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PLEASE NOTE: We are currently in the process of confirming the Adelaide Fringe 2026 Awards Program. Some details may change. Please email awards@adelaidefringe.com.au with any questions.

The Adelaide Fringe Awards are a fantastic way to celebrate the incredible talent and diverse shows that light up our festival each year. These accolades can open doors for your future projects and enhance your artistic journey. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about participating in the awards program, from opting in to understanding the judging process.

Contents

Introduction

The Adelaide Fringe Awards are a celebration of the diverse and wonderful shows presented throughout the festival season. We have weekly awards announced every week of the festival, and overall awards presented at a special in-person ceremony at the end of the festival. Winners are announced on Adelaide Fringe's social media channels and to over 100,000 Fringe eNews subscribers. These awards are highly sought after, and the recognition can certainly help carry you forward to all your future projects, prospects, and events.

Contact Us

We have a dedicated Awards team ready to assist you with any questions. Our operating hours are 9 am - 5 pm (Adelaide time), with extended opening hours during the festival season.

Opting In

To be considered for the Awards program, your show needs to opt-in via your AVR event registration and meet eligibility criteria. When registering your event in AVR, you must opt-in to participate. You can opt-in during or after your registration is complete by navigating to the "Awards" page of your show registration, but you must be opted in by the awards deadline.

By opting into the Awards program, you permit Adelaide Fringe to allocate up to eight (8) complimentary tickets across the whole season to judges for your eligible event. If Adelaide Fringe requires more tickets than this allocation, they will be purchased as regular tickets via Adelaide Fringe Ticketing.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an Adelaide Fringe Award, you only need to have a performance before midnight March 20th. After this date, voting will close for judges. There are no minimum number of performances required. As long as you have ONE performance before March 20th, you will be eligible for both weekly and overall Genre Awards.

Specialist Awards each have their own individual eligibility (e.g. the Youth Award must have 50% or more creatives under the age of 25 involved, Mental Health Awareness Award must have themes of mental health). If you'd like to know the eligibility of a specific award, please email the Awards team.

Announcements & Ceremony

Weekly Awards are announced every Thursday across Adelaide Fringe's social media channels. Winners will be notified via email and sent assets to help them celebrate their win.

The Awards Ceremony takes place on the final day of the festival. This is where our overall and specialty awards are announced. All participants are invited to RSVP via email until allocation is exhausted. The exact time, location, and further details for this event will be confirmed and announced mid-festival.

List of Awards

Please note that a show is not eligible to enter the awards program if it has previously won an Adelaide Fringe Overall Genre Award or a Pick of the Fringe Award. This eligibility rule applies only to the show itself, not to the individual artists involved or to brand new shows with the same name. The list below serves as a guide and is subject to change. Where possible, individual eligibility criteria and prize packages have been provided. Please note we are currently in the process of confirming all awards for 2026. Some details may change.

Best in Genre Awards

These awards are presented each week of the festival, with an overall award also presented at the Adelaide Fringe Awards Ceremony at the end of the festival season (unless stated otherwise).

  • Adelaide Fringe Best Cabaret Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Circus Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Comedy Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Dance Award 
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Film & Digital + Interactive Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Eat & Drink Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Event, Workshops & Talks Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Kids & Family Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Magic Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Music Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Theatre & Physical Theatre Award
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Visual Art & Design Award 
  • Adelaide Fringe Best Variety Award 
  • Pick of the Week (weekly only)
  • BankSA Pick of the Fringe (overall only)

Touring Awards

  • The FRINGE WORLD Tour Ready Award (Perth): Open to South Australian artists/companies ready to tour to FRINGE WORLD. Prize includes (but not limited to) a cash prize and free registration.
  • The Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award: Open to South Australian artists/companies ready to tour to the Melbourne Fringe. Prize includes (but not limited to) a cash prize, free registration, and marketing support.
  • The Sydney Fringe Tour Ready Award: Open to South Australian artists/companies ready to tour to Sydney Fringe. Prize includes (but not limited to) a cash prize, free registration, free venue hire, and marketing support.
  • The NZ Fringe Festival Wellington Tour Ready Award: Open to South Australian artists/companies ready to tour to NZ Fringe. Prize includes (but not limited to) a cash prize, free registration, financial contribution to accommodation costs, venue and programming support, and marketing support.
  • The Fiji Fringe Tour Ready Award: Open to South Australian artists/companies ready to tour to Fiji Fringe. Prize includes (but not limited to) a cash prize, and free venue hire.
  • Edinburgh Fringe Award, presented by CreateSA: Open to South Australian artists/companies going to or planning to go to Edinburgh Fringe. This award provides financial support for touring costs.
  • The Hollywood Fringe Tour Ready Award: Open to Australian artists/companies who are ready to tour to Hollywood Fringe. Prize package includes (but not limited to) a cash prize, free registration, venue, and marketing support.
  • The Frank Ford Award: Open to South Australian Artists/Companies. Celebrates an SA artist who has made an impact on the industry locally. The $20,000 prize money supports international touring opportunities for the artist.
  • Sarah Rohrsheim Fellowship Award: Open to all Adelaide Fringe 2025 registered shows. Celebrates Adelaide Fringe on a global scale. This award assists a registered Adelaide Fringe artist with the cost of presenting their work in territories of their choice over the following year.

Mentorship Awards

  • Best Emerging Producer, Presented By MILKE: Open to emerging producers who have opted into the mentorship awards. Chosen by MILKE for those with longevity potential and aptitude for growth. Prize pack includes 6 months of producing mentoring with Executive Producer Laura Milke Garner.
  • One to Watch Award, Presented by Matt Tarrant: Open to all Adelaide Fringe 2025 registered shows who have opted into the mentorship awards. Chosen by Matt Tarrant, this award includes a $2,000 prize package and 6 months of professional mentorship to help artists build sustainable careers.

Themes & Specialist Awards

  • John Chataway Innovation Award: Celebrates the achievements of artists who show great innovation in their practice, with a $2,00 cash prize.
  • Adelaide Critics Circle Award: Chosen by the Adelaide Critics Circle, representing the city's performing and visual arts critics.
  • Take a Chance on Adelaide Award, Presented by Ray & Conrad Henley-Calvert: Open to first-time Adelaide Fringe performers outside of South Australia. This award recognises a standout show and supports the return of performers the following year at Adelaide Fringe. Prize includes $1,000 cash and free registration upon registering for the Adelaide Fringe 2026 season.
  • Holden Street Theatres Adelaide Fringe Award: Chosen by Holden Street Theatres. Offers an emerging South Australian artist or theatre company four weeks of free rental at Holden Street Theatres for rehearsal, development, or performance.
  • Science at the Fringe Award, Presented by Inspiring SA: Open to shows that contain science/STEM themes. Recognises events that inspire audiences with science/STEM within the work.
  • Mental Health Awareness Award presented by mindshare: Open to shows with Mental Health themes. This award promotes creative works by those with lived experience, mental health consumers, carers, and workers, with a $1,000 cash prize.
  • The Eran Svigos Award for Best Visual Art: Open to solo exhibitionists registered under the Visual Arts & Design genre. Honours the most outstanding Visual Arts Exhibition by an individual at Adelaide Fringe, with a $2000 cash prize.
  • Adelaide Fringe Youth Award: Open to an artist or group under 25 years old. Presented for exceptional work by artists under the age of 25, with a $1,000 cash prize.
  • Adelaide Fringe Access Award: Awarded to an exceptional event or venue for providing outstanding accessibility services or demonstrating a lived experience of disability. Includes a $1,000 cash prize.
  • Cultural Diversity Award presented by the Australian Refugee Association: Open to artists or groups who identify as cultural and/or linguistically diverse. This award recognises work that makes an impact on communities.
  • Guildhouse Artists Choice Award presented by Guildhouse: Open to shows registered under the Visual Arts & Design genre within Australia.
  • Theatre Networks Australia Award: Details to be confirmed.
  • Best of Street Award: Open to Street Performers registered with Adelaide Fringe. Further details to be confirmed.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award: Open to artists, shows, and companies who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Celebrates leadership, talent, and positive influence, with a $2,000 cash prize.
  • Sustainability Award presented by Graham F Smith Peace Foundation: Open to shows with sustainability themes. Awarded to a show that takes responsibility for its environmental impact and engages audiences in sustainable practices, with a $1,000 cash prize.
  • The Marjorie Fitz-Gerald Encouragement Award for Costuming: Open to South Australian artists/companies. For those most creative with costuming, with a $1,000 cash prize.
  • Poetry Award: Details to be confirmed.
  • Adelaide Fringe Emerging Artist Award (weekly and overall): Open to artists, shows, and companies in their first 5 years of practice who have opted into this award. Highlights undiscovered gems and supports artists presenting fresh and innovative new work, with a $1,000 cash prize for the overall winner.
  • Adelaide Fringe Spirit of the Fringe Award (weekly): Awarded to an Adelaide Fringe participant to recognise their commitment, dedication, tenacity, and passion for the Adelaide Fringe and our Values & Manifesto.

Judging Process

In 2025, we had over 300 judges for more than 980 eligible events. Our judging panel comprises local, national, and international industry professionals, Honey Pot delegates, Adelaide Fringe staff, and seasoned audience members. Adelaide Fringe Awards Program Judges are selected via an application process, with careful consideration given to all applications. The final panel is chosen based on their knowledge, experience, and passion. While we aim to have all eligible events attended by a judge, we cannot guarantee that your specific event will be seen.

The Tickets

You allocate eight (8) "Awards Comp" tickets for your show to be part of the program. There are several ways a judge might see your show:

  • Booking an Awards Comp ticket through Adelaide Fringe.
  • Using their Adelaide Fringe pass (if applicable, for artists, staff, Honey Pot, venue, etc.) and entering the event only after all paying audience members have entered.
  • Purchasing a ticket through Adelaide Fringe as a general audience member.

You'll only see the Awards Comp tickets on your door list, so this alone isn't a definitive indicator of whether a judge has attended your show.

Preview Sessions

Unlike media tickets, judges are permitted to attend previews. Due to the large number of eligible shows in the Awards Program, we include preview sessions to give people the best chance of a judge attending your show. Without the ability to view previews, many shows might miss out on having a judge attend.

All judges are briefed about preview sessions as follows:

  • Judges may assess a show in preview, but they are asked to appreciate that the show might still be in development and that everything might not go perfectly on the night.
  • They are encouraged to look for the potential in the show rather than judging at face value.
  • If a judge is uncertain how to assess a preview, they are advised to avoid attending.

If you DO NOT want judges to attend your preview sessions, please contact awards@adelaidefringe.com.au as soon as possible so we can remove the Awards Comp ticketing option for those sessions. Remember, we cannot guarantee all events will be seen by judges, so the more sessions you have available, the higher your chance of being seen.

If a judge attended a preview session and you don't believe it accurately represented your work, please contact us so we can take this into account during assessment. If this occurs and you wish for the judges' comments to be discarded altogether, we cannot guarantee that you'll be able to get judges to attend later in your season.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do judges decide what to see?

Judges are presented with a list of eligible shows prior to the opening week of the festival. They then select shows to see based on their availability. Judges are encouraged to see a wide range of experiences our full programme has to offer.

A judge missed a session and didn't come to my show - what do I do?

If you believe a judge has missed a session they booked, please contact the Awards team immediately so we can investigate and, if possible, find another judge to attend another session. Don't wait until after your season is over to let us know. Remember, there are several ways a judge can attend a session, so they might not always be under an Awards Comp ticket, and even if they booked one, they might not have been ticked off your door list for a number of reasons.

Can I get feedback from the judges about my show?

Judges' comments are solely for the purpose of judging. These will not be made available to presenters or creatives.

Do you have any other questions?

Please contact our Awards Team: awards@aelaidefringe.com.au.

Summary

  • The Adelaide Fringe Awards celebrate incredible shows and offer valuable recognition for artists.
  • To participate, you must opt-in via your AVR event registration and ensure your show meets eligibility criteria.
  • You can opt-in after your registration is complete, but you need to have opted-in by the awards deadline.
  • Weekly awards are announced on social media, while overall awards are presented at a special ceremony on the festival's final day.
  • The judging process involves a panel of industry professionals and audience members, with tickets allocated and preview session guidelines in place.

Additional Resources