Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award

It covers employers in the broadcasting, recorded entertainment and cinema industry and their employees in the listed classifications. That spans television and radio broadcasting, journalism, cinemas, artists, musicians and motion picture production, including pre-production, production, post-production, distribution, exhibition and sale of audio and audio-visual content. Some roles sit under other awards, so always check coverage against the Fair Work source before assuming this award applies.

Because it effectively is. MA000091 sets out separate Parts for television, radio, journalists, cinemas, artists, musicians and motion picture production, each with its own hours, overtime and penalty rules. A common entertainment-employee grade framework underpins minimum rates, but the day-to-day conditions differ by sector. The practical takeaway is to identify the correct sector first, then apply that sector's specific provisions.

Minimum rates flow from a common grade framework (broadly Grades 1 to 18), with each sector's job classifications mapped onto a grade that carries a defined minimum weekly and hourly rate. To find the correct rate, match the employee to the right sector and grade, then read the current figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator. The dollar amounts change annually, so never rely on a remembered number.

Modern award minimum rates rise after the Annual Wage Review, taking effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year. The 2026 review added 4.75% to modern award minimums. Because the new rates apply from your first full pay period after 1 July rather than on 1 July itself, confirm the exact effective date for your pay cycle and pull the updated figures from the Fair Work source.

Casual employees are commonly paid a 25% loading on top of the minimum hourly rate, paid instead of entitlements casuals do not receive, such as paid leave. As a guide the loading is 25%, but you should confirm the current percentage and how it interacts with each sector's penalties on the Fair Work source. Casuals are also typically entitled to a minimum engagement each time they are required to attend for work.

Weekend and public holiday penalties are set separately for each sector, so the exact rate depends on where the employee works. As a general guide across many awards, Saturday work commonly attracts around 25% and Sunday around 50%, with public holidays up to 150%. Cinemas are different again because of the 8% penalty-averaging component. Always verify the precise figures for your sector against the Fair Work source.

Cinema employees receive an 8% averaging component built into their pay instead of separate Sunday penalty payments, and as compensation for reduced public holiday penalties. It is a defining feature of the cinemas part of the award. Because it changes how Sunday and public holiday work is paid, check the current rule and figures in the Fair Work source rather than applying standard weekend penalties on top of it.

Overtime is defined separately within each sector's Part of the award, reflecting the different operating patterns of broadcasting, cinemas, production and the rest. Rates and the point at which overtime begins vary accordingly, and time off instead of overtime pay may be available in some cases. Identify the employee's sector, then read the applicable overtime provisions and current rates from the Fair Work source.

The award includes allowances such as first aid, vehicle and motorcycle (paid per kilometre), uniform and laundry, telephone, tools of trade, protective clothing, and an allowance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees accredited as proficient in their traditional language, plus sector-specific items like the Zone Manager allowance in cinemas. These are payable on top of the base rate where the conditions are met. The current dollar amounts are reviewed annually, so confirm each one against the Fair Work source.

Full-time ordinary hours are generally 38 per week, with part-time and casual arrangements set out in the award. Each sector then has its own provisions for how those hours are spread, including spans and rostering rules suited to broadcasting, cinemas and production. Casuals are usually entitled to a minimum engagement when called in. Check the specific hours and span rules for your sector in the Fair Work source.

Start with the sector the employee actually works in, then read the schedule definitions to match their duties to a classification, which maps to a grade in the common framework. Avoid classifying by job title alone, as similar titles can sit at different grades. Getting this right is essential, because the grade drives the minimum rate. Valont's award-compliant payroll service handles this classification and rate-mapping for you against the current Fair Work figures.

Leave loading is commonly 17.5% on top of annual leave pay where it applies, though you should confirm the entitlement and any sector-specific treatment against the Fair Work source. The 17.5% figure is a common standard across many awards rather than a guaranteed amount for every employee. Check how it applies to the specific classification and sector before processing leave payments.

The safest approach is to confirm each employee's sector, classification and grade, apply the correct penalties, overtime and allowances for that sector, and refresh the figures each year after the 1 July increase using the Fair Work Pay Calculator. Given the award runs several distinct sets of rules, errors are easy to make. Valont provides outsourced, award-compliant payroll for SMEs, keeping classifications and rates aligned with the current Fair Work source so you stay compliant.