Submissions are Open for the AACTA Brian Walsh Award

THE AACTA BRIAN WALSH AWARD, SPONSORED BY NICOLE KIDMAN, IS BACK FOR ITS THIRD YEAR

Submissions are now open for the third year of the AACTA Brian Walsh Award for Emerging Talent, an initiative honouring the late Brian Walsh, one of Australia’s most admired screen executives and a passionate champion of local talent. The award recognises early-career actors who demonstrate exceptional creative potential and a commitment to building a long-term career in the screen industry. The Brian Walsh Award will be presented at the 2026 AACTA Award presented by Foxtel Group as part of AACTA Festival 4 - 8 February on the Gold Coast.

The recipient will receive a package valued at $25,000 towards their career development, including $20,000 in direct career advancement funds contributed by Nicole Kidman and AACTA, and local and international tax services valued at $5,000 from Vialto Partners. The Award recipient will also gain invaluable career support, substantial exposure and recognition through AACTA and its partners.

The Award, won in 2025 by Kartanya Maynard, provides the exceptional opportunity for the winner to develop their skills and foster their craft to support a sustainable career both in Australia and internationally.

Kartanya said: “The Brian Walsh Award for Emerging Talent has truly changed my life. It's opened doors, encouraged growth and provided me the support to launch my international career. I'm incredibly thankful"

A panel of distinguished industry figures that will choose the recipient include Michael Idato  (Culture Editor-at-Large of The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age), Lana Greenhalgh (Director of Scripted Originals, Foxtel Group), Jamie Campbell (Communications Consultant), Unjoo Moon (Director and Producer), Amanda Duthie (Content Director, Netflix ANZ), Lindsey Martin (Senior Vice-President of International Co-Productions and Development at CBS Studios), Carly Heaton (Head of Scripted, Fremantle), Amanda Laing (Managing Director, Nine Streaming and Broadcast) and Rob Collins (AACTA Award Nominated Actor)

Lana Greenhalgh said: “I’m delighted to join the judging panel for The AACTA Brian Walsh Award for Emerging Talent. It’s a privilege and an honour to carry on Brian’s legacy of discovering and nurturing bold new Australian talent.”

“It’s been wonderful to see how impactful the Brian Walsh Award has been to our recipients” saidIvan Vukusic, AACTA’s Awards and Industry Development Manager. “We’re very grateful for Nicole’s ongoing support and honoured to have such an esteemed panel dedicated to this consequential and career changing opportunity”.

The AACTA Brian Walsh Award for Emerging Talent is open to actors with less than five years of professional, credited experience. Entrants must be over 18 years of age and cannot have previously been nominated for an AACTA Award, excluding the AACTA Award for Best Short Film.

As part of this year’s celebrations of Walsh’s ongoing legacy, AACTA Festival will host a special screening of The Great Entertainer, a Foxtel Original feature documentary that pays tribute to his extraordinary career and impact on the Australian screen industry. For program information and updates visit aactafestival.com.

For more information about the AACTA Brian Walsh Award and the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, visitaacta.org.