2026 Fringe Awards

Dunedin Fringe 2026 Award winners

Thank you so much to all our generous Award sponsors who made the below Awards possible, and HUGE congratulations to all our Fringe 2026 Award nominees and winners:

The Visual Art Award (sponsored by AJ & Adrian Woodhouse):

WINNER: Into the Afterlands

NOMINEES:

City Planners
The Astral Project
Rite of Return

The Dance / Physical Theatre Award (sponsored by #getinōtepoti podcast):

WINNER: Temporal Aria

NOMINEES:

And that What Makes it Hip Hop
Burlesque Beauties
Beat of the Pacific

The Comedy Award (sponsored by Inch Bar):

WINNER: House of Ick

NOMINEES:

Dear Stalker
Lady Luck
Pub Tales

The Music Award (sponsored by Southlaw):

WINNER: Ngahau Tene

NOMINEES:

Motion Sickness
Beat of the Pacific
The Astral Project

The Theatre Award (sponsored by WOW! Productions):

WINNER: Motion Sickness

NOMINEES:

Brown Sugar
Embarrassed Naked Female
The Night Ali Died
Bones

Outstanding Design Award (sponsored by Southern Lights & Services):

WINNER: Burlesque Beauties

NOMINEES:

Motion Sickness
The Astral Project
The Goon Show

Outstanding Technical Achievement Award (sponsored by Strawberry Sound):

WINNER: Casketcase

NOMINEES:

Motion Sickness
Temporal Aria
The Goon Show

Best Poster Award (sponsored by Better Creative):

WINNER: Lady Luck

NOMINEES:

Coro
Date Night with R&C
Embarrassed Naked Female

Most Accessible Event (sponsored by That Blind Woman: Julie Woods):

WINNER: Lady Luck

NOMINEES:

40 Ways of Seeing Wellbeing

NZ Fringe Touring Award (sponsored by Dunedin Fringe):

WINNER: Lady Luck

NOMINEES:

The Great Big Make It Up Show!
BONES
Ngahau Tene

Outstanding Performance / Performer Award (sponsored by Penny Gwynne):

WINNER: Elsa Couvreur – The Sensemaker & Embarrassed Naked Female

NOMINEES:

Kelly Hocking – Lady Luck
Warren Loulanting – We Remember Wrong)
Christopher Sainton-Clark – The Night Ali Died & Pub Tales
Julian Noel – BONES

Favourite Comedian Award (sponsored by Dunedin Comedy):

WINNER: The cast – Coro

NOMINEES:

Harriet Moir – Dear Stalker
Alex Martyn – Ngahau Tene
Kelly Hocking – Lady Luck

Outstanding Emerging Talent Award (sponsored by Dr Jane Malthus):

WINNER: Penelope Hare – Pas de Trois & Entertaining Angels Unaware

NOMINEES:

The cast – Beat of the Pacific
Alex Martyn – Ngahau Tene
Sandra Pace – You're Not Pretty... But I Love You
The cast – Brown Sugar

Most Promising Māori Artist Award (sponsored by InterACT):

WINNER: Julian Noel – BONES

NOMINEES:

Alex Martyn – Ngahau Tene
Hoani Hotene – Funny, Funny
Jackson Rosie – We Remember Wrong

Most Promising Pacific Artist Award (sponsored by Creative NZ):

WINNER: Leah Faitonu – Brown Sugar

NOMINEES:

Telyna Pekepo – Beat of the Pacific
August Gaiger – Casketcase
Ravi Ratnam – Finding Love, After All.

UNESCO City of Literature ‘Beyond Words’ Award (sponsored by Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature Office):

WINNER: BONES

NOMINEES:

Motion Sickness
Embarrassed Naked Female
Brown Sugar
Into the Afterlands 

Phil Davison Special Contribution to Festival Life (sponsored by #getinōtepoti podcast):

WINNER: Sahara Pohatu-Trow

NOMINEES:

The New Athenaeum Theatre Team
Julie Woods
Mikey Fay

Warwick Broadhead Memorial Award (sponsored by Woof! Bar):

WINNER: Austin Powerbottom

NOMINEES:

Magic tricks for Dogs
City Planners
Languages of Wearing
That's What Makes it Hip Hop 

Runner up Best in Fringe (sponsored by Outstanding Performance):

WINNER: Temporal Aria

Best in Fringe (sponsored by Deloitte):

WINNER: Motion Sickness

NOMINEES Runner up & Best in Fringe:

BONES
Temporal Aria
Ngahau Tene
Embarrassed Naked Female
Motion Sickness
The Night Ali Died

About

• 2026 Fringe Awards
• Dunedin Fringe Festival
• New Zealand Young Writers Festival
• Amped Music Project
• Te Whare o Rukutia
• Fringe HQ