Stories of strength, survival and pride that speak to tens of thousands of years of ongoing culture.
National Indigenous Television will bring its 2026 #AlwayWasAlwaysWillBe programming across NITV and the entire SBS network to shine a light on Australia’s shared history.
Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and SBS Director of First Nations, said: “With our Always Was, Always Will Be season, we are proud to center First Nations voices and perspectives and present resonant stories of strength, survival and pride that speak to tens of thousands of years of ongoing culture.
“Thanks to NITV’s signature First Nations stories, enhanced by multiplatform and multilingual programming and coverage across the SBS network, Australians will be invited to listen, learn and join the conversation around January 26, inspiring reflection, understanding and constructive dialogue.”
January 26 remains a moment of national conversation, one that asks Australians to reflect on the history and complexities of this date, to examine their identities and to reflect on what this day means to First Nations peoples and contemporary Australia.
Throughout the week, NITV and SBS invite all Australians to engage with distinctive, authoritative, deeply personal and unapologetic Blak perspectives that illuminate the truth of our shared history. The curated slate explores stories of strength, survival and pride, offering audiences the opportunity to reflect, understand and connect with the world’s oldest living culture.
Highlights:
• WugulOra morning ceremony – Live from the Barangaroo Reserve
Simulcast: Monday 26 January, 7.30am on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand
A sacred and unifying start to January 26, WugulOra (‘One Mob’ in the Gadigal language) honors the culture, strength and continuity of the Gadigal peoples of the Eora nation through dance, song and storytelling. Presented by NITV’s John Paul Janke and Shahni Wellington and broadcast live from Barangaroo Reserve – a smoking ceremony and celebration of the world’s oldest living culture.
• SBS Elder in Residence Oration
Simulcast: Monday January 26, 11am on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand
The annual Elder in Residence Oration, delivered by Widjabul Wiabul woman Rhoda Roberts AO, reflects on challenges, ambitions and the way forward for all Australians.
• NITV News: Day 26
Simulcast: Monday January 26, 5:30 PM on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand
In addition to providing an overview of the day’s marches and events from an Indigenous perspective, NITV News: Day 26 will be presented by Natalie Ahmat and John Paul Janke and will focus on truth telling, historical context and Australian identity in 2026. Filmmaker Rachel Perkins, historian Stephen Gapps (The Australian Wars) and comedian Dane Simpson will discuss the relevance of January 26, what it means to be Australian and how our national identity has been shaped.
• The Colleano heart
Monday January 26, 7:30 PM on SBS and SBS On Demand
The Colleano Heart, a groundbreaking NITV commission, traces an extraordinary First Nations family whose courage, creativity and resilience propelled them from racism and oppression in the early 20th century to global circus stardom, at the cost of concealing their Indigenous identity. Warm, cheerful and deeply moving, the documentary reveals a story of the Hidden Generation, fueled by love, ambition and survival
Additional highlights
• The idea of Australia – Episodes air on January 18, 19, 25 and 26, 7.30pm, NITV and SBS On Demand
Presented by Academy Award nominee Rachel Griffiths AM (Total Control, Muriel’s Wedding, Hacksaw Ridge, Brothers & Sisters), historical documentary event The Idea of Australia is not a retelling of history; it is a reimagining of the future. Featuring more than 60 master interviews with historians, experts, and major public figures, this ambitious series includes personal opinions, testimonials, and popular culture archives.
• Our medicine – Episodes 3 and 4 on January 21, 7.30pm, NITV & SBS On Demand
Our Medicine is a groundbreaking observational series that takes viewers behind the front lines of our strained medical services and accompanies patients on their emotional journey through the system. With unique access to First Nations physicians, nurses, paramedics, traditional healers and other medical professionals, it shines an important light on First Nations professionals and communities taking back control of Indigenous health care.
• Earth Oven (Australia episode) – January 21, 8:30pm, NITV and SBS On Demand
Host Temuera Morrison visits Cairns in this episode of Earth Oven, a cultural series that travels around the world exploring the earth oven – a way of cooking that transcends location and time. Here he explores a UNESCO World Heritage Site and reconnects with an old friend to delve into Aboriginal traditions, including the bang-gaa earth oven – a powerful expression of culture, connection to land and the enduring spirit of the world’s oldest living culture.
• Emily: I’m Kam – January 21, 9.30pm, NITV & SBS On Demand
Emily: I Am Kam (pronounced karma) is a heartfelt documentary about internationally renowned artist Emily Kam Kngwarray from the Utopia community in the Northern Territory. It explores Kngwarray’s transformative impact on the international contemporary art world and offers a rare opportunity to witness her journey and the profound influence of her art and the power of her work to protect her country, Alhalker.
• On the road with Ernie Dingo S3 episode 3 – January 22, 7.30pm, NITV and SBS On Demand
Australian icon Ernie Dingo returns in another epic episode of the long-running Going Places, where he teams up with proud locals and explores the idyllic locations this country has to offer. In this episode, Ernie visits the small community of Yirrkala in the Northern Territory to reconnect with some local Yolngu people and find out more about what’s happening on Country.
• Reckless Episode 1 – January 22, 9:30pm, NITV and SBS On Demand
SBS and NITV Original Reckless is a rollicking First Nations drama set in Fremantle, where guilt, family and dysfunction collide in a wildly funny, high-stakes thrill ride. When feuding siblings June (Tasma Walton) and Charlie (Hunter Page-Lochard) cover up a bombing and flee their hometown of Fremantle, their lives spin wildly out of control. As the lies pile up, so do the consequences and soon everyone in town has something to lose.
• The new kid – January 22, 9.30pm, NITV & SBS On Demand
Writer/director Warwick Thornton’s The New Boy is set in 1940s Australia, at a mission for Aboriginal children run by a renegade nun, Sister Eileen (Cate Blanchett). In the dead of night, a new attack (Aswan Reid) is delivered – a boy who appears to have special powers – in this story of spiritual struggle and the cost of survival.
• Rabbit-proof fencing – January 23, 7.30pm, NITV & SBS On Demand
2002 Australian film directed by Phillip Noyce tells the true story of three Aboriginal girls who are taken from their home and sent to a remote settlement 2,400 kilometers away. They embark on a daring escape and an epic journey past the rabbit-free fence to find their way back home through an unforgiving landscape that will test their will to survive.
• Free Streaming – NITV Muy Ngulayg on SBS On Demand
A special home for iconic First Nations films, documentaries and series that celebrate culture, knowledge and lore.
• SBS Audio: multilingual coverage
In-language content in more than 60 languages from January 18 to 26, including an Always Was, Always Will Be explanation in Arabic, English, Greek, Mandarin, Punjabi and Vietnamese.
• SBS Learn: Teacher Resources
First Nations resources aligned to the Australian curriculum, including the Point in Time clips page, complete with questions and activities for the classroom, as well as teacher guides on how to deliver and country recognition, by Shelley Ware. This video content is also available in Mandarin and Arabic to support broader community engagement.
This year’s Always Was Always Will Be offering continues the work of SBS’s Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan 2022-2026, which outlines SBS’s commitment to reflecting, researching and embedding First Nations stories, knowledge, cultures and languages across the network.
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