REPORT CARD The Hollywood Reporter Australia has officially launched down under, and we have some things to say

It’s been quite a week for the team at The Hollywood Reporter Australia.

From Logies drama to Sydney Film Festival partnerships and launch events, it’s safe to say the newly arrived media title has already managed to ruffle a few feathers.

But last night, the week’s industry hubbub was put aside to celebrate the launch of its inaugural print issue. Phoebe Tonkin was announced as the cover star.

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Were we invited? No.

Sure, we may be feeling a little salty about it. But hey, we’re not ones to hold a grudge.

The event drew a sizeable industry crowd and, from the looks of it, a strong turnout to welcome an international entertainment brand into what is, by global standards, still a relatively small media town.

Since its hard launch a few weeks back, The Hollywood Reporter Australia has already found a knack for making headlines of its own. Most notably, the outlet was dragged in the press this week after incorrectly announcing this year’s Logies host and labelling it an exclusive. Newsflash: it’s not Patrick Brammall. It’s old mate Robert Irwin.

And while the blunder certainly didn’t go unnoticed, we’re not exactly here to jump on the drag train. Plenty of others have already bought tickets.

For industry insiders, it has been a particularly loaded week…

After Vinyl Group’s back-to-back acquisitions of both Pedestrian Group and Time Out Australia for “nominal consideration” (that’s industry speak for basically nothing) the local media landscape has been given yet another reminder that culture and entertainment news in Australia is increasingly being swallowed by the big end of town.

And by the big end of town, yes, we do mean billionaire-backed media conglomerates with a notable enthusiasm for AI.

Our take? The Hollywood Reporter Australia, helmed locally by model / actor and now publisher Paris Raine, is a refreshing addition. As genuinely independent media becomes fewer and further between, there is value in encouraging new players who are at least attempting to build something ambitious in a pretty unforgiving climate.

Sure, there might be a blunder here and there. But launching a media title in 2026 is not exactly for the faint-hearted.

So, feast your eyes on the red carpet pics below. Or, alternatively, head over here to check out everything coming from The Hollywood Reporter Australia so far.