‘Tales from Outer Suburbia’ Dominates 2026 Screen Music Awards With Four Wins
Composers Josh Hogan and Ned Beckley swept their nominated categories, while Finn Clarke was named Emerging Screen Composer of the Year and Cezary Skubiszewski received the Distinguished Services honour.
Western Australian composers Josh Hogan and Ned Beckley were the big winners at the 2026 Screen Music Awards, collecting four trophies for their work on the ABC animated series Tales from Outer Suburbia.
The pair won every category in which they were nominated at Wednesday night’s ceremony at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, leading a field of composers recognised for their work across Australian film, television, documentaries, advertising and video games.
Presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), the annual awards celebrated achievement in screen composition across 16 categories.
Hogan and Beckley won Best Music for Children’s Programming, Best Opening Title Television Theme and Best Soundtrack Album for Tales from Outer Suburbia. They also shared Best Original Song Composed for the Screen with fellow composer Joni Hogan.
The four-award sweep made the animated series the night’s most successful production, highlighting the role of original music in bringing children’s storytelling to the screen.
Another strong showing came from longtime collaborators Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks, who collected three awards.
The pair were named Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia for the 12th time, recognising their work on television programs including MasterChef, My Kitchen Rules and Travel Guides.
They also won Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas for their contributions to Con Girl, Lego Masters and Married at First Sight.
Gock and Wicks added Best Music for an Unscripted or Reality Television Series for Million Dollar Secret, sharing the award with composers Adam Sofo, Brontë Horder, Cassie To, David Bruggemann, Lydia Davies, Mitch Stewart and Rory Chenoweth.
‘Addition’ Wins Feature Film Score of the Year
Piers Burbrook de Vere and Rose Mackenzie-Peterson took home Feature Film Score of the Year for their work on the Australian romantic comedy Addition.
The win marked Mackenzie-Peterson’s first Screen Music Award.
In the television drama category, veteran composer Antony Partos won Best Music for a Television Drama for the third episode of The Artful Dodger‘s second season.
The award brought Partos’ career tally to 19 Screen Music Awards, further cementing his position among Australia’s most decorated screen composers.
Helena Czajka claimed back-to-back victories in the Best Music for a Documentary category, winning this year for the Australian documentary Sentient.
Meanwhile, Christopher Larkin was recognised for his score to Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Best Music for a Video Game or Other Interactive Media.
The award recognised Larkin’s work on the highly anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed Australian-developed video game Hollow Knight.
Finn Clarke Named Emerging Screen Composer of the Year
Finn Clarke was named Emerging Screen Composer of the Year, continuing his success at the awards after winning Best Soundtrack Album in 2025.
The honour recognises Clarke’s growing contribution to Australian screen music and comes with two return domestic flights provided by Virgin Australia Business Flyer to support his professional development.
Several other composers celebrated their first Screen Music Awards.
Benjamin Lam won Best Music for an Advertisement for Lego – Project Vehicles, while Nicholas Gardiner received Best Music for a Short Film for Trading Cards.
Georgina Darvidis, Matthew Sheers and Peter Corrigan shared Best Music for a Television Comedy for their work on the sixth episode of The Witchy Girls.
Cezary Skubiszewski Honoured for Distinguished Services
One of the evening’s major honours went to composer Cezary Skubiszewski, who received the Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen award in recognition of a career spanning more than three decades.
Skubiszewski has been a significant figure in Australian film and television music, contributing scores to numerous local productions and developing a distinctive compositional voice across genres.
The award was presented by producer Nelson Woss, who collaborated with Skubiszewski on the soundtrack to the Australian film Red Dog.
The recognition celebrated Skubiszewski’s enduring contribution to Australian screen storytelling and the importance of composers in shaping the emotional identity of film and television.
The ceremony was hosted by actor and singer Rob Collins, with Claudia Karvan OAM and Heartbreak High star Ayesha Madon appearing as guest presenters.
Music also played a central role in the evening’s proceedings, with composer and performer Erkki Veltheim conducting a live orchestra through selections from nominated works.
The performance marked Veltheim’s final year as music director of the awards.
The 2026 ceremony brought together composers working across a wide range of screen disciplines, from major television productions and feature films to independent shorts, advertising and interactive entertainment.
With Tales from Outer Suburbia leading the winners and established figures including Partos, Gock, Wicks and Skubiszewski recognised alongside emerging composers, the awards highlighted both the depth of experience and the next generation of talent shaping Australia’s screen music industry.