• Only PAC Australia members can lodge a nomination. They may nominate themselves, a fellow member, or a non-member.
• A non-member cannot nominate themselves, but may be nominated by a PAC Australia member.
• PAC Australia members may submit a joint nomination in support of a nominee.
• PAC Australia members may submit multiple nominations each year.
• PAC Australia members can choose to keep their nominations confidential, if they so wish. If the nominee is not the member themselves, and the member would like to keep their nomination confidential, the nominee will only be notified if they are to be bestowed an award.

• An individual, organisation or venue, production, tour or project can be nominated.

In addition to the general category IMPACT Awards, three specific awards will be bestowed each year:

• The Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend award – awarded to an individual or organisation.
• The Performing Arts Centre or Presenter of the Year IMPACT Award – awarded to any performing arts centre or presenter.
• The Innovator IMPACT Award – awarded to any individual or organisation working within, or with, the PAC Australia membership specifically delivering innovation for the sector.

Up to five IMPACT Awards will also be bestowed each year, to individuals or organisations who have had a positive impact on the sector, either through a short term project or initiative, or longer term contributions.

Representatives from the PAC Australia board, plus a panel of five performing arts leaders will determine the winners each year.

PAC Australia calls for nominations to sit on the awards panel every two years. As part of this process there is considerations of experience and representation taken into account when determining the final panel.

The PAC Australia board will make a determination each year for the Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend award, without a specific call for nominations. This award may be bestowed to an organisation or an individual.

From the early 1950s Wendy Blacklock spent 30 years as a performer working on radio, television and the stage in England, around Australia and New Zealand. She then decided in the early 1980s to become a Producer and joined the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust (now Australia Council for the Arts) where she set up an Australian Content Department. The Department was inundated by local artists who wanted to tour and in 1982 it began the important support of Aboriginal work by helping to get Robert Merritt’s The Cakeman to a world festival in Denver Colorado USA. Jack Davis’s work followed, representing Australia in Canada in 1986 and in London in 1989.

After 10 years the Australia Council set Wendy up as an independent not for profit company named Performing Lines. It began with one assistant, but when Wendy retired after 21 years it had seven producers, departments in three states and was turning over millions of dollars from producing, touring and supporting work both nationally and internationally.

As a guiding framework, not as specific categories, organisations or individuals may be nominated in response to:

• An outstanding or innovative collaboration/partnership, whether that be working directly with artists, industry colleagues, government or outside the sector;
• Innovative touring models;
• Achievement in programming/presenting;
• Significant outcomes in performing arts centre management e.g. measurable and significant increase in audiences;
• Achievement in producing or tour producing;
• Significant audience response to a particular production/work;
• Specific innovative local programs or engagement activities;
• New initiatives in the fields of accessibility, sustainability or diversity;
• Specific achievements for, and with, audiences and/or community;
• A significant project which has delivered sector-wide outcomes.

The above list is not intended to be prescriptive – we welcome nominations that may sit outside these frameworks and they are provided as a guide only.

• Panel members must declare conflict of interests.  A conflict may be perceived or actual.  A conflict will occur in the following instances:
  • A panel member is connected to a nominated organisation by virtue of their employment (either currently employed, or employed within the last three years)
  • A panel member is connected to a nominated individual by family ties or through a current or recent collegial relationship.
  • A panel member is financially tied to a nominated organisation, project or individual including by being a producing partner or an investor in any phase of a project/production.
• If a conflict of interest is declared, it may be deemed necessary for the panelist to exit the deliberation at the discretion of the panel Chair, or the PAC Australia President, either for the entire deliberation process, or simply during the discussion of the nomination for which they have a conflict of interest.
• Panel members are required to keep all discussions about awards confidential both before and after the awards are made.  All emails, correspondence, reports and files must be kept confidential leading up to the awards and destroyed after.
• Panel members must not publicly talk about the awards in a manner that is less than positive.  It is not acceptable for panel members to talk about the awards in a disparaging, vindictive or harmful manner.
• The panel’s decision is final, and no individual panel member may dispute the award or express their individual disagreement in public about decisions made.
• “In public” is not limited to talking in public arenas.  It also means talking to colleagues, friends, industry members, publishing articles, sending emails or sharing information with other nominees.
• Panel members must act honestly, with integrity and be impartial.

Winners for PAC Australia’s IMPACT Awards were announced on Wednesday 13 August 2025 at the Darwin Ski Club, as part of the Australian Performing Arts Exchange (APAX).

Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend: Rhoda Roberts

Performing Arts Centre of the Year: Merrigong Theatre Company

Innovator Award: Queensland Ballet and Queensland Health

IMPACT Award: Fraser Corfield

IMPACT Award: Slingsby

IMPACT Award: Dancenorth Australia

IMPACT Award: Corrugated Iron Youth Arts

IMPACT Award: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre

Winners for PAC Australia’s IMPACT Awards were announced on Wednesday 21 August 2024 at the Geelong Arts Centre, as part of the Australian Performing Arts Exchange (APAX).

Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend: Annette Downs

Performing Arts Centre of the Year: Geelong Arts Centre

IMPACT Award: Australian Dance Theatre, BlakDance and Adelaide Festival – Blak Futures

IMPACT Award: Frankston Arts Centre – Arts Access Program

IMPACT Award: Legs On The Wall – THAW

IMPACT Award: Jens Altheimer

IMPACT Award: Arts Centre Melbourne and Polyglot Theatre – When the World Turns

IMPACT Award: Everybody NOW! – Roller Coaster

IMPACT Award: Dubbo Regional Theatre & Dance Makers Collective – The Saturday Night Social

Winners for PAC Australia’s IMPACT Awards were announced on Wednesday 30 August 2023 at the Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns, as part of the Australian Performing Arts Exchange (APAX).

Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend: Restless Dance Theatre

Performing Arts Centre of the Year: Riverside Theatres Parramatta

Innovator Award: Tech Connect QLD – Arts Centre Melbourne, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Stage Queensland

Impact Award: Simone Flavelle

Impact Award: Milk Crate Theatre

Impact Award: Bendigo Venues and Events – Der Ring Des Nibelungen

Impact Award: Terrapin Puppet Theatre – Forever Young: Puppetry in Aged Care

Impact Award: NORPA – Love For One Night

The 2022 Impact Award winners were announced at the ceremony as part of the Australian Performing Arts Exchange (APAX) on 5 September at the Yallamundi Room, Sydney Opera House.

2022 Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend Award winner: Stephen Page AO

Innovator Award 2022 winner: HOTA, Home of the Arts

Innovator Award 2022 winner: Arts on Tour

Performing Arts Centre of the Year Award 2022 winner: Art House Wyong

Impact Award winner: ActNow Theatre

Impact Award winner: CDP Theatre Producers

Impact Award winner: Dungarri Nya Nya Ngarri Bi Nya

Impact Award winner: David Lloyd

Full list of past Finalists and Winners