Australia's Got Talent
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Predecessor | Got Talent (UK) |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Simon Cowell (franchise creator) |
| Fate | Ongoing |
| Headquarters | Australia , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Various judges and hosts over seasons |
| Products | Reality television talent competition |
| Owner | Fremantle (implied, as Got Talent franchise) |
Australia's Got Talent is a reality television talent competition from Australia, adapted from the UK-based Got Talent franchise developed by Simon Cowell.
The program's initial six seasons were broadcast on the Seven Network between 2007 and 2012. The original judging panel featured Tom Burlinson, Red Symons, and Dannii Minogue. The show debuted in a Sunday 6:30 pm timeslot, before shifting to a more challenging Tuesday evening slot starting with the second season in 2008. By the fourth season, Burlinson and Symons had departed, making way for Kyle Sandilands and Brian McFadden.
In 2013, the seventh season transitioned to the Nine Network, bringing in new judges Dawn French, Geri Halliwell, and Timomatic, who replaced McFadden and Minogue. Following disappointing ratings, Nine cancelled the series in 2014 but later revived it for an eighth season in 2016, introducing judges Kelly Osbourne, Ian "Dicko" Dickson, Sophie Monk, and Eddie Perfect.
In December 2018, the Seven Network declared the show's comeback for a ninth season in 2019, with hosting duties taken on by Ricki-Lee Coulter. The ninth season premiered on 28 July 2019.
The tenth season's production was delayed from 2021 to 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The judging panel consisted of returning judge Shane Jacobson, alongside Kate Ritchie and UK judges David Walliams and Alesha Dixon. This season began airing on 9 October 2022.
Overview
Australia's Got Talent showcases a variety of performers across all age groups competing for a grand prize that has ranged between A$100,000 and A$250,000.
Each season unfolds through three phases: auditions, semi-finals, and the final round. Only selected audition segments are televised; some seasons conduct auditions in multiple cities nationwide. Judges then reduce the pool of successful acts to approximately 40 contestants advancing to the semi-finals.
Typically, finalists are determined through a combination of public voting and judges' decisions during the semi-finals. However, Season 9 deviated from this format by eliminating public voting at this stage.
The show's branding varies: Seasons 1, 7, and 9 feature a logo similar to that of America's Got Talent, whereas Seasons 2 through 6 and Season 8 utilize a design akin to Britain's Got Talent.
Judges and hosts
Eddie PerfectKelly OsbourneSophie MonkIan DicksonLucy DurackNicole ScherzingerManu FeildelShane JacobsonAlesha DixonDavid WalliamsKate Ritchie| Seasons | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2016 | 2019 | 2022 | ||||||||||
| Hosts | |||||||||||||||||||
| colspan="6" | colspan="4" | ||||||||||||||||||
| Julia Morris | colspan="6" | colspan="3" | |||||||||||||||||
| Dave Hughes | colspan="7" | colspan="1" | colspan="2" | ||||||||||||||||
| Ricki-Lee Coulter | colspan="8" | colspan="2" | |||||||||||||||||
| Judges | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dannii Minogue | colspan="6" | colspan="4" | |||||||||||||||||
| Red Symons | colspan="3" | colspan="7" | |||||||||||||||||
| Tom Burlinson | colspan="3" | colspan="7" | |||||||||||||||||
| Brian McFadden | colspan="3" | colspan="3" | colspan="4" | ||||||||||||||||
| Kyle Sandilands | colspan="3" | colspan="4" | colspan="3" | ||||||||||||||||
| Dawn French | colspan="6" | colspan="3" | |||||||||||||||||
| Timomatic | colspan="6" | colspan="3" | |||||||||||||||||
| Geri Halliwell | colspan="6" | ||||||||||||||||||
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- Notes
- Todd McKenney temporarily substituted for Kyle Sandilands during Melbourne auditions and also replaced Brian McFadden during the final showdown of season six.
Judges
The initial judging panel consisted of Dannii Minogue, Red Symons, and Tom Burlinson. All three judges reprised their roles for the second season; however, Minogue was absent from several episodes due to her commitments filming The X Factor in the United Kingdom. This original trio also returned for the third season.
In January 2010, the judging lineup was altered to accommodate Minogue's pregnancy. Symons was anticipated to rejoin Nine Network's revived show Hey Hey It's Saturday, while rumors suggested Burlinson might be dropped. Kyle Sandilands and Brian McFadden were subsequently confirmed as new judges. Sandilands announced his involvement on his 2Day FM radio program, and Seven Network soon after confirmed McFadden’s participation. This configuration remained consistent through seasons five and six.
After the series transitioned to Nine Network in 2013, Sandilands continued as a judge, but Minogue and McFadden were replaced. The new panel included Timomatic, Geri Halliwell, and Dawn French.
When Australia's Got Talent resumed in 2016, the judging roster was completely revamped. Sandilands, Halliwell, French, and Timomatic were succeeded by Ian Dickson, Sophie Monk, Kelly Osbourne, and Eddie Perfect.
In May 2019, the judges announced for season nine were Manu Feildel, Nicole Scherzinger, Lucy Durack, and Shane Jacobson.
For the tenth season in 2022, the panel featured Shane Jacobson alongside Kate Ritchie and Britain's Got Talent judges David Walliams and Alesha Dixon.
Series overview
| Season | Start | Finish | Winner | Runner-up(s) | Host | Judges (chair order) | Network | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 18 February 2007 | 28 April 2007 | Bonnie Anderson | Herb Patten | Grant Denyer | Red Symons | Dannii Minogue | Tom Burlinson | rowspan="6" Template:N/A | Seven Network | ||||
| 2 | 29 April 2008 | 1 July 2008 | Joe Robinson | Jourdain | ||||||||||
| 3 | 4 February 2009 | 22 April 2009 | Mark Vincent | Jal Joshua | ||||||||||
| 4 | 13 April 2010 | 15 June 2010 | Justice Crew | Cam Henderson | Brian McFadden | Kyle Sandilands | ||||||||
| 5 | 3 May 2011 | 2 August 2011 | Jack Vidgen | Cosentino | ||||||||||
| 6 | 16 April 2012 | 25 July 2012 | Andrew De Silva | The Wolfe Brothers | ||||||||||
| 7 | 11 August 2013 | 10 November 2013 | Uncle Jed | Greg Gould | Julia Morris | Dawn French | Timomatic | Geri Halliwell | Kyle Sandilands | Nine Network | ||||
| 8 | 1 February 2016 | 14 March 2016 | Fletcher Pilon | Chris Tamwoy | King Social | Matt McLaren | Sisters Doll | Dave Hughes | Eddie Perfect | Kelly Osbourne | Sophie Monk | Ian Dickson | ||
| 9 | 28 July 2019 | 22 September 2019 | Kristy Sellars | Sienna Osborne | Olina Loau | Jennifer Anderson | Ricki-Lee Coulter | Shane Jacobson | Lucy Durack | Nicole Scherzinger | Manu Feildel | Seven Network | ||
| 10 | 9 October 2022 | 20 November 2022 | Acromazing | Ramadhani Brothers | Emo Majok | Walison Muh | Sienna Katelyn | Oleg Tatarynov | Alesha Dixon | Kate Ritchie | David Walliams | |||
Season 1 (2007)
Australia's Got Talent debuted on the Seven Network on 18 February 2007, featuring judges Dannii Minogue, Tom Burlinson, and Red Symons. The season concluded on 28 April 2007 with singer Bonnie Anderson crowned as the winner, while Herb Patten secured second place.
Season 2 (2008)
The show's second installment aired from 29 April to 1 July 2008, maintaining the same judging lineup. Guitarist Joe Robinson claimed victory, with Jourdain finishing as the runner-up.
Season 3 (2009)
Auditions commenced in late 2008, followed by filming in January 2009. The finale, held on 22 April, retained the previous year's format involving paired eliminations and judges selecting preferred acts to return. Mark Vincent emerged as the winner, with Jal Joshua as runner-up. International opera singer and Britain's Got Talent champion Paul Potts delivered a live performance during the finale.
Season 4 (2010)
Returning on 13 April 2010, this season introduced host Grant Denyer and a refreshed judging panel: Dannii Minogue, radio personality Kyle Sandilands, and vocalist Brian McFadden, replacing Symons and Burlinson. Auditions took place across major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
Production was revamped to mirror Britain's Got Talent more closely, including updated stage aesthetics and branding that showcased Australian landmarks. Live broadcasts ran from 11 May to 15 June 2010, culminating in dance ensemble Justice Crew winning a $250,000 prize. Runner-up Cam Henderson earned an opportunity to perform at the 2010 AFL Grand Final.
Season 5 (2011)
The fifth season premiered on 3 May 2011 with judges Dannii Minogue, Kyle Sandilands, and Brian McFadden returning alongside host Grant Denyer. Producer auditions were conducted across sixteen cities spanning New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. Acts who progressed advanced to judge auditions held in Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth between February and March 2011. The season’s winner was fourteen-year-old singer Jack Vidgen.
Season 6 (2012)
Auditions for season six occurred from October through December 2011. The series aired on Seven Network from 16 April to 25 July 2012 with judges Dannii Minogue, Kyle Sandilands, and Brian McFadden returning alongside host Grant Denyer. During Melbourne auditions, illness led to Todd McKenney temporarily substituting for Sandilands and later stepping in for McFadden during the finals showdown two. Singer Andrew de Silva won this season with country rock group The Wolfe Brothers finishing as runners-up.
Season 7 (2013)
Auditions took place between March and June 2013. The seventh season aired on the Nine Network in 2013. Kyle Sandilands returned as judge while Dannii Minogue and Brian McFadden were replaced by new panelists Geri Halliwell, Dawn French, and a fourth judge Timomatic. Hosting duties shifted from Grant Denyer to Julia Morris. Although initially announced as a judge, Mel B was prevented from joining due to a legal injunction filed by the Seven Network. The winning act was the "Funk/Soul/Jazz/Reggae" band Uncle Jed, with Greg Gould and The Chase placing as runners-up.
Season 8 (2016)
On 8 July 2015, Nine confirmed that Australia's Got Talent would make a comeback in 2016 for its eighth installment, debuting on 1 February. This marked the show's second season airing on Nine following its cancellation in 2013. Audition rounds took place during September and October of 2015. The judging lineup underwent a complete revamp: Ian "Dicko" Dickson, Sophie Monk, Kelly Osbourne, and Eddie Perfect replaced Kyle Sandilands, Geri Halliwell, Dawn French, and Timomatic. Julia Morris did not reprise her hosting duties due to other engagements and was succeeded by Dave Hughes. This season also introduced the Golden Buzzer mechanism. The series ran from 1 February until 14 March 2016, with Fletcher Pilon emerging as the winner.
Season 9 (2019)
After a three-year break, Seven Network announced in December 2018 that Australia's Got Talent would return in 2019. In May that year, the network unveiled the judging panel comprising Nicole Scherzinger, Shane Jacobson, Manu Feildel, and Lucy Durack, alongside host Ricki-Lee Coulter. The season aired between 28 July and 22 September 2019.
Distinct from previous editions, no public voting occurred during the semi-final rounds. For the finale, judges selected a top four contestants, after which viewers in eastern states cast votes via SMS. The final episode was pre-recorded with four alternative endings to accommodate each potential winner. Pole dancer Kristy Sellars claimed the championship.
The entire season was filmed prior to broadcast.
Season 10 (2022)
Initially planned for a 2020 release with filming slated for March, Season 10's judging panel was set to include Shane Jacobson, Manu Feildel, newcomers Sonia Kruger and Olympia Valance, alongside returning host Ricki-Lee Coulter. However, production was suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The show was rescheduled for 2021 with Seven announcing a revised panel featuring Jacobson, Neil Patrick Harris, Alesha Dixon, and Kate Ritchie. Yet again, COVID-19 limitations in Sydney caused further delays. At Seven’s upfronts in 2022, it was confirmed that the series would air that year.
Season 10 premiered on 9 October 2022, featuring David Walliams replacing Harris on the judging panel; Coulter resumed hosting duties. Filming took place during June and July at Sydney Coliseum Theatre for auditions and Riverside Theatre Parramatta for finals.
Dance ensemble Acromazing secured the victory.
Viewership
| Season | Network | Premiere date | Finale date | Episodes | Premiere ratings |
Rank | Finale ratings (Grand final) |
Rank | Finale ratings (Winner announced) |
Rank | Average series viewers |
Average rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | Seven Network | 18 February 2007 | 28 April 2007 | 11 | — | |||||||
| Two | 29 April 2008 | 1 July 2008 | 10 | 1.358 | #4 | 1.733Template:Ref label | #1Template:Ref label | 1.587Template:Ref label | #1Template:Ref label | 1.306 | #2 | |
| Three | 4 February 2009 | 22 April 2009 | 12 | 1.314 | #3 | 1.510Template:Ref label | #1Template:Ref label | 1.610Template:Ref label | #1Template:Ref label | 1.342 | #3 | |
| Four | 13 April 2010 | 15 June 2010 | 10 | 1.493 | #2 | 1.831Template:Ref label | #1Template:Ref label | 1.939Template:Ref label | #1Template:Ref label | 1.561 | #3 | |
| Five | 3 May 2011 | 2 August 2011 | 18 | 1.563 | #2 | 2.316Template:Ref label | #2Template:Ref label | 2.855Template:Ref label | #1{{ref label|Note2|b|} | |||
|- ! scope="row"| Six
|16 April 2012 |25 July 2012 |21 |1.196 |style="background:#F0F8FF" |#6 |1.109Template:Ref label |style="background:#F0F8FF" |#4Template:Ref label |0.998Template:Ref label |style="background:#F0F8FF" |#7Template:Ref label |style="background:#FFFDD0" |1.031 |style="background:#FFFDD0" |#8
|- ! scope="row" |Seven
| rowspan=2 |Nine Network |11 August 2013 |10 November 2013 |14 |1.044 |style ="background:#F0F8FF" |#6 |1.116Template:Ref label |style ="background:#F0F8FF" |#4Template:Ref label |1.391Template:Ref label |style ="background:#F0F8FF" |#1Template:Ref label |style ="background:#FFFDD0" |1.026 |style ="background:#FFFDD0" |#5
|- ! scope ="row"|"Eight"
|| Nine Network || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
!scope = "row"|"Nine"
|" rowspan=2 "| Network Seven |"28 July,2019 |"22 September,2019 |"13 |"0.875 |"style = background: # F0 F8 FF "| "#4" |"0.791 Template:Ref Label Note2 b b |"style = background: # F0 F8 FF "| "#4 Template:Ref Label Note2 b b" |"0.771 Template:Ref Label Note2 b b" |"style = background: # F0 F8 FF "| "#5 Template:Ref Label Note2 b b" |"style = background: # FFF DD O "| "#783" |"style = background: # FFF DD O "| "#6" |-
!scope = "row"|"Ten"
|"9 October,2022 |"20 November,2022 |"11 |"l .136 |"style = background: # FOF B FF "| "#4" |"o .941 Template:Ref Label Note2 b b" |"style = background: # FOF B FF "| "#5 Template:Ref Label Note2 b b" |- |}
- The Grand Final & Winner Announced are presented as separate episodes.
- In some seasons, the Grand Final & Winner Announced are combined into a single episode.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Logie Awards | Most Popular Light Entertainment Program | Australia's Got Talent | Template:Nom |
| Most Popular Presenter | Grant Denyer | Template:Nom | ||
| 2012 | Logie Awards | Most Popular Light Entertainment Program | Australia's Got Talent | Template:Nom |
| Most Outstanding Light Entertainment Program | Template:Nom | |||
| 2014 | Logie Awards | Most Popular New Talent | Timomatic | Template:Nom |
| 2023 | Logie Awards | Most Popular Entertainment Program | Australia's Got Talent | Template:Nom |
External links
- Articles with short description
- Australia's Got Talent
- 2007 Australian television series debuts
- 2013 Australian television series endings
- 2016 Australian television series debuts
- 2016 Australian television series endings
- 2019 Australian television series debuts
- Nine Network original programming
- Australian variety television shows
- Australian English-language television shows
- Television series by Fremantle (company)
- Television shows set in Sydney
- Television shows set in Melbourne
- Television productions postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Australian television series revived after cancellation
- Seven Network original programming
- Australian television series based on British television series