Christian Media & Arts Australia is delighted to announce the winners of the 2026 Excellence in Media & Arts Awards, celebrating outstanding creativity, innovation, service and impact across Christian media and the arts.
Presented as part of CONNECT26 on the Gold Coast, the awards recognise individuals, teams and organisations who are using their skills and influence to communicate hope, serve their communities and make a meaningful difference.
This year saw a huge number of excellent nominations from across the sector. Congratulations to every individual and organisation who submitted an entry, to each of our finalists, and to our 2026 award winners.
Innovation in Mission Resourcing
Celebrating creativity and ingenuity in aligning resource generation with mission.
Winner: Life FM
Op till You Drop Community Market
Life FM takes home the Innovation in Mission Resourcing Award for its Op till You Drop Community Market, demonstrating a creative approach to strengthening mission and engaging the local community.
Showcasing a wide collection of op shops and vintage second-hand resellers under one roof, the previous two events were met with huge turnouts.
Day designed to combat the rising cost of living, give people a chance to recycle and be more sustainable and make every dollar go further, we wanted to create a space that makes thrifting and vintage purchasing more accessible and fun.”
Beacon Award, Large Market
Recognising organisations with annual turnover above $1 million that are leading with purpose, innovating with impact and transforming communities.
Winner: PositiveMedia Ltd.
PositiveMedia’s Impact Index
PositiveMedia Ltd. has been awarded the 2026 Beacon Award, Large Market, for PositiveMedia’s Impact Index, recognising its commitment to understanding, measuring and growing its impact. The impact index creates a robust quantitative measurement to gauge the impact that a station is having on their local community to help them understand if they’re achieving their mission.
Beacon Award, Small Market
Recognising organisations with annual turnover under $1 million that demonstrate creativity, commitment and powerful community transformation.
Winner: Rhema FM Newcastle
Find Yourself In Church 2026
Rhema FM Newcastle receives the Beacon Award, Small Market, for Find Yourself In Church 2026, an initiative demonstrating the significant impact smaller organisations can have within their communities. The Find Yourself In Church campaign saw thousands of engagements across the duration of the campaign, encouraging people to find themselves in a local church. This was done in a powerful way, engaging local voices to directly relate to others in the community.
Remarkable Contribution
Honouring individuals and teams whose dedication and service have made an extraordinary contribution to Christian media and the arts.
Winner: PositiveMedia Ltd.
Syndicated Radio Shows
PositiveMedia Ltd. has received the Remarkable Contribution Award for its Syndicated Radio Shows, recognising the commitment and contribution behind content reaching audiences beyond its own station. Positive Media produces and shares quality Australian content that's aired by stations across the country, especially regional stations who don't have the resources required to create original content from scratch week after week. Having access to 'The Daily', 'Oz Music Showcase' and 'Towards Understanding' allows stations to provide local, relevant content for their audiences.
Emerging Talent
Celebrating fresh voices showing outstanding promise and an ability to connect authentically with audiences.
Winner: Rise 96.5
The Iris and Joe Show on Rise 96.5
The Iris and Joe Show takes home the Emerging Talent Award, recognising fresh talent making its mark through engaging and authentic broadcasting.
What began as a Saturday show grew into a weekday Drive program, with Iris and Joe bringing humour, everyday stories, listener interaction and plenty of personality to Brisbane afternoons. Iris and Joe are loved by the Brissy community as they serve and connect every weekday.
Compelling Content, Audio
Celebrating audio content that inspires, engages and leaves a lasting impression.
Winner: Christian Broadcasting Association
The Crazy Kiwi Christmas Kids Show
Christian Broadcasting Association receives the Compelling Content, Audio Award for The Crazy Kiwi Christmas Kids Show, recognised for creative audio storytelling that connects with its audience.
Compelling Content, Social Media
Recognising faith-based digital content that sparks engagement, inspires audiences and demonstrates excellence in online storytelling.
Winner: Alpha Australia
Celebrating One Million
Alpha Australia takes home the Compelling Content, Social Media Award for Celebrating One Million, recognising creative digital storytelling and its ability to engage audiences around a significant milestone.
Marking the extraordinary milestone of one million Australians experiencing Alpha, this well-engaged social media campaign put the focus back on the hundreds of individual stories behind the number and celebrated the churches and communities that helped make it possible.
Compelling Content, Screen: Documentary, Entertainment, Factual & Learning
Celebrating screen media that demonstrates excellence in storytelling, creativity and impact.
Winner: Adventist Media
My Greatest Victory
Adventist Media has been awarded Compelling Content, Screen for My Greatest Victory, recognised for powerful storytelling brought to screen. The series highlights elite athletes achieving the highest levels of global sport while openly sharing their Christian faith. Australian world champion and Olympic medallist high jumper Nicola Olyslagers is a standout in the project, sharing how her faith transforms her approach to elite competition, and how she views her athletic ability is a form of worship and a mission field
2026 Legacy Awards
The evening also honoured three remarkable leaders with CMAA Legacy Awards.
The Legacy Award recognises Christian leaders who have made an outstanding contribution to media and the arts over their lifetime. It acknowledges not simply a single achievement, but years of leadership, faithfulness, service and influence that have helped shape the sector.
David Turrell
David Turrell was honoured with a 2026 Legacy Award in recognition of more than four decades of contribution to Christian media.
A pioneer and builder within the sector, David has played an important role in the development of Christian broadcasting in Australia, including leadership through 5PBA-FM, now Life FM, and service to CMAA during formative years of the organisation.
His commitment, wisdom and faithfulness have helped build foundations that continue to benefit Christian media today.
Penny Mulvey
Penny Mulvey received a 2026 Legacy Award recognising a career of leadership, communication and service across Australian media and the Christian sector.
From her early years in commercial media through to decades of involvement in Christian media, Penny has consistently brought professionalism, compassion and a desire to see media used for good.
Her contribution has also included ten years of service on the CMAA Board, including more than five years as Chair, helping guide and strengthen the organisation and the wider sector.
Alan Rich
Alan Rich was also honoured with a 2026 Legacy Award, recognising his longstanding contribution, wisdom and commitment to Christian media.
Across many years, Alan has used his professional expertise and experience to support organisations and leaders throughout the sector, including significant involvement in the development and leadership of CMAA.
His influence has often taken place behind the scenes, investing in people, strengthening organisations and helping create opportunities for Christian media to flourish.
Celebrating Excellence Across Our Sector
The 2026 Excellence in Media & Arts Awards are an opportunity to celebrate not only the winning entries, but the extraordinary breadth of work happening across Christian media and the arts in Australia and New Zealand.
From radio and digital content to community initiatives, screen storytelling and decades of faithful leadership, this year’s recipients reflect a sector committed to creativity, excellence and sharing the hope of Jesus.
Congratulations to all of our 2026 winners, finalists, nominees and Legacy Award recipients.