Guides: Film, TV and Performing Arts: Awards and festivals

Film, directing, and writing

Academy Awards
Best known for the annual Oscar telecast, the Academy is also involved in a wide array of education, outreach, preservation and research activities.
Adelaide Film Festival
South Australia's premier screen event.
Adelaide Independent Film Festival
An annual showcase of short films by independent filmmakers from around the world.
Cannes Film Festival
An annual film festival which previews new films of all genres from around the world.
Golden Globes
The Golden Globes recognize achievements in 25 categories; 14 in motion pictures and 11 in television.

Video length: 1 min 53 sec

APRA Awards
Australian music awards to celebrate excellence in contemporary music.
ARIA Awards
A celebration of Australian music, open to members of the Australian Record Industry Association.
Grammy Awards
Awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognise achievements in music.
National Indigenous Music Awards
One of Australia’s most prominent Indigenous music awards, highlighting music coming from all corners of the country.
SA Music Awards
An annual award to celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary music industry.

Adelaide Guitar Festival
Encompassing everything from country to classical and rock.
Adelaide Jazz Festival
Celebrates the world-renowned art form of jazz and Adelaide as a UNESCO City of Music.
Byron Bay Bluesfest
An annual music festival featuring blues and roots performers from Australia and around the world.
Tamworth Country Music Festival
An annual Australian music festival and the biggest country music festival in the southern hemisphere.
Vivid LIVE
An annual contemporary music festival held by Sydney Opera House.

Adelaide Festival
An arts festival held annually in Adelaide, including opera, theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, cabaret, literature, visual art and new media.
Adelaide Fringe
An annual open-access arts festival run over four weeks in Adelaide during February and March. Artists from around Australia and across the globe participate alongside home-grown talent, in art forms spanning cabaret, comedy, circus, dance, film, theatre, music, visual art and design.
The Ruby Awards
Awarded to honour outstanding work in South Australia's arts, culture, and creative sector across multiple categories.
Woodford Folk Festival
An annual music and cultural festival including concerts, dances, films, street theatre, talks and workshops.

Adelaide Cabaret Festival
The biggest cabaret festival in the world, and a major event in the international and Australian arts calendar.
Australian Burlesque Festival
The Australian Burlesque Festival brings together Australian artists as well as international burlesque icons.
Cabaret Fringe Festival
An open-access cabaret festival held annually each June in Adelaide.
Melbourne Cabaret Festival
The Melbourne Cabaret Festival is one of Melbourne’s major winter arts events.
New York City Burlesque Festival
An annual event held in New York.

Australian Dance Festival
An annual event featuring auditions, competitions, and workshops.
Australian Tap Dance Festival
Held in cities throughout Australia, featuring workshops, classes, and performances.
DanceRites 2024
An annual festival of live dance, music, and community that celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Victorian Dance festival
Claimed to be Australia's largest dance festival, including workshops, auditions, and a dance teacher conference.

Watch the below video for a gathering of DanceRites Festival highlights.
Video length: 17:21

Barunga Festival
A three-day festival in the Northern Territory, celebrating Indigenous music, culture, and sport.
Feast Festival
South Australia's LGBTQIA+ queer arts and cultural festival.
OzAsia Festival
The premier Australian international arts festival that connects audiences with arts from across Asia, as well as celebrating the vibrant festivities, traditions, and histories that make up the cultural landscape of the Asian region.
WOMADelaide
WOMADelaide – World Of Music Arts & Dance - is an iconic open-air festival celebrating cultural discovery.

Video length: 1 min 46 sec