The AIDC Awards were established in 2021 to recognise outstanding completed works of new Australian documentary and factual content across six categories.
Best Feature Documentary (with a $5,000 cash prize from Film Finances)
Best Documentary/Factual Series
Best Documentary/Factual Single
Best Short-Form Documentary (with a $2,000 cash prize from AFTRS)
Best Audio Documentary
Best Interactive/Immersive Documentary
The AIDC Awards recognise the exceptional talent and expertise of Australian content creators across long and short-form documentary and factual content, as well as audio documentary and documentary storytelling through new and emerging media.
PREVIOUS AIDC AWARDS
- 2025 AIDC Award Nominees and Winners
- 2024 AIDC Award Nominees and Winners
- 2023 AIDC Award Nominees and Winners
- 2022 AIDC Award Nominees and Winners
- 2021 AIDC Award Nominees and Winners
SOUTHERN LIGHT AWARD
AIDC also presents the annual Southern Light Award, a $5,000 cash prize presented to an Australian industry professional for their outstanding contribution to nonfiction screen, digital and/or audio media. To learn more about the prize, visit the Southern Light Award page.
Submissions are required to meet the category definitions outlined in the 2026 AIDC Awards Submission Guide (see below) and to adhere to the below requirements:
- Pay the submission fee for the category in which you are entering (see the How to Submit section for more information).
- Be able to demonstrate a public release – which is considered a premiere – between 1 February 2025 and 1 February 2026. AIDC will make exceptions for entries that have had an international premiere within these dates but which have not yet premiered in Australia.
- Show that at least one key creative (producer, director, writer) on the production is an AIDC member. An AIDC member is an Australian resident who attended AIDC 2025 or has purchased an AIDC Membership. To purchase a membership visit AIDC Membership.
- Demonstrate one Australian citizen or permanent resident as a key creative.
For full eligibility criteria, as well as a definition of each AIDC Award, please refer to the
UPDATE: 2026 AIDC AWARDS SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
To submit an entry for Best Feature Documentary, or Best Documentary/Factual Series, please submit a Long-Form application.
Regular Fee Deadline: 11.59pm (AEDT) Sunday 16 November, 2025Late Fee Deadline: 11.59pm (AEDT) Sunday 23 November, 2025
Submission Fee
$195 (Late Submission – $295)
For categories including Best Documentary/Factual Single, Best Short-Form Documentary, Best Audio Documentary, or Best Interactive/Immersive Documentary, please submit a Short-Form & Other application.
Regular Fee Deadline: 11.59pm (AEDT) Sunday 30 November, 2025Late Fee Deadline: 11.59pm (AEDT) Sunday 07 December, 2025
Submission Fee
$95(Late Submission – $145)
Submission fees are inclusive of GST. A 2% credit card fee is payable at checkout.
A sample of the submission questions can be found in the 2026 AIDC Awards Submission Guide (.pdf) (.docx).
For any enquiries about the Awards submission process, please email awards@aidc.com.au
PLEASE NOTE: Prior to submitting a project for an Award you will be asked to set up your free MY AIDC account. Simply follow the prompts and a verification link will be sent to your email address for you to activate your account. (Please check your junk or spam folder if you have not received a verification email). You should be automatically redirected to sign in with your account details.
If you have already created a MY AIDC account, click MY AIDC | LOG IN in the AIDC website header to access your dashboard.
Select the appropriate Awards form (Long-Form or Short-Form) and complete the form. Once you have completed the form and made payment (if required) you will receive a confirmation email and a link to your tax receipt (it’s recommended that you check your spam or junk mail account if you do not receive these details via your nominated email address). If you do not receive this email within 24 hours, please contact info@aidc.com.au.
Each category of the 2026 AIDC Awards is assessed by an independent jury comprising experts in the field.
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
- Raul Niño Zambrano – Creative Director, Sheffield DocFest (UK)
- Kyas Hepworth – Screen & Media Specialist (AUS
- Paul Struthers – International Documentary Programmer, Sydney Film Festival (AUS)
BEST DOCUMENTARY / FACTUAL SINGLE
- Electra Manikakis – Executive Producer, Wild Pacific Media (AUS)
- Katrina Lucas – Creative Producer (AUS)
- Michael Hilliard – Executive Producer, Boardwalk Pictures (USA/AUS)
BEST DOCUMENTARY / FACTUAL SERIES
- Keoni Kailimai – Director of Programs, Pacific Islanders in Communications (USA/HAWAII)
- Lexi Landsman – Development Executive, BBC Studios Productions (AUS)
- Marc Fennell – Journalist, Documentary Storyteller (AUS)
BEST SHORT-FORM DOCUMENTARY
- Erika Dilday – Executive Director, American Documentary Inc & Executive Producer, POV (USA)
- Spiro Economopoulos – Film Curator, ACMI (AUS)
- Marlikka Perdrisat – Filmmaker (AUS)
BEST AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
- Daniel James – Co-Host / Executive Producer 7AM Podcast, Solstice Media (AUS)
- Zoe Ferguson – Journalist / Producer, ABC Radio National (AUS)
- Patrick Abboud – Journalist / Documentary Maker, Only Human Productions & Dreamchaser Studios (AUS)
BEST INTERACTIVE / IMMERSIVE DOCUMENTARY
- Brooke Collard – Producer, Goguljar Yok (AUS)
- Jana Blair – General Manager & Partnerships, Regen Studios (AUS)
For more information about each jury member, visit the AIDC Jury profiles.
Jurors for all categories will deliberate across the following criteria:
- Originality of the subject
- Creative treatment of the subject
- Quality of the storytelling (including emotional engagement)
- Integration of craft & technical elements (editing, sound, design, etc.)
Entries to some long-from categories (including Best Feature Documentary and Best Documentary/Factual Series) will be shortlisted by an AIDC appointed pre-selection committee.
The shortlisted projects will then be provided and viewed by the category’s judging panel.
AIDC’s 2026 Award nominees will be announced in mid-February 2026.