Tales from Outer Suburbia Continues International Success Following Four Screen Music Awards Wins

Australian animated series Tales from Outer Suburbia is continuing its successful awards run, taking home four honours at the 2026 Screen Music Awards as the ABC production gains international recognition.

Inspired by the acclaimed illustrated book by Australian author and artist Shaun Tan, the series emerged as the biggest winner at the October 28 ceremony at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, with composers Josh Hogan and Ned Beckley winning all four categories in which the production was nominated.

The pair received Best Music for Children’s Programming, Best Opening Title Television Theme and Best Soundtrack Album, while also sharing Best Original Song Composed for the Screen with Joni Hogan for the track “Nothing Stays the Same”.

Joni Hogan performed the award-winning song live with the orchestra during the ceremony.

Presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, the annual awards recognise achievement in screen composition across film, television, advertising and video games.

According to the production’s representatives, the four-award sweep is understood to be a first for a single composing team at the ceremony.

The latest recognition adds to a growing collection of international accolades for Tales from Outer Suburbia, which has now accumulated 15 award honours and festival selections, according to the production.

Following its premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2025, the series has been selected for international events including Prix Jeunesse International in Munich, MOVE Summit Scotland and the Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival.

It has also received recognition through the Venice TV Awards, NHK Japan Prize, Australian Screen Editors Awards, Screen Producers Australia Awards and Asian Academy Creative Awards.

Produced by Highly Spirited and Flying Bark Productions in association with Siamese, the series is directed by Noel Cleary, with Tan serving as creative director.

Using computer-generated animation designed to evoke the handcrafted appearance of stop-motion, the adaptation brings Tan’s distinctive illustrations and imaginative suburban world to television.

The series premiered on ABC iview on January 1, 2026, before launching in the United States on BYUtv on January 7.

Its international distribution is handled by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.

The award-winning score was composed and produced by Hogan and Beckley at Envelope Audio in Fremantle, with vocals by Joni Hogan and sound design by Tom Allum.

Reflecting on the production’s unusual creative direction, Josh Hogan said the team had been encouraged to embrace the unconventional qualities of Tan’s original work.

“Shaun’s note to us was ‘the weirder, the better’, and Noel and the producers held that line through the whole production,” Hogan said.

“A children’s series that trusts its audience with strangeness and quiet is rare, and the music could only be as brave as the show let it be.”

Cleary similarly praised the contribution of the composers, describing the score as an essential part of the series’ emotional storytelling.

“The score is beautifully haunting, wonderful and hopeful all at once,” Cleary said.

“It holds the quiet magic of the series and helps the audience feel the emotion beneath every moment.”

For Tan, whose illustrated stories have found audiences internationally, the adaptation represents another opportunity to explore the relationship between visual storytelling and music.

“The soundtrack captures the essence of what I was trying to explore in the illustrations – the magic hidden in everyday suburban life,” Tan said.

“It’s wonderful to see how the same story can be told in different forms: first as a book, then a television series, and now through music.”

The series’ official soundtrack was released in January and is available across major music platforms.

With its latest awards adding to a growing international profile, Tales from Outer Suburbia continues to demonstrate the global reach of Australian animation and the creative possibilities of adapting distinctive local stories for international audiences.

Tales from Outer Suburbia is available to stream in Australia on ABC iview.