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'Australian Idol' 2026 Golden Ticket Winners Revealed

Mary Varvaris

'Australian Idol' returned for its eleventh season this month. With $100,000 and other impressive prizes on the line, contestants are giving the show everything they've got.

'Australian Idol' Judges Marcia Hines, Amy Shark & Kyle Sandilands
'Australian Idol' Judges Marcia Hines, Amy Shark & Kyle Sandilands(Credit: Seven)

Australian Idol returned for its eleventh season on Monday (2 February), and nine hopeful singers have already received Golden Tickets.

Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie are back as hosts, and judges Kyle Sandilands, Marcia Hines, and Amy Shark have returned for another year. Auditions have been held in various locations across the country, and, like last year’s season, contestants haven’t been guaranteed a Golden Ticket even if they received two or three “yes” votes from the judges.

Instead, they remain in a holding area until the end of the audition process that day, when the judges narrow down the singers they saw, may have some sing again, and decide who will advance to the next stage of the competition.

Contestants who receive Golden Tickets during the auditions for this year’s Australian Idol will automatically enter the next phase of the competition: the Top 30, and won’t have to secure a spot during a different round.

The Golden Ticket winners (so far) are:

  • 23-year-old Central Coast singer Kalani Artis, who performed Torn by Natalie Imbruglia (2 February)

  • 17-year-old Northern Rivers singer Lily-Grace Grant, who performed What You Get Is What You See by Tina Turner (2 February)

  • 16-year-old Bunbury singer John Standley, who performed Shout by The Isley Brothers (2 February)

  • 20-year-old Brisbane singer Eva Ilov, who performed Saving All My Love For You by Whitney Houston/ Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton/ Down Under by Men at Work (2 February)

  • 14-year-old Melbourne singer Mat Rigby, who performed Viva la Vida by Coldplay (2 February)

  • 31-year-old Perth singer Charlie Moon, who performed Birds Of A Feather by Billie Eilish (3 February)

  • 19-year-old Perth singer Harriet Kenworthy, who performed Scar by Missy Higgins (3 February)

  • 20-year-old Sydney singer Achille Fong, who performed All The Small Things by blink-182 (3 February)

  • 25-year-old Bacchus March singer Jacinta Guirguis, who performed Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye & Kimbra (3 February)

  • 31-year-old Adelaide singer Simela Petridis, who performed I Don’t Want To Wait by Paula Cole (8 February)

  • 15-year-old Sydney singer Taiyo Marchand, who performed Treasure by Bruno Mars (8 February)

  • 25-year-old Hawkesbury singer Vince Phillips, who performed Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus (8 February)

This list will be updated as this year’s competition continues.

Australian Idol airs on Sunday nights at 7 pm AEDT, followed by episodes on Monday nights at 7:30 pm AEDT, on Channel Seven and streamed for free on 7plus.

After reaching the Top 30, contestants will undergo transformations and progress through the competition's stages before entering the Top 12 and the ensuing live performances.

The winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize, an exclusive recording package with Hive Sound Studios, marketing and social media support from The Annex, and coveted VIP tickets to events such as the ARIA Awards and TV Week Logie Awards.

Last year’s season was won by 19-year-old Doonan retro-pop singer Marshall Hamburger.