Screen Producers Australia (SPA) has announced the winners for 12 production categories at the 22nd Annual SPA Awards. The Awards celebrate content produced by SPA members and champion outstanding Australian screen productions, showcasing the skill, imagination, and innovative thinking of Australia’s production businesses and industry.
Werner Film Productions were the big winners. It has been a massive week for the business run by Joanna Werner. Just last Monday it was revealed she had sold the production business to BBC Studios. Then today she collected multiple awards including Production Business of the Year. Werner Film also picked up Drama Series Production of the Year for series two of The Newsreader.
Joanne Werner and BBC Studios’ Kylie Washington earlier this week
The Awards night event was held at Star on the Gold Coast. The Awards mark the end of the three-day Screen Forever conference.
The evening was hosted by Matt Okine. Presenters included Marta Dusseldorp, Leah Purcell, Rob Collins and Remy Hii.
Lifetime Achievement Award
As previously revealed, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Fiona Eagger and Deborah Cox, Every Cloud Productions
The Awards ceremony saw Amy Parry named as the recipient of the $20,000 Ones To Watch Screen Internship grant, supported by Screen Australia and Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped In Black) awarded the annual SDIN Award.
Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger
SPA Awards winners and nominees (winners in red)
Series
Animated Production of the Year (joint winners)
100% Wolf: Book of Hath – Flying Bark Productions
Beep and Mort – Windmill Pictures
Ginger and the Vegesaurs S2 – Cheeky Little Media
Kangaroo Beach Season S2 – Cheeky Little Media
Koala Man – Princess Pictures
YOLO: Silver Destiny S2 – Princess Pictures
Children’s Production of the Year (excluding Animation)
Crazy Fun Park – Werner Film Productions
Rock Island Mysteries S2 – Fremantle Australia
Spooky Files – Tony Ayres Productions and Megaboom Pictures
Surviving Summer S2 – Werner Film Productions
The PM’s Daughter S2 – Fremantle Australia
Turn Up The Volume – Matchbox Pictures and Film Camp
Comedy Program or Series Production of the Year
Class of 07 – Matchbox Pictures
Deadloch – Guesswork Television and OK Great Productions
Gold Diggers – KOJO Studios
Hannah Gadsby: Something Special – Guesswork Television
In Limbo – Bunya Productions and Heiress Films
Mother and Son – Wooden Horse
Documentary Series Production of the Year
Folau – In Films
Matildas: The World at Our Feet – Barking Mad Productions
Ningaloo Nyinggulu – Artemis Media and Matter of Factual
Old People’s Home For Teenagers – Endemol Shine Australia
Queerstralia – Guesswork Television
The First Inventors – Ronde Media
The Swap – Southern Pictures
The Way We Wore – Stranger Than Fiction Films and Wheels Rolling Productions
Drama Series Production of the Year
Bay of Fires – Archipelago Productions and Fremantle Australia
Black Snow – Goalpost Pictures
Erotic Stories – Lingo Pictures
Love Me – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia
NCIS: Sydney – Endemol Shine Australia
Scrublands – Easy Tiger Productions
The Newsreader S2 – Werner Film Productions
Totally Completely Fine – Fremantle Australia
Wellmania – Fremantle Australia
Entertainment Production of the Year
Adam & Poh’s Great Australian Bites – i8 Studio
Dancing with the Stars S32 – BBC Studios Australia
Gogglebox Australia S18 – Endemol Shine Australia
Grand Designs Australia S10 – Fremantle Australia
Hard Quiz S9 – Thinkative Television
The ABC Of…S2 – Guesswork Television
Online Series Production of the Year
#VANLIFE (EMOTIONAL) – Armchair Safari and 16CZECHS
Dick Slider S3 – Scenario Productions
Life of Kea – Toprock Productions and Kea Productions
SUKA – Wise Goat Productions
Touch The Sky – Nora & R.D. Productions
Unerased – Mashup Pictures
Reality Series Production of the Year
FBOY Island Australia – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia
Love Triangle S2 – Endemol Shine Australia
Real Housewives of Sydney S2 – Matchbox Pictures
The Bachelors Australia – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia
The Great Australian Bake Off S7 – BBC Studios Australia
The Summit – Endemol Shine Australia
Telemovie or Miniseries Production of the Year
Bad Behaviour – Matchbox Pictures
The Claremont Murders – Endemol Shine Australia
The Clearing – Wooden Horse
The Messenger – Lingo Pictures
While the Men are Away – Arcadia
SPA Awards: Feature
Feature Documentary Production of the Year
Flyways – Storyland
Harley & Katya – Stranger Than Fiction Films
Living With Devils – Smith & Nasht
ONEFOUR: Against All Odds – Stranger Than Fiction Films and Entropico
The Cape – Wooden Horse
The Giants – General Strike and Matchbox Pictures
The Jewish Nazi? – Mint Pictures
The Platypus Guardian – WildBear Entertainment
Feature Film Production of the Year
Carmen – Goalpost Pictures
Foe – See-Saw Films
Limbo – Bunya Productions
Shayda – Origma 45
Streets of Colour – Frankendipity Enterprises
The Royal Hotel – See-Saw Films
SPA Awards: Short Film
Short Film Production of the Year
Blame The Rabbit – Highview Productions
Jia – Niu Studios and Toprock Productions
My Jumper, It Roars! – Flying Bark Productions
Raising Thunder – Jasmine Rose Productions
Ratbag – Bus Stop Films
The Bank Manager – Quamby Studios
Business Awards
Services and Facilities Business of the Year
Hazbin Hotel – Princess Bento Studio
Heartbreak High S2 – Cato Location Services
Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles – The Post Lounge
Various Productions – TAG Travel Group
Breakthrough Business of the Year
i8 Studio
Stranger Than Fiction
Truce Films
Wooden Horse
Media Super Production Business of the Year
Bronte Pictures
Goalpost Pictures
Matchbox Pictures
Princess Pictures
Prospero Productions
See-Saw Films
Werner Film Productions
Wooden Horse
Screen Business Export Award
Bad Behaviour – Matchbox Pictures
Black Snow – Goalpost Pictures
Class of ’07 – Matchbox Pictures
Top image: Joanne Werner and colleagues celebrate SPA Awards wins
See also: BBC Studios Productions Australia acquires Werner Film Productions