SONARR Unveils 91 Finalists as Australia's Audio Industry Gets Its First Unified Awards

SONARR, Australia’s first awards program to unite podcast, radio, audiobook and voice-over under one banner, has announced its inaugural finalist list: 91 finalists across 34 categories and five pillars, spanning both Commercial and Indie streams.

The finalists are now in contention for category awards, the title of SONARR of the Year, and a share of the $10,000 cash prize pool.

A new benchmark for judging audio excellence

SONARR was built to do more than bring the formats together. It set out to change how audio work is judged. Every entry was assessed independently against six fixed criteria by industry practitioners and academics, rather than ranked head-to-head against competitors in its category. Judges scored entries independently and in writing, with no group deliberation, ensuring no single judge’s view could sway another’s.

The result: a standard that has to be earned, not a placing decided by comparison.

“We wanted this selection to reflect the very best of what the Australian audio industry has to offer. Introducing a new standard was a big step, but one the industry was ready for,” said Pariya Taherzadeh, founder of SONARR.

"Conventional awards, although well-intentioned, haven’t kept pace with an industry that has outgrown them. For years, many parts of audio production went unseen and unrecognised. The results of our first year show how strongly the industry has responded to the new categories we introduced to acknowledge those overlooked contributions.”

33 of the 34 inaugural categories drew finalists. The Marketing for Audio Award was the one exception, a sign that entering marketing work isn’t yet second nature to the industry, despite the calibre of campaigns already out there.

Listeners can also explore finalist podcasts in a dedicated Apple Podcasts collection here.

What’s next

Winners will be announced at the SONARR Gala Dinner on 15 October 2026.

The gala dinner will take place at Machine Hall, a 100-year-old former substation in the CBD, celebrating this year’s finalists and category winners. Expect a black-tie evening with entertainment, a three-course meal, pre-drinks and a party.

More information is available at https://sonarr.au/awards-gala/

SONARR Finalists:

SOUND

• Audio Production Award

  • Tony Martin’s Sizzletown - Pots and Pans (Podcast, Indie)
  • Conspiracy? War on the waterfront - Rewind - ABC Radio National (Radio, Commercial)
  • Real Made Up Stories - Coequal (Podcast, Indie)

• Sound Design & Atmosphere Award

  • Nocturnal Worlds - Audiocraft (Podcast, Indie)
  • A Cyclone for Christmas - Caddie Brain - Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (Podcast, Indie)
  • Lone Actor - Secrets we keep - LiSTNR (Podcast, Commercial)

• Original Sonic Identity Award

  • Shortwave - Ian Moorhead - Darwin Festival and ABC Radio Darwin (Radio, Indie)
  • All I can be with Sarah Macdonald - Faith Kayrooz - The Smith Family (Podcast, Indie)
  • The Mystery of the Lerp - Creek Kids series - The Creeks Kids (Podcast, Indie)

NARRATIVE

• AFTRS Narrative Excellence Award

  • Real Made Up Stories - Coequal (Podcast, Indie)
  • No One Saw It Coming with Marc Fennell - Marc Fennell - ABC Radio National (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Kutalaani: From the Stars - Dr Chelinay Gates (Audiobook, Indie)

• Audio Drama Award

  • The Glam Gizmo - Gizmo Verse (Podcast, Indie)
  • The Night Caller - Candice Fox - Penguin Random House ANZ (Audiobook, Commercial)

• Investigative & Documentary Award

  • One Atoll’s Fight - Pacific Scientific - ABC Pacific (Radio, Indie)
  • Dear Rachelle - True Crime Australia - News Corp Australia (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Corked with Marc Fennell - Marc Fennell - Audible (Audiobook, Indie)

• Cultural & Social Insight Award

  • Prison Chronicles: The AIDS Unit - Sid Punts (Podcast, Indie)
  • Wiggle Talk - A Podcast for Parents - The Wiggles (Podcast, Commercial)
  • The Voices of Women Podcast - Lliane Clarke (Podcast, Indie)

• News & Public Discourse Award

  • Lamestream - Lamestream Media (Podcast, Indie)
  • We Used to be Journos - Ette Media (Podcast, Indie)

• Knowledge & Learning Award

  • The Soil: Rewilding the Underground - Jessica Hamilton (Podcast, Indie)
  • Maiden Australia - Dr Corey Martin (Podcast, Indie)
  • No One Saw It Coming with Marc Fennell - Marc Fennell - ABC Radio National (Podcast, Commercial)

• STEM Award

  • Nocturnal Worlds - Audiocraft (Podcast, Indie)
  • The Soil: Rewilding the Underground - Jessica Hamilton (Podcast, Indie)
  • Why Though? with Dr. Matt Agnew - Dr Matt Agnew - MIK Studio (Podcast, Commercial)

• Business & Entrepreneurship Award

  • Minted Kids with Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon - Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon - F+K Media (Podcast, Indie)

• Health & Wellbeing Award

  • Soberly Speaking - Julia Rangiheuea (Podcast, Indie)
  • [TIE] A Brother’s Ultimate Gift of Life - Northern Territory Sundays - 105.7 ABC Darwin (Radio, Commercial)
  • [TIE] Head Above Water - Deadset Studios and SBS Audio (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Breaking Taboos: Older Australians Talk About Mental Health - Dr Helene Thomas, Dr Mia Lindgren, Professor Kate Burridge (Podcast, Indie)

• Entertainment & Lifestyle Award

  • The World Cup, But Not Really - SBS Audio (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Home of the Century - Century 21 and MIK Studio (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Unpacked & Oversharing - Carly Portch (Podcast, Indie)

• Comedy Award

  • Find and Tell: Uncle Roger - Micah Kickett - BlakCast & iHeart Australia (Podcast, Indie)
  • Comedy Karma with Aditya Gautam - SBS Audio (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Tony Martin’s Sizzletown - Pots and Pans (Podcast, Indie)

• Youth & Family Award

  • The Mystery of the Lerp - Creek Kids series - The Creeks Kids (Podcast, Indie)
  • Small Voices Big Ideas - SBS Audio (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Fluff 'n’ Stuff - Pevan & Sarah (Podcast, Commercial)

• Arts & Culture Award

  • Lit Witches - Penguin Random House ANZ (Podcast, Commercial)
  • No One Saw It Coming with Marc Fennell - Marc Fennell - ABC Radio National (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Queersland - F+K Media (Podcast, Indie)

• Music Award

  • Cassette Culture - Martin Franklin (Podcast, Indie)
  • SELVE on new album and being the first Aboriginal-led band to record at Abbey Road Studios - Celine Teo-Blockey - Deeper Listen - KEXP (Podcast, Indie)

VOICE

• Indie Creator Excellence Award

  • Lindsey Vassallo (Podcast, Indie)
  • Kyla Brettle (Podcast, Indie)
  • Danni Stewart (Podcast, Indie)

• First Nations Creator Excellence Award

  • Micah Kickett (Podcast, Indie)
  • Sajarn Stow (Radio, Indie)
  • Lowanna Grant (Podcast, Indie)

• Female Creator Excellence Award

  • Liz Keen (Podcast, Indie)
  • Julia Rangiheuea (Podcast, Indie)
  • Dr Chelinay Gates (Audiobook, Indie)

• LGBTQIA+ Creator Excellence Award

  • Laura Brierley Newton (Podcast, Indie)
  • Adam Richard (Podcast, Indie)
  • Sajarn Stow (Radio, Indie)

• CALD Creator Excellence Award

  • Sienna Brown (Podcast, Indie)
  • Elaine Laforteza (Podcast, Indie)
  • Marc Fennell (Podcast, Indie)

• Student Creator Excellence Award

  • Felicity Weaver - AFTRS (Podcast, Indie)
  • Cate McKenzie - AFTRS (Radio, Indie)
  • Kristy Hocking - TAFE NSW (Podcast, Indie)

• Host / Presenter Excellence Award

  • Ashlynne McGhee (Podcast, Indie)
  • Ashlea Hansen (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Marc Fennell (Podcast, Commercial)

• Producer Excellence Award

  • Zoe Ferguson - (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Rhys Gunter - (Podcast, Commercial)
  • Masako Fukui (Podcast, Indie)

• Performance / Acting Excellence Award

  • Yannick Lawry (Audiobook, Indie)
  • Colin Cassidy (Voice-Over, Indie)
  • Felicity Jurd (Audiobook, Indie)

• Network Excellence Award

  • SBS Audio (Radio, Podcast, Commercial)

IMPACT

• Community Wave Maker Award

  • The Soil: Rewilding the Underground - Jessica Hamilton (Podcast, Indie)
  • Gotta Go - Production Group (Podcast, Indie)
  • A Good Mind To - Coequal (Podcast, Indie)

• Innovation Award

  • ASMR Garden with Jojo - MIK Studio and White Noise (Podcast, Indie)
  • Mudgin-Gal Yarns - UTS Impact Studios (Podcast, Indie)
  • The Dynamic Blood Supply Audio System - NOVA Entertainment and Original Audio - Lifeblood: Red Cross (Radio, Commercial)

• Audience Connection Award

  • Motherland - Stephanie Trethewey (Podcast, Indie)
  • We Used to be Journos - Ette Media (Podcast, Indie)
  • Melanated in Melbourne - Ri’chard Caldwell (Podcast, Indie)

VISION

• Video for Audio Award

  • Taking Root in Barkers Creek - Kyla Brettle (Podcast, Indie)
  • Wiggle Talk - A Podcast for Parents - The Wiggles (Podcast, Commercial)

• Visual Identity Award

  • Real Made Up Stories - Coequal (Podcast, Indie)
  • The Moment with Myf Warhurst - MIK Studio (Podcast, Commercial)

• Events for Audio Award

  • (Extra)ordinary Tales - All the Best and Read to Me (Podcast, Indie)
  • DomeFest - Dome and Finely Tuned (Podcast, Indie)
  • Lamestream Live - Lamestream Media (Podcast, Indie)