

AIDC 2027 is presented by Principal Partner Screen NSW, Presenting Partner Screen Australia, and Major Partners ABC and SBS

A first look at the AIDC 2027 program, including the announcement of key international speakers and industry guests, will be released on Thursday 5 November 2026.

Main Image: 2026 AIDC Awards | Photo by William Hamilton-Coates