SONARR names 91 finalists for inaugural audio awards

SONARR Awards have named 91 finalists across podcasting, radio, audiobooks and voice-over for its inaugural Australian audio awards.

The finalists span 34 categories across five pillars: Sound, Narrative, Voice, Impact and Vision. Entries were divided into Commercial and Indie streams.

Finalists are now competing for category awards, the SONARR of the Year title and a share of a $10,000 prize pool.

Major audio names make the shortlist

Marc Fennell received multiple nominations for No One Saw It Coming with Marc Fennell, including in the AFTRS Narrative Excellence, Knowledge & Learning and Arts & Culture categories.

Other shortlisted productions include Tony Martin’s Sizzletown, SBS Audio’s The World Cup, But Not Really, Wiggle Talk - A Podcast for Parents from The Wiggles, and News Corp Australia’s Dear Rachelle.

SBS Audio was named the sole finalist for the Network Excellence Award.

The individual creator categories feature nominees including Fennell, Adam Richard, Liz Keen, Julia Rangiheuea, Micah Kickett, Lowanna Grant, Sajarn Stow and Dr Chelinay Gates.

A different judging model

SONARR assessed each entry independently against six fixed criteria, using industry practitioners and academics as judges.

Entries were scored in writing without group deliberation and were not ranked head-to-head against other contenders in their category.

“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,” SONARR founder Pariya Taherzadeh said.

“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.”

Of the 34 categories, 33 produced finalists. Marketing for Audio was the only category without a finalist.

Winners to be revealed in October

The winners will be announced at the SONARR Gala Dinner at Machine Hall in Sydney on 15 October 2026.

The black-tie event will include entertainment, pre-drinks, a three-course dinner and an after-party.

Listeners can also explore the finalist podcasts through a dedicated Apple Podcasts collection.