About Awards

Preston Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement

The Preston Award was inaugurated and presented to PAKAM at the 2003 BRACS Festival (hosted in Darwin by TEABBA), in recognition of one of our pioneers, Mr Nooley Preston. Nooley was a founder broadcaster at Wangki Yupurnanupurru Radio in Fitzroy Crossing and trained for the BRACS Certificate at Batchelor in the first years of the course. He was a tireless and beloved champion of Remote Community Media. The Award is presented annually in recognition of lifetime achievement and dedication to the development of the national remote Indigenous media industry.

John Macumba Indigenous Media Operator of the Year Award

The John Macumba Indigenous Media Operator of the Year Award was inaugurated by CAAMA in 2011, in memory of John Macumba, one of the pioneers of Indigenous media in Australia, who passed away in 2010. “As a radio broadcaster in Alice Springs in the late 1970s, he was one of the first Aboriginal voices on the public airwaves. He was the prime mover behind the establishment of CAAMA in 1981-82, and then - as a consultant under contract to the ABC - he went on to set up Umeewarra Media in Port Augusta in 1989. John was a member of the Ministerial Task Force on Remote Broadcasting in 1982 and a consultant to the Dix Committee's Review of Public Broadcasting in the same year. He was the Founding Chairman of the National Aboriginal and Islander Broadcasting Association (NAIBA), which was the forerunner to the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia (NIMAA).” This Award is sponsored by CAAMA.

CBF Excellence in Community Television Award

CBF inaugurated this Perpetual Award at the 2014 16th National Remote Indigenous Media Festival in the North Peninsula Area of Queensland. This Award acknowledges excellence in community television production. The winner will receive a $5,000 prize and a trophy. They will also their name engraved on a Perpetual Award Plaque held at IRCA. The judging panel is made up of one (1) Board member from IRCA, one (1) Board Member from ICTV and one (1) CBF nominated representative.

Steve McGregor Award for Best Emerging Talent in Film/Television

The Steve McGregor Award for Best Emerging Talent in Film/Television was inaugurated at the TEABBA hosted National Remote Indigenous Media Festival in 2009. Steven McGregor has worked in the film industry since his late teens. He started out as a Production Assistant in the NT Chief Minister’s Media Unit. He then moved to Alice Springs, where he was a cameraman for Imparja Television, undertaking a traineeship with CAAMA learning writing and directing. He then successfully completed his Masters in Drama Directing with the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in Sydney. Since the mid-ninety’s Steven has written, directed and produced many award winning documentaries and short stories. This Award is sponsored by TEABBA.

Mr Garawirrtja Memorial Award for Contribution to Media, Entertainment and the Arts

Mr Garawirrtja was a founding member of TEABBA 1989 on its inception, contributing 20 years of dedicated service to TEABBA and the Indigenous Multimedia Industry both remotely and Nationally. His involvement in this industry has been nationally recognised for his contributions to dance, music & media, by being one of Australia’s best BRACS/RIBS Broadcasters. Participating in many Local & National Indigenous Incentives, Australian Olympics Indigenous Broadcast, Garma Festival, Barunga Festival and as well as the NT Indigenous Music Awards, now National Indigenous Music Awards. Promoted and participated with bands from the Galiwinku Community, Elcho Island, East Arnhem Land. These include United in One (Gospel), and the Soft Sands. Mr Garawirrtja has worldwide recognition and is respected as a role model and leader for his enthusiastic and passionate work in the Indigenous multimedia industry, known through his Film contributions to the Yarning up Series, by introducing the very popular Chooky Dancers.

NITV Spirit Initiative

The NITV Spirit initiative - it used to be called the 'NITV Spirit Award' - has evolved into a practical work placement with NITV. It is offered for an emerging Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person that is working within the film and television industry from remote or regional areas in Australia.

Mr McKenzie Award

The Mr McKenzie award recognises outstanding contribution to remote indigenous television. It is named in honour of one of the pioneers of the industry, Simon Tjiyangu McKenzie, who with his wife Pantjiti, recorded thousands of hours of Pitjantjatjara cultural and community video content for EVTV (Ernabella Video Television) from 1984 - 1996.