FUCCBOIS and HOW NOT TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA Win 2026 House of Oz Purse Prize

Fuccbois: Live in Concert and How Not to Make It in America have been named joint recipients of the prestigious 2026 House of Oz Purse Prize.

Now in its third year, the House of Oz Purse Prize has quickly established itself as one of Australia's most influential career accelerators, providing outstanding independent artists with a supported pathway to present their work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. House of Oz selects world-class Australian acts from the Adelaide Fringe Festival and provides its full backing to enable their journey to the global stage in Edinburgh, the world's largest performing arts festival.

Reflecting the exceptional calibre of this year's shortlist, two productions have been awarded the renowned prize, showcasing the breadth, ambition and originality of contemporary Australian performance.

Fuccbois: Live in Concert is a glitzy, camp and hilarious pop spectacle starring the world's biggest boyband you've never heard of. Brendan, Brandon, Tyler and, also, Brendan have sold more tickets and broken more hearts than anyone - but now they're saying goodbye to their frosted tips forever. With one final show demanded by their record label, the group must navigate their back catalogue while personal and professional rivalries threaten to implode the performance. Created by ARIA award-winning writer Bridie Connell, this razor-sharp comedy delivers a brilliantly irreverent satire of toxic dating culture, wrapped in an irresistibly high-energy musical experience.

How Not to Make It in America, by Emily Steel, is a powerful and deeply human solo work set in 2001. The story follows a naïve young Australian actor chasing his dreams in New York, only to have his world upended by 9/11, heartbreak and an expiring visa. A kaleidoscope of memory, humour and heartbreak, the production explores what happens when dreams collapse and identity is thrown into crisis. Marking 25 years since September 11, the piece draws on Steel's real-life experiences, with performer James Smith transforming into 28 distinct characters in a tour-de-force performance that is both intimate and expansive.

Selected from a standout shortlist of five productions, both winning works exemplify the daring storytelling and creative excellence that the House of Oz Purse Prize was created to champion.

The 2026 shortlist also included:

• I Can Have a Dark Side Too, a one-man black comedy exploring trauma, grief and memory through the fractured psyche of a children's entertainer
• Tilly Does A Show, the debut live performance from acclaimed comedy creator Tilly Oddy-Black, bringing her beloved online characters to the stage
• Man Sings The Same Song Over And Over Again For An Hour, an absurd and unpredictable live art-comedy experiment from award-winning comedian Conk.

The House of Oz Purse Prize provides critical financial support, industry connections and presenting opportunities, enabling artists to take their work onto the global stage and build sustainable international careers.