NITV and SBS announce extensive line-up of music, news, entertainment, comedy and acclaimed Australian cinema to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2024
SBS is celebrating the strength, resilience and vitality of the world’s oldest continuous culture this National NAIDOC Week 2024, with curated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content premiering across the network from Saturday 6 July. The line-up includes extensive multiplatform and multilingual coverage, featuring a variety of new and returning entertainment and current affairs programs for all Australians, exploring the 2024 NAIDOC Week theme, Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.
SBS and NITV’s impressive offering, also available on SBS On Demand, includes Big Backyard Quiz, an hour-long game show hosted by Narelda Jacobs OAM and Steven Oliver, with special guests Barkaa, Dave Woodhead, and comedians Tom Ballard, Nina Oyama, Ivan Aristeguieta and Tegan Higginbotham. Watch on Saturday 13 July at 7.30pm on NITV and SBS to find out who knows the most about the people and history of Australia, while testing your own knowledge.
NITV’s Indigenous current affairs program The Point returns for the year on Tuesday 9 July at 7.30pm for a community-led season to continue tackling the biggest stories on the national agenda. Following the success of the program in 2024 which saw it travel to every state and territory, The Point: Road Tripwill again broadcast on-Country in communities across the continent, led by John Paul Janke. The Point: Road Tripelevates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and views with each episode featuring a panel of passionate, local people.
Acclaimed animated children’s series Little J & Big Cuzreturns for season 4 on NITV on Monday 8 July at 6.05pm, with voice actors including Deborah Mailman, Miranda Tapsell, Aaron Fa’Aoso, Mark Coles Smith and more. This season, Little J and Big Cuz plan the best birthday party ever, undertake an epic road trip, play superheroes, hunt for honey ants and run a radio station all while learning valuable life lessons along the way.
The SBS Elder-in-Residence Oration returns, presented by Rhoda Roberts AO who this year is joined by special guest, proud Wiradjuri man and renowned journalist Stan Grant. The Oration provides a dedicated space for elevating First Nations perspectives on issues of local and global importance, and an opportunity for exploration, connection and learning for all Australians. In this year’s oration, Grant shares his reflections on the media and his four-decade career. The oration will broadcast on NITV and SBS On Demand on Sunday 7 July at 6.30pm.
Sounds of Solidarity celebrates music from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across all genres, hosted by Naomi Wenitong, Jimblah and comedian Andy Saunders, premiering on Saturday 6 July from 4.30pm. The program will lead into the National NAIDOC Week Awards Ceremony on NITV at 7.30pm. Simulcast with the ABC, this year’s awards are hosted by Rob Collins, Narelda Jacobs OAMand Steph Tisdell.
Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director of Indigenous Content at SBS, said:“We are proud that as a network we’re sharing more of our stories through NITV and SBS, every day. This NAIDOC Week, our content is insightful, celebratory and unapologetically Blak, featuring comedy, family and communities in line with the 2024 NAIDOC theme, Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud. We have brand new entertainment programs such as Big Backyard Quiz and a new edition of Sounds of Solidarity, plus another season of the family favourite, Little J & Big Cuz and our in-depth look at mob on Country with The Point: Road Trip.
“At NITV, our important work is possible because of trailblazers whose dedication and commitment forged a path in this industry before us. We’re grateful for another Elder-in-Residence Oration which includes two media icons, industry and community leaders, Aunty Rhoda Roberts AO and Stan Grant.”
SBS will share news and information in more than 60 languages across the network. Multilingual and multiplatform coverage through SBS Audio shares First Nations perspectives, celebrates cultures, knowledges and history, and showcases SBS’s unique ability to connect the newest Australians with the world’s oldest living continuous culture.The SBS Audio offering includes videos, podcasts and articles in Filipino, Vietnamese and Urdu, and a special NAIDOC Week explainer video in Arabic, English, Greek, Mandarin, Punjabi and Vietnamese.
Highlights of the multiplatform offering across the SBS network include:
Sounds of Solidarity
Saturday 6 July at 4.30pm on NITV
Returning for a special NAIDOC Week show, join hosts Naomi Wenitong, Jimblah and Andy Saunders for a three-hour program featuring some of the best Indigenous music and entertainment alongside thought-provoking chats. This edition of Sounds of Solidarity was filmed in Port Lincoln, South Australia, at Umeewarra Aboriginal Media Association.
National NAIDOC Week Awards Ceremony
Saturday 6 July from 7.30pm on NITV and ABC
Live from Tarndanya (Adelaide) on Kaurna Yerta, the awards will be hosted by acclaimed actor Rob Collins, proud Whadjuk Noongar woman, Network 10 and NITV presenter, Narelda Jacobs OAM, and comedian Steph Tisdell. ARIA award-winning musician Jessica Mauboy will headline the night’s entertainment.
The Awards recognise outstanding contributions made by Indigenous Australians to improve the lives of Indigenous peoples, promote Indigenous issues in the wider community and recognise First Nations excellence.
SBS Elder-in-Residence Oration presented by Rhoda Roberts AO with Stan Grant
Sunday July 7 at 6.30pm
Reflecting on the 2024 NAIDOC Theme: Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud, and filmed on Mabo Day 2024 – Rhoda Roberts AO, a proud Widjabul Wieybal woman from the Bundjalung Nation, delivers her second oration as SBS's Elder–in-Residence. Rhoda is joined by prominent Wiradjuri journalist, Stan Grant, and features an in-depth interview where Grant speaks about wide-ranging issues including the state of the media today, world politics, and his personal journey. Torres Strait Islander actor and producer Aaron Fa’Aoso also gives a stirring introduction, paying tribute to Eddie “Koiki” Mabo.
NITV News
Monday to Thursday at 6.30pm and Saturday 13 July at 6.20pm on NITV and SBS On Demand
Covering NAIDOC events from across the week and sharing the latest news from the oldest living culture, join Mudburra and Wagadagam woman Natalie Ahmat, Worimi woman Breanna Holden and Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man Michael Rennie for NITV News. Supported by the team of NITV journalists, watch NITV News for stories from an Indigenous perspective, culminating on Friday 12 July with a special edition of Nula at 5.30pm, broadcast from the national NAIDOC host city, Adelaide.
Little J & Big Cuz
Weekdays from Monday 8 July at 6.05pm on NITV, ABC and on SBS On Demand.
Little J (Miranda Tapsell), he’s five and Big Cuz (Deborah Mailman), she’s nine. They’re a couple of First Nations Australian kids living with their Nanna (Ursula Yovich) and Old Dog (Aaron Fa’Aoso). Little J and Big Cuz are busy with the ups and downs of playground and classroom, and there’s always something surprising going on, whether it’s at school, in the backyard…or beyond. The gaps in Nanna’s ramshackle fence lead to Saltwater, Desert and Freshwater Country, and with the help of Nanna and their teacher Ms Chen (Renee Lim), Little J and Big Cuz are finding out about community, Country and culture.
The award-winning Little J & Big Cuz is a Ned Lander Media, Media World and Blue Rocket production for NITV and ABC Children’s Content. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the ABC and NITV. Financed with support from the Australia Children’s Television Foundation, VicScreen, the Tasmanian Government through Screen Tasmania and the Australian Council for Educational Research.
Available to stream for free on SBS On Demand, with captions available in English and subtitles in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. Episode versions are also available in Indigenous languages Kuku Yalanji and Kalaw Kawaw Ya. Watch a sneak peek here.
Sydney Opera House Presents: Generations and Dynasties
Monday 8 July at 9pm on NITV and SBS on Demand
Filmed at the iconic Sydney Opera House during a special evening of music, storytelling, and inspiration, join extraordinary father/daughter duo, the multi-award-winning country musician Troy Cassar-Daley, and his rising indie-pop star daughter Jem Cassar-Daley. Generations and Dynasties explores the rich tapestry of storytelling in First Nations culture, passed down from parents to children and among siblings. This is the third of three episodes, with one and two featuring the Jarrett family and the Briscoe sisters, available on SBS On Demand. Like the symbolic passing of the story stick, each episode reflects the importance of family, community, and culture. It’s a chance to honour these trailblazers and look at the creative journey across generations.
Living Black
Continues weekly on Mondays at 8.30pm on NITV and Tuesdays at 3.15pm on SBS. Also available on SBS On Demand.
Australia's longest running Indigenous current affairs television program continues, featuring inspiring and influential people talking about their lives and careers. Join Walkley Award-winning journalist Karla Grant as she explores the issues affecting First Nations peoples through candid interviews and powerful investigations.
This year’s NAIDOC Week episode features Emily Wurramara, a singer from Groote Eylandt who can’t be contained by one genre. Grant interviews the talented musician about her life, new music, and how a house fire wouldn’t define her.
The Point: Road Trip
Weekly on Tuesdays at 7.30pm from 9 July on NITV, and on Friday 12 July at 2pm on SBS.
The Point is the home of First Nations perspectives. In this new season of panel discussions, the program becomes The Point: Road Trip, travelling the country to hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. Join proud Wuthathi and Meriam man and National Indigenous Affairs Editor, John Paul Janke, for honest and insightful discussions about the challenges facing Indigenous communities, as well as highlighting community led solutions to drive change. Whadjuk Noongar woman, Network Ten’s Narelda Jacobs OAM (10 News First: Midday and 10 News First: Afternoons) will feature in the program throughout the season. (For more information, please see the attached The Point: Road Trip release.)
Big Backyard Quiz
Saturday 13 July at 7.30pm on SBS, NITV and on SBS On Demand.
Hosted by Narelda Jacobs OAM and Steven Oliver, featuring a series of games and quiz rounds, test your knowledge about all aspects of the Australian experience – the people, the land, food, music and sport. Two teams of three fight it out to decide who will win! This comedic quiz show looks at the people and history of Australia through a Blak lens, the way we were not taught in school. Join team captains Barkaa and Dave Woodhead, and contestant panellists Tom Ballard, Ivan Aristeguieta, Tegan Higginbotham, and Nina Oyama. BBQis executive produced by Anthony Watt (Spicks and Specks, Full Frontal) and Daniel Gallahar (NITV).
Throughout the week, SBS Food is proud to present NAIDOC themed episodes of The Cook Up with guest host Nornie Bero, premiering weekdays from Monday 8 July at 7pm. Special guests include AFL legend Nicky Winmar, bush food purveyor Sharon Winsor, Indigenous Literacy Foundation CEO Ben Bowen, ABC journalist and social media sensation Tom Forrest, also known as Outback Tom, and more.
SBS World Movies will host a curated collection of acclaimed Australian cinema telling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ stories from Monday 8 to Friday 12 July at 9.30pm. This includes Australian Rules, The Furnace, The Tracker, Ten Canoes and We Are Still Here.
SBS On Demand will feature a hub dedicated to NAIDOC Week, showcasing all of the network’s content, including documentaries, movies, news and current affairs and more.
Students around Australia can discover more through SBS Learn’s popular NAIDOC Week education resource, authored by proud Yankunyjatjara, Kokatha and Wirangu woman Shelley Ware. This is the sixth National NAIDOC Week curriculum-aligned education resource developed by Shelley for SBS Learn. It is a valuable and culturally informed online teaching guide featuring activities, discussions and videos to enable teachers to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into primary and secondary classrooms all year-round.
SBS’s National NAIDOC Week project proudly continues the work set out in SBS’s Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan 2022-2026. This Plan outlines SBS’s commitment to reflecting, exploring and embedding First Nations stories, knowledges, cultures and languages across the network, and to connecting the oldest continuous culture on Earth with the newest Australians.
Around Australia, SBS and NITV are partnering with local communities to celebrate NAIDOC Week, with more information available on SBS’s cultural celebrations page.
You can read more about NAIDOC Week here.
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