2025 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Recipients Announced

“UNSPOILED” WINS $50,000 2025 AACTA REG GRUNDY AWARD IN A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR SUBMISSIONS

In what has been hailed as the strongest year of submissions since its inception, the 2025 AACTA Reg Grundy Award has been awarded to Unspoiled, a groundbreaking television format that perfectly embodies the spirit of bold, original Australian storytelling. With an unprecedented level of creativity and innovation in this year’s competition, it’s clear that the future of Australian entertainment is in great hands.

Created by Jamie Durie, Neville Poelina, and Melanie Hogan, Unspoiled is an adventurous and inspiring format that takes city-dwellers out of their comfort zones and into the vast Australian outback, where they trade Wi-Fi for wisdom, skyscrapers for red dirt, and routine for rediscovery. Guided by Neville’s indigenous wisdom and bush survival skills, the show promises a mix of humour, resilience, and cultural insight, reinforcing the deep connection between people and the land, with life lessons we can all apply.

Jamie Durie, Neville Poelina, and Melanie Hogan are thrilled to bring Unspoiled to life, "We’re going to have so much fun with this series—taking city dwellers out bush and immersing them in ancient wisdom, nature’s best life hacks, and a world far beyond their daily routine. We’re pretty confident they’ll come back with a renewed spirit—and maybe even a few new survival skills!"

Continuing the Reg Grundy Legacy

Reg Grundy was a pioneer in bringing innovative, audience-first television to screens across Australia and around the world, from Sale of the Century, Blankety Blanks, Wheel of Fortune, and Family Feud, to dramas including Sons & Daughters, Prisoner and Neighbours.

Established in partnership with Grundy’s wife, Joy Chambers-Grundy, former chairman of RG Capital, author and businesswoman, the AACTA Reg Grundy Award proudly continues Grundy’s heritage of hard work and entrepreneurial spirit by seeking out formats that can become the next big hit in Australian entertainment.

“This award has always been about discovering bold, original ideas that have the potential to shape the future of Australian television, as Reg Grundy did. With Unspoiled, we see that potential fully realised—a format that entertains, inspires, and educates all at once,” said long-time Grundy Executive Sharon Wheeler.

“It’s a concept that truly embraces Reg’s legacy of creating television that resonates with audiences far and wide. I can’t wait to see it on our screens and am confident that we will.” said Ian Hogg, member of the 2025 judging panel.

Ivan Vukusic, Awards and Industry Development Manager at AACTA, reinforced this sentiment “This year, we’ve witnessed some of the most exciting and original TV concepts since the inception of the AACTA Reg Grundy Award. Unspoiled is incredibly timely and the kind of show that speaks to modern audiences—adventurous, heartfelt, and uniquely Australian. It’s a testament to the incredible ideas and talent emerging from our industry.”

This year’s esteemed panel of judges—including some of the biggest names in Australian television—selected Unspoiled from a fiercely competitive field. The panel included Paul Hardy (Alone, 7 Year Switch, Beauty and the Geek), Marion Farrelly (Big Brother, The X Factor, The Celebrity Apprentice), Ian Hogg (Idols, Got Talent, Neighbours, Wentworth, Grand Designs, Price is Right), Sharon Wheeler (Singled Out, Neighbours, It’s a Knockout), and Steve Oemcke (Talk to the Animals, Wheel of Fortune).

A Landmark Year for Australian Creativity

The 2025 competition saw an exceptional breadth of original ideas, with the top five finalists reflecting the remarkable depth of Australian creativity. The quality and variety of submissions signal an incredibly exciting time for the industry, reinforcing Australia’s position as a hub for groundbreaking entertainment formats. All finalists will continue to receive mentoring from the judges to help bring their concepts closer to realisation.

This year’s Top 5 finalists

STORYTIME – Chris Huntly-Turner, Timothy Walker
QUIZZICAL – Lincoln Russell
BACKPACKERS: THE WHITSUNDAYS – Lynda Heys, Steve Turnbull
THE MITCH CHURI CHAT SHOW – Mitch Churi
UNSPOILED – Jamie Durie, Neville Poelina, Melanie Hogan

Unspoiled will be officially celebrated at the 2025 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group, taking place on Friday, February 7 at HOTA, Gold Coast. The ceremony will be broadcast on Channel Ten at 7:30pm AEDT, with an extended AACTA Awards broadcast available onBINGE and Foxtel (Famous) from 7:30pm on February 8.

About Unspoiled

Jamie Durie, Neville Poelina, and Melanie Hogan bring a wealth of experience to the table:

Jamie Durie, OAM – Award-winning television host, designer, and environmental advocate with a global career spanning 52 primetime shows.
Neville Poelina – A Nyikina man and Indigenous tourism leader, sharing ancient wisdom and bush survival skills through storytelling.
Melanie Hogan – Acclaimed Australian filmmaker behind Kanyini, a deeply moving documentary on Indigenous culture and resilience.

Together, they are set to deliver an experience that is uniquely Australian, profoundly entertaining, and globally appealing.

Join the Celebration

The 2025 AACTA Awards and AACTA Festival will run from February 5 – 9, featuring a wide range of activities, screenings, masterclasses, and networking events. AACTA Festival offers an unparalleled opportunity for creatives, industry professionals, and entertainment fans to connect and celebrate the best in film and television.

For more information, visit aactafestival.com.

Upcoming Key Dates

AACTA Awards Industry Gala: Wednesday 5 February 2025

AACTA Awards Ceremony & Official After Party: Friday 7 February 2025

AACTA Festival: Wednesday 5 February – Sunday 9 February

For information on the AACTA Festival, AACTA Awards and ticket sales, click here.