The Start named finalists in seven categories at the 2026 Australian Web Awards.

Off the back of last year’s run, where we took home two Australian Web Awards wins from six nominations, we’re back in the mix with a new batch of work. Enough to justify the flights eastbound again at least.

It’s a mix of projects we’ve poured ourselves into over the past year, plus, for the first time, an individual nod. Our very own Cullen Webber is up for the Rising Star award.

Agency: The Start

There’s a cruel irony that comes with creating work for yourself. The idea of endless revisions and the freedom to start again at any point sounds attractive, but that can quickly spiral into having no real reason to ever stop.

What actually got this one over the line wasn’t months of boardroom musings, but a deadline we probably shouldn’t have set, and then followed through on like it mattered more than it should. It probably did.

The site’s been live for over eight months now. Sure, Kevin Parker might avoid listening to his albums for a year after release, but we’re still looking back at ours with rose-tinted glasses. Hopefully you are too.

Rising Star: Cullen Webber

This new award recognises individuals producing standout work while contributing to the growth of the industry across disciplines like design, development, UX, SEO and more.

Call us biased, but we can’t think of a more deserving candidate than our Technical Lead, Cullen Webber.

He’s been a driving force behind a lot of the work in these nominations. His approach to creative development, particularly in 3D and Three.js, goes further than most are willing or able to take it. What’s more impressive is that he’s built that capability over just a few years, coming from a design background and pushing into highly technical territory.

Cullen’s been on a hot streak this past year, both across our boldest site features like the Joondalup Festival header and the 3D dot environment on our own website (not to takeaway from his back-end chops), as well as his personal projects, which recently led to a tutorial feature on Codrops.

We’re incredibly proud to see Cullen’s hard work and passion being recognised on an Australian stage.

Campaign: Joondalup Festival

Two years on the trot with Joondalup Festival. First the brand, then the site.

This was a chance to take the coastal brand identity and push it properly into digital. The hero piece, a time and light responsive ocean experience that takes you underwater as you enter, paired with an accessible card system to explore events.

The site supported a full digital campaign and helped cement Joondalup Festival’s seat at Perth’s cultural table, alongside other major event facilitators on the yearly calendar.

A project like this only happens with a client daring and ambitious enough to go there. The Joondalup Festival team made it an easy one to get behind.

Community & Culture, and Entertainment & Events: Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre

When WFAC’s new brand needed translating to the web, we were all in.

Not only is it one of our favourite music venues in town, it’s one of the most iconic. The history, the scale of offerings, and the year-round calendar called for a heavily layered approach. We spent a lot of time finding the right mix of brand expression, SEO, UX, membership management, and everything in between.

Great to see it up for two categories, and even better to see the site helping carry out their mantra that art is for everyone.

Energy & Resources, and Science & Sustainability: Pacific Energy

On Pacific Energy’s quest to help power Australia’s clean energy transition, a website overhaul was key in communicating their depth and growing capability to stakeholders.

As usual, we were drawn to the idea of 3D to tell that story. We built an interactive environment that maps their solutions, alongside detailed models of their PEM Electrolysers so users can explore individual components in detail.

On top of that, we deployed our in-house product, Voodu, to help users navigate a complex service offering, find relevant case studies, and better understand their vertically integrated offering.

Taking stock

Each year the Australian Web Awards seem to roll around a little quicker than the last.

It’s always a good point to slow down and appreciate what’s been built over the past year, the clients who give us the space to make this kind of work, and the team that pours themselves into it.

Onwards.