MELBOURNE, VIC. — Producer Laura Milke Garner (pictured) is an award-winning producer with over 29 years’ experience developing, producing, and touring live performances across comedy, theatre, and cabaret both nationally and internationally and was announced as the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend at the closing-night awards ceremony, ending Melbourne’s largest celebration of independent arts.
Best In Category Awards
Best Cabaret
Winner
Nominees
Best Circus
Winner
Nominees
Best Comedy
Winner
Nominees
Jeromaia Detto: Giuseppe’s Love Quest
Mrs Lovett’s Famous Meat Pies Grand Reopening Extravaganza
Best Dance & Physical Theatre
Winner
We wanna have a lot of forks in a backpack
Nominees
Best Experimental
Winner
Nominees
Best Kids
Winner
Nominees
Nicholas Ridiculous – the Puppet Party
Best Music
Winner
Nominees
Best Theatre
Winner
Nominees
Best Visual Arts & Film
Winner
Nominees
Best Words & Ideas
Winner
Nominees
Special Awards
Crowd Pleaser Award (People’s Choice)
Sound and Technical Excellence Award
Supported by Front of House Productions
Industry Trivia All-Star Champion Award
ACMI
Venue of the Year Award
Bluestone Church Arts Space
Most Accessible Venue Award
The Motley Bauhaus
Access and Inclusion Award
Best Work by an Emerging Artist
Winner
Nominees
Beray Uzunbay as the Muslim Jester
Spirit of the Fringe Award
Winner
Nominees
Director’s Choice Award
Touring Awards
Adelaide Touring Award
Supported by Adelaide Fringe
Mrs Lovett’s Famous Meat Pies Grand Reopening Extravaganza
Brisbane Touring Award
Supported by Brisbane Comedy Festival
Mel McGlensey is Mucking Around
Perth Touring Award
Supported by FRINGE WORLD Festival
Sydney Touring Award
Supported by Sydney Fringe
Hannah Camilleri: Dinner Hannah Show
NZ Touring Award
Supported by New Zealand Fringe
NZ Indigenous Exchange Award
Supported by New Zealand Fringe
Hollywood Fringe Touring Award
Supported by Hollywood Fringe
Artist Development Awards
Artform Shaker Award
Supported by Theatre Network Australia
Change Maker Award
Supported by Theatre Network Australia
Sahra Davoudi from Am I Who? x 2
Best Emerging Producer
Supported by MILKE
Flynn Smeaton from DIRT CHURCH
Best Emerging Indigenous Artist
Georgia Boseley from Weaving the Everywhen
Best Emerging LGBTQIA+ Artist
Supported by The Victorian Pride Centre
Sunny Youngsmith from Cabin Pressure
Monash Knowledge Exchange Award
Supported by Monash’s Faculty of Arts and School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics
Comedy New Work Award
Supported by Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Headroom Award
Supported by RISING
We wanna have a lot of forks in a backpack
Showcase Ready Award
Supported by The Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centres
Outstanding Newcomer
Supported by Auspicious Arts Projects
Outstanding Production Design
Supported by Deakin University
Geelong Creative Development Award
Supported by Geelong Arts Centre
New Writing Award
Supported by Melbourne Theatre Company
