John FarnhamA music show dedicated to finding new talent, and a TV special about a local music superstar, struck a chord with Australian TV audiences in recent days.
Both spoke volumes at how local audiences were deeply interested about the journeys of music talent.
However somewhat disappointing for Australian talent recognition were the Grammys and their global viewing reach.
Four Aussie acts were nominated in significant categories. But only one trumped.
It was left to British music executives to celebrate the prominence of their acts on the night, with one declaring the Grammys 2026 “mark(ed) a pivotal moment in the resurgence of British music on the global stage.”
Idol
The return of Australian Idol on Seven on Monday (February 2nd) drew 1.81 million. This beat the 1.07 million for last year’s Grand Final.
It was the fourth highest rating show of the night and second of non-news and current affairs content.
Idol was inevitably struggling against the return of Married At First Sight which had 2.89 million switching to Nine and making it top quarterback of the night.
Idol was the fifth most popular show for both the 16-39 and 25-54 age groups.
Streaming figures on 7plus audiences were not available immediately. But in 2025, it posted a 42% increase, which might carry over, or increase, this year.
Early indications were that of the 450-500 who auditioned, there were enough with distinctive voices and/or quirky personalities and/or compelling back-stories to keep the viewers pasted on.
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Charlie Moon, a 31-year old from Perth sporting granny glasses and a bright beanie, chose Billie Eilish’s Birds Of A Feather. It made a connection to his late mother whom he was a full-time carer for after she was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Jacinta, 25, a forklift driver from Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, admitted, “I was not born a confident human.” Also suffering from shyness was Kalani, 25, a landscaper from the NSW Central Coast.
A sheep shearer lost a tooth after literally running into one, while two teenagers took the time machine to 1950s swing and 1990s disco.
In the WTF section was Brisbane musician Eva, who turned up unprepared without a song and thought it would be really groovy if judges Marcia, Amy, and Kyle chose one for her (cue: three mortified faces).
Farnham
The re-run of John Farnham: Finding The Voice on Seven, reached 1.17 million on Sunday night.
It was seventh most watched for the night, or #1 for the entertainment slot, given that most people (6 million) were glued to the Australian Open.
It ranked #8 with the 25-54 demo, and #10 with the 16-39 group.
The 96-minute documentary, written and directed by Poppy Stockell, first hit the cinemas in May 2023 and had its TV premiere on Seven two months later.
Grammys
The four Australian-raised acts nominated were Tame Impala, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Amyl And The Sniffers, and K-Pop identity Rosé.
The latter was nominated in no less than three categories (in her APT. duet with Bruno Mars), two of them the most important awards. But in the end there was only one winner – the truly worthy Tame Impala/Kevin Parker for Best Dance/Electronic Recording with End Of Summer.
Olivia Dean confirmed her status as a major British act when she became the first Brit to win Best New Act since Dua Lipa in 2019.
Also in that category was fellow-Brit Lola Young along with Katseye, The Marías, Addison Rae, Sombr, Leon Thomas, and Alex Warren.
Other Brit winners included FKA Twigs and Raye.
The British industry, on the other hand, had enough wins there were across-the-board celebrations and one executive, Dickon Stainer, chief executive at Universal Music U.K., telling Billboard, “These Grammy wins for Olivia Dean and Lola Young mark a pivotal moment in the resurgence of British music on the global stage.
“Seeing these young artists recognized alongside The Cure, after their near fifty-year wait, is the surest sign yet that British talent is moving back to its rightful place at the forefront of worldwide music.”
Dr. Jo Twist OBE, chief executive of the BPI highlighted the role that music education played in several winners, telling Billboard that FKA Twigs, Young, Dean, and Raye had been students of the free-to-attend BRIT School in Croydon in London.
The Grammy wins, Twist asserted, was “an incredible testament both to the power of creative education and to the importance of making it accessible to as many young Brits as possible.”
She went on to say, “Recognition like this is more than a gesture. It’s proof that British music is well and truly world-class, an acknowledgment of last year’s many UK musical breakthroughs, and a reminder that the UK remains one of the best places in the world for artists to launch and develop their careers, supported by our record label members and the wider music ecosystem.”
At a time of global anti-immigrant sentiment, the 26-year old Dean said as she picked up her trophy "I'm up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I'm a product of bravery and I think those people ought to be celebrated."
Billie Eilish stated: "No one is illegal on stolen land," prompting an influx of applause.
Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) rammed the message harder when he became the first artist to win Album of the Year for a record sung entirely in Spanish with DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.
In a speech mostly in Spanish while honouring his home nation of Puerto Rico and family, and then switched to English when he took on the chaos unleashed on American streets by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out. We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.
“I want to say to the people, I know it’s tough not to hate in these days. I was thinking, sometimes we get … contaminados [contaminated]? I don’t know how to say that in English. The hate gets more powerful with more hate.
“The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love, so please, we need to be different. We fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people, we love our family, and that’s the way to do it, with love. Don’t forget that, please.”
K-Pop won its first Grammys with chart topping Golden from the KPop Demon Hunters film for Best Song Written For Visual Media.
The Best Audio Book, Narration, And Storytelling Recording category usually throws up unorthodox winners. This year was no different, with The Dalai Lama – Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
Among nominees was Fab Morvan – You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli. Morvan and Rob Pilatus were a R&B/pop duo created by producer Frank Farian and had international hits with Blame It On The Rain and Girl You Know It’s True which sold 30 million.
They scored a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1990. When Farian announced the two had not actually sung on the records and lip-synched at concerts, a furore erupted and they had to return the award.
Alas it was discovered they had not actually sung on the records and in the hysteria that followed, they had to return their Grammys.
The 2026 Grammys were screened globally on various platforms, on CBS and Paramount in the US and on Stan in Australia. Ratings figures were not revealed at the time this story went live.
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body
