2026 Screen Music Awards Honor Outstanding Composers

The 2026 Screen Music Awards took place in Brisbane, with West Australian composers Josh Hogan and Ned Beckley dominating the event. They won four categories for their work on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's animated kid's series 'Tales from Outer Suburbia', including best music for children's programming and best soundtrack album.

Other notable winners included Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks, who won multiple awards for their work on MasterChef and other shows. Helena Czajka also won an award for best music for a documentary, while Finn Clarke was named emerging screen composer of the year.

The event, an initiative of APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, celebrated its winners with a live orchestra performance led by Erkki Veltheim. The ceremony also addressed concerns about artificial intelligence and its impact on the music industry, with speakers emphasizing the importance of human creativity and fair compensation for artists.

This year's awards were particularly significant, as APRA AMCOS celebrates its 100th anniversary. The organization's CEO, Dean Ormston, highlighted the importance of permission and payments for music use, even in the age of AI. The ceremony concluded with a call to action, urging creators to sign a petition supporting fair practices in the music industry.