2021 AACTA REG GRUNDY AWARD TOP FIVE FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

AACTA today announced the five finalists for the 2021 AACTA Reg Grundy Award, established to support new ideas in screen entertainment and fast track new and original productions. This year is shaping up to be even bigger than last year, with a focus on all things competition – gameshows, competition reality and quizzes. The 2021 AACTA Reg Grundy Award was open to any Australian with a new idea for a television competition program, and with $50K on offer, is the largest prize of its kind in the world!

In addition to last year’s prize of $20,000 in cash and $30,000 in development funding, the 2021 AACTA Reg Grundy Award will offer $10,000 to someone under 25 with a TV show pitch that impresses the judges, and AACTA look forward to announcing more news on that soon.

Last year’s finalists have all gone on to garner industry interest with the creators of the 2020 Reg Grundy Award winner, Seven Pups, in discussion with producers in the US for series 1. Respected factual and unscripted production company WTFN are collaborating on other projects for broadcasters and streamers with one finalist entering a development agreement.

This year’s finalists focussed on team-work, unique game play, strategy and bluffing, and regeneration through art. The 2021 AACTA Reg Grundy top five finalists are Australian Graffiti, Boomerang, Pass it On!, Real Teams, and The Second Best Game Show.

Australian Graffiti – Neil Singh

Australian Graffiti is a stylish, modern reality competition where talented street artists put their skills and creativity to the test. They will compete in a series of unique and inventive challenges. Challenges that will help transform a town in need into a captivating outdoor gallery. The artists will hope to impress industry icons enough to go on and win the ultimate prize.

Boomerang – Kevin Brumpton and Angus Fitzsimons

A game show where the players throw the questions away… but they keep coming back.

Fun family viewing in an original and distinctive take on the classic game show format.

Pass it On! – Tylah Pratt

A challenge-based comedy show in which six personalities work in pairs to compete in a series of outlandish tasks, whereby one team member is given a rapid masterclass on a random subject and required to pass the lesson on to their teammate as best they can to then execute the task in a real world scenario with the team judged by the end result.

Real Teams – Ross and Rochelle Calia

Teams of athletes, each made up of people with and without disability, undertake challenges of strength and skill as they work together to battle each other for crowning glory.

The Second Best Game Show – Jason Chong

Want to win this quiz? Finish second.

The Second Best Game Show takes the quiz show format and destroys it by asking one question: “What would happen if it’s the person in SECOND PLACE that takes home the prize money?”

Each entrant will pitch their original concepts to the judging panel made up of experienced industry figures in the local and international television industry, available for all to view as part of AACTA’s ScreenFest program on Tuesday 7 December, on AACTA TV.

The esteemed judging panel includes Eden Gaha (President of unscripted television at Shine USA), Cathy Payne (CEO of Banijay Rights), Sharon Wheeler (Award-winning Senior Entertainment Executive), and Marion Farrelly (Speaker, Consultant, Creative Strategist), and Ian Hogg (Media CEO, Advisor, Australian Idol, Australia’s Got Talent, Family Feud). 

AACTA Reg Grundy Award Judge and President of Unscripted Television at Shine USA, Eden Gaha said “They say that a good idea can come from anywhere, a point that was proven with some terrific submissions from such a diverse group of candidates. I’d love to see all of these finalists on our screens one day. From fresh genres we’ve not yet seen in competition reality, to new twists on gameshows, to celebrating underrepresented communities, these five finalist show the breadth of talent that is coming through in unscripted television.”

More information on the winner of the winner of the additional prize of $10,000 to the best idea from someone under 25 will be announced soon.