ELLE Australia’s 2026 Next Gen Awards celebrate the best of new Aussie talent

The 2026 ELLE Next Gen Awards are taking place at The Press in Sydney on September 2, to celebrate Australia’s emerging creative voices across fashion, film, music, beauty, art and literature. 

The awards span nine categories: actor, model, fashion designer, ELLE man, musician, filmmaker, artist, beauty and writer.

ELLE Australia has partnered with Swarovski, Uber Elite and Essential Parfums for the event.

The annual awards will be hosted by ELLE Australia editor Jessica Bailey, for the second year.

Mediaweek spoke with Bailey about the significance of the upcoming event.

“It's such an unique energy in the room, everyone's so excited,” Bailey said of last year's awards.

When asked what qualifies a nominee, Bailey told us, "We want to unearth people who are young, fascinating and on the cusp of something. 

“That's the key - they're just about to break - and we want to catch them before that.”

Bailey added that's what ELLE is all about.

"If you look back at the last 81 years, globally it's been an incubator of emerging talent, and it's always spotlighted the young, bold creatives who are pushing boundaries and inspiring the next generation to see themselves as they are.

"At ELLE in Australia, we had Margot Robbie on the cover just as she was in The Wolf of Wallstreet, that was her first major cover.

"And then we had Milly Alcock on the cover last year as she soared into cinemas as the new Supergirl.

“And we had Sunday Rose Kidman Urban in March, who's the biggest fashion muse of the moment as she establishes her own career.”

Bailey explained that the whole ELLE team decides the shortlist and then the final winners.

“It doesn't stop at the awards,” Bailey says. “After the awards, we have more events, we have a relationship with the winners, and it's so nice to be able to build that ELLE community with them.”

Bailey adds that, “This year's cohort are really impressive.

“You learn so much from them, it's so amazing what young people are doing. Amazing achievements.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by ELLE Australia (@elleaus)

Swarovski is Headline Partner for ELLE Au's Next Gen Awards

As Headline Partner, Swarovski will feature across the awards and ELLE’s print, digital and social coverage, including a dedicated on-site experience and content celebrating the 2026 nominees and winners.

Sonia Kudatov, Director of Sales, Swarovski, said: "At Swarovski, innovation, creativity and self-expression are at the heart of everything we do, making ELLE Next Gen a natural partnership for our brand. 

“We are proud to return as Headline Partner and celebrate the next generation of Australian talent whose fresh perspectives, ambition and creativity continue to shape the future of fashion, entertainment and culture.”

Uber Elite, Uber’s premium ride experience featuring professional chauffeurs, luxury vehicles and first-class service, joins the 2026 awards as Official Ride Partner. The partnership will help nominees and guests arrive in style, while offering an exclusive first look at what’s next for Uber Elite in Australia.

Essential Parfums, represented in Australia by Cosmax Prestige Brands, will join as Exclusive Fragrance Partner, creating a luxury sensory experience through premium gifting, experiential touchpoints and editorial content, while paying homage to ELLE’s French heritage.

About ELLE Australia

While ELLE magazine has grown to be read by nearly 500,000 Australians each month, its real strength lies in the depth of its content ecosystem, spanning print, digital, social, events and experiences.

ELLE’s rebirth in Australia demonstrates how a modern magazine brand can operate as a truly digital-led model. Engagement across TikTok and Instagram (1.5million combined followers) has grown by more than 300% year on year, helping drive a nearly 20% increase in traffic to ELLE.com.au at a time when search drops are hitting many publishers.

This deeper connection with the ELLE community is also translating into strong commercial results, through partnerships with brands including L’Oréal Paris, Uber, Swarovski, Ralph Lauren, SkinBetter Science and La Mer.

Nominees for the 2026 ELLE Next Gen Awards can be viewed here: https://www.elle.com.au/culture/elle-next-gen-awards-nominees-2026/