Arts on Tour Wins Top Honour at 2026 PAC Australia IMPACT Awards
On 9 September, during the APAX event in Brisbane, the 2026 PAC Australia IMPACT Awards celebrated nine distinguished recipients. The Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend Award was presented to Arts on Tour for its significant impact on live performance, particularly in mental health and sustainable touring. The title of Performing Arts Centre of the Year went to Frankston Arts Centre for its strong ties to the community and support for local artists. Theatre Royal in Hobart earned the Innovator Award for its project tunapri kani, in partnership with Palawa Elder Uncle Jim Everett. Other honorees included ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, GUTS Dance Central Australia, producer Harley Stumm, Virginia Winter, and ROOKE. A posthumous tribute recognized Fiona Winning for her impressive 40-year career. The APAX conference will run until 11 September.
Key facts
- Nine winners were recognised at the 2026 PAC Australia IMPACT Awards on 9 September at The West End Electric in Brisbane.
- Arts on Tour received the Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend Award for exceptional and longstanding contributions to live performance.
- Frankston Arts Centre was named Performing Arts Centre of the Year for inclusion, accessibility, and community connection.
- Theatre Royal, Hobart won the Innovator Award for tunapri kani (Speaking Knowledge), embedding Palawa/Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural knowledge with royalty payments to a community-managed fund.
- ILBIJERRI Theatre Company was recognised for BIG NAME, NO BLANKETS, a rock ‘n’ roll theatre work about Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher of the Warumpi Band.
- GUTS Dance Central Australia received an award for eight years of dance opportunities in Mparntwe/Alice Springs with fair artist remuneration.
- Producer Harley Stumm was honoured for championing independent artists and founding Intimate Spectacle in 2012.
- Virginia Winter of Portland Arts Centre received an award for leadership and creating Oceanside Pride, Portland’s first Pride event.
- ROOKE and the Tasmanian Performing Arts Centres Network won for Circus Across Tasmania, a collaborative touring initiative.
- A posthumous IMPACT Award honoured Fiona Winning for a career spanning more than four decades, including leadership at Urban Theatre Projects, Performance Space, Sydney Festival, and Sydney Opera House.
- The awards were part of the Australian Performing Arts Exchange (APAX), which continues in Magandjin/Brisbane until 11 September.
Entities
Artists
- Katherine Connor
- Uncle Jim Everett – puralia meenamatta
- Sinsa Mansell
- Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher
- Harley Stumm
- Virginia Winter
- Fiona Winning
- Alannah Sue
- Lewis Major
- Stephen A Russell
- Rachel Burke
- Megan Wilding
Institutions
- PAC Australia
- Arts on Tour
- Frankston Arts Centre
- Theatre Royal, Hobart
- ILBIJERRI Theatre Company
- Warumpi Band
- GUTS Dance Central Australia
- Utp
- Urban Theatre Projects
- Performing Lines
- Intimate Spectacle
- Portland Arts Centre
- ROOKE
- Tasmanian Performing Arts Centres Network
- Theatre North
- Paranaple Arts Centre
- Burnie Arts
- Performance Space
- Carriageworks
- LiveWorks Festival
- Sydney Festival
- Sydney Opera House
- NIDA
- Belvoir
- ArtsHub
- ScreenHub
- Creative Hubs Group
- Time Out Sydney
Locations
- Australia
- Brisbane
- The West End Electric
- NSW
- Victoria
- Hobart
- Tasmania
- Sydney
- Alice Springs
- Mparntwe
- Barunga
- Gulkula
- Townsville
- Canberra
- Portland
- Magandjin
- Melbourne
- Western Sydney