Following a competitive application process Belvoir St Theatre has announced Kamilaroi, Barkindji, Ballardong and Whadjuk woman Bianca Hunt as the 2026 Balnaves Foundation Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellow.
Celebrated for her work as an author, host, broadcaster and MC, Hunt will work at Belvoir St Theatre over a two-year period from January 2026 to December 2027 as a resident artist to create a new work for the stage.
Hunt's new play Live, Laugh, Blak Love will follow two lifelong best friends navigating dating, careers, and self-discovery as Blak women - one fearless and commitment-averse, the other focused and romance-resistant until a chance encounter changes everything.
Packed with big laughs and real, relatable moments, the rom com will explore love, friendship, and the question of whether the love they dream of is dreaming of them too.
Taking to instagram to express her excitement, Hunt said she was honoured to be the 2026 Balnaves Fellow.
"Honoured to be the 2026 Balnaves Fellow thank you Balnaves and Belvoir St Theatre for this opportunity. I can't wait to get started and embark on this new writing journey. The fact I'm commissioned to write my own first theatre piece is wild," she said.
"I'm honoured to be following in the footsteps of all the previous recipients. Y'all ain't seen nothing yet!!"
With a passion for hearing other people's stories and for sharing her own, Hunt has dedicated her career to uplifting First Nations people and platforming women in media.
As a TV presenter, media personality, interviewer and author, Hunt's career spans sport, travel, fashion and music journalism.
Her TV roles have included SBS's Going Places with Ernie Dingo, Coles Healthy Kicks, Yokayi Footy, and a stint on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
In the brand world she has fronted campaigns for Bonds, LinkedIn and Intrepid Travel, while also being an ambassador for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and Wyanga Elders.
The Balnaves Foundation is the Principal Partner of First Nations Theatre at Belvoir St Theatre. Since 2011, The Balnaves Foundation has supported First Nations programming at Belvoir, helping ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories reach new audiences.
The Balnaves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Fellowship at Belvoir St Theatre is open to playwrights to write a new play, and to directors or writer/directors who can lead the creation of a First Nations-led stage work, whether that be a new play, an adaptation or through a devised process. It also includes an invitation to have a voice in Belvoir's artistic decision-making processes.
From its origins as The Balnaves Foundation Indigenous Playwright Award, this Fellowship is recognised as one of the most prestigious theatre awards in Australia, attracting entrants of the highest calibre.
Past winners include current 2025/26 Fellow Hannah Belanszky who will work alongside Hunt, as well as Guy Simon (2023), Dalara Williams (2022), Thomas Weatherall (2021), Jorjia Gillis (2020), Nathan Maynard (2019), Kodie Bedford (2018) and Megan Wilding (2017).
Past Fellows have created exceptional works which consistently affirm the depth of talent amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander theatre-makers, whilst bringing extraordinary works to the Belvoir stage.
"The Balnaves Foundation and I are thrilled to celebrate Bianca Hunt as the 2026 Balnaves Fellow at Belvoir St Theatre. Our collaboration with Belvoir continues to champion emerging First Nations artists as they create bold new stories for the stage," Balnaves Foundation chief executive officer, Hamish Balnaves, said.
"We look forward to witnessing her creative journey unfold and seeing the work she will bring to life through this Fellowship."
Belvoir's executive director, Aaron Beach, said Belvoir St Theatre was impressed with the quality this year's applications.
"We are very pleased with the quality and calibre of this year's applications. They included several first-time applicants from the First Nations artistic community," he said.
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