Congratulations to Magabala marketing coordinator Skye Cusack on her shortlist nomination for the 2026 APA Rising Star Award.

Nominated by their companies, the Rising Star Award celebrates the ongoing excellence and growth of staff who commenced their publishing careers in the past ten years.

The shortlist was selected by a panel of experts from the publishing industry comprising: Alex Allan (Fremantle Press), Jane Curry (Simon & Schuster Australia), Nicola Evans (Copyright Agency) and Karen Hildebrandt (Taylor & Francis). 

The judges said of the shortlist and nominees:

‘The 2026 Rising Star applicants are a brilliant representation of the emerging talent the Australian publishing industry has to offer. It was a joy to learn more about these outstanding applicants, and we look forward to seeing what they achieve over the next ten years.

The shortlisted candidates are stepping beyond the boundaries of their day to day roles, showing great initiative and enthusiasm in every aspect of their work. They are actively engaged in the wider publishing industry, making them excellent candidates for this Award.’

On the nominees, judges also said: 

‘Judging this year's submissions was quite challenging! There were so many talented candidates highly valued by their colleagues.’

The winner will be announced at the BookUp conference on Wednesday 22 July.

Congratulations to all the shortlistees! 

About Skye

Skye Cusack is an emerging Dulgubarra Yidinji and Asian publishing professional currently working as the Marketing Coordinator at Magabala Books. With 13 years of activism-based marketing experience, Skye approaches her work in publishing not simply as a profession, but as a tool for cultural change and community impact.

She was shortlisted for the 2026 Creative Australia Youth Award for Achievement in the Arts for her contribution to the First Nations arts industry, as well as receiving various writing grants and fellowships. A writer as well, she is publishing two novels in 2027: Queer romantic comedy Checked Out with Penguin Random House Australia and New Adult novel The Dangers of Just One Person with Magabala Books.