Three new champs best record field to win 2026 PM’s Spelling Bee

Make way for the new kids in town, with the sixth annual Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee delivering thrills, spills and three new national champions. After back-to-back winners dominated the Kids News competition the past two years, 2026 saw a complete changing of the guard.

Last week’s final produced multiple firsts, including the only all-female winning trio in the Bee’s history. Tasmania also made its winners’ circle debut, while for the first time a homeschooled student was first past the post in her age group. Finalists slugged it out in the third round after a new opening round record of 98,783 registered students across Years 3-8 nationwide.

MEET THE THREE NEW CHAMPIONS

Charlotte Edwards is the Apple Isle’s first ever national champion after winning the Red level of the competition.

The 13-year-old, a student at Ulverstone’s Leighland Christian School on the blustery shores of Bass Strait, scored 27/30 in 2:36.733 – the only 2026 finalist to score above 25/30 in the Years 7-8 high school category this year.

Charlotte said she was “speechless” when her mum Anna told her the good news.

“It’s still sinking in, I think – it doesn’t feel real yet,” Charlotte said. “I keep expecting someone to tell me they made a mistake.”

Charlotte had only competed in the PM’s Spelling Bee once before in 2022 and didn’t make it past the first round.

“I was surprised that I made it through to the state finals, but completely shocked to find that I had progressed to the national final,” she said.

“I really like the format and that it is online. I feel that it’s easier to focus on the words with headphones on and it’s much easier to spell in writing than out loud.”

Charlotte said she felt nervous and excited to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and was looking forward to seeing Parliament House for the first time.

“I think I might ask if he can spell ‘pusillanimous’ because it was truly the hardest word I came across in the whole competition,” she said. “I looked it up after the final round and it means ‘to show a lack of courage’, which is probably how I will feel meeting him!”.

Joining Charlotte in Canberra next month will be two other newly minted champions taking their place on the “girl power” podium.

After making the state finals last year, Mt Barker’s Anna Yu was thrilled to prevail in the Green (Years 3-4) category.

The nine-year-old homeschooler is the state’s second consecutive champion after Elsie Chittleborough’s Orange level win last year. Anna achieved a score of 27/30 in one minute and 47 seconds to claim victory in the Bee’s most junior category.

“I felt a little bit more confident this year because I’d done it before, so I knew how it worked,” she said.

Anna said the hardest word she had to spell was “edict”, which is an official public order or decree issued by someone in authority, such as a government, monarch or court, as she had never heard it before.

Anna began reading when she was three and especially enjoys books with lots of action, like those by Stuart Gibbs, and the 1000 Things You Should Know About series of fact books.

She is not just excited she gets to go to Canberra to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – she also wants to see Shawn the Prawn, a 345-million-year-old fossil embedded in the limestone floor of the Marble Foyer at Parliament House.

Her mum Sarah Yu, who was also homeschooled as a child, said Anna had an excellent memory and usually knew how a word was spelt after reading it once.

“The curriculum we are using, My Homeschool, is very literature rich,” Ms Yu said. “We don’t do spelling lessons as part of our curriculum. Basically, they learn by being familiarised with the words through reading. But they learn a lot about root words and words that come from that, and from that they learn how words are built and the patterns.”

New South Wales super speller Aarika Harsha of Holsworthy Public School won the Orange level (Years 5-6) category with her score of 29/30 in a scorching sub-65 seconds in her first time taking part.

The 11-year-old southwest Sydney student said she was shocked to learn she had won in her first time taking part.

“When Miss Kwan told me, my hand flew over my mouth,” she said. “I got one word wrong, so I thought someone might have got 30/30 and beat me.”

The only word Aarika entered incorrectly in the national final was “demur”, which means to express disagreement, raise an objection, or hesitate because you don’t like something.

“I hadn’t heard the word before and I added an extra ‘r’ to the end, instead of going through words like ‘occur’,” she said.

Aarika said she was “extremely excited” to go to Canberra and meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said. “Not many people can say they have met the Prime Minister before.”

Aarika is also a keen reader and loves the book Exit Through the Gift Shop by Australian author Maryam Master, as well as the Harry Potter series.

“If I come across any hard words, I usually Google them and try to incorporate them into my speech and my writing,” she said.

Aarika’s teacher Denise Kwan said she was proud to see 18 Holsworthy students make the top 500 in NSW to qualify for the state finals, in the school’s first year taking part.

News Corp Australia’s community ambassador Penny Fowler said record participation in Kids News’ flagship literacy initiative showed the fun, free national spelling bee’s momentum continued to build.

“Spelling is an essential building block and our company shares the passion for childhood literacy shown by tens of thousands of students, teachers, schools and parents each year in the PM’s Spelling Bee,” Mrs Fowler said.

“Seeing nearly 100,000 students get involved this year — up from 21,000 at our 2021 launch — is just incredible, because beyond literacy, the Bee builds lifelong resilience and confidence. And for our winners, challenging the Prime Minister with tricky words is an experience they’ll never forget.”

Overall, change was the name of the game, with each round’s results revealing unprecedented turnover at the top, suggesting a promising depth of young spelling talent right across Australia.

‘PHOTO FINISH’ RESULTS FOR THE FIRST RUNNERS-UP

Sydney student Cynthia Ko was agonisingly close to delivering the NSW capital a second 2026 champion. The Green level (Years 5-6) Beecroft Public School entrant completed the final around 43 seconds faster than the winner. The only difference was an extra spelling mistake, determining Cynthia’s final score of 26/30.

WA's Hope Hoe was also named First Runner-Up, this time in the Orange level (Years 5-6) of the competition. That margin was even smaller, with the 12-year-old student from St Paul’s Mt Lawley equalling the winning score. The Bee is a fast-paced combination of spelling skill and speed and Hope was beaten by just six seconds, clocking out at 1:10.948.

Her result makes her the top placed finisher in Western Australia this year.

Competing in the PM’s Spelling Bee for the first time, Hope prepared by using the practice sheets and activity posters available at the Bee’s website. She entered the national final “a little bit scared” but is now enjoying her success.

“I am really proud of my achievement,” she said. “I really like that you can just type to complete it online and that it gives you a time and ranking; I think that this is better in a sense as you can do it individually.”

An avid reader who loves mysteries and counts Agatha Christie classic And Then There Were None as a favourite, Hope was caught out by the word “cavil”, meaning an unreasonable complaint, especially about something unimportant

“It was tricky as I haven’t come across it before and spelt it with ‘el’ at the end,” she said.

Hope added that she was “so surprised” to be named the highest ranked performer in WA.

“Congratulations to all the other participants as well,” she said.

Hope’s teacher Chiara Duffy said the school community was “incredibly proud”.

“This is an exceptional accomplishment and a wonderful reflection of Hope’s diligence, determination and genuine love of learning,” Ms Duffy said. “Hope is a natural learner who approaches challenges with enthusiasm, embraces opportunities to extend herself and consistently strives to do her very best. Her achievement is a testament to the hard work, persistence and care she brings to her learning each day.”

Victorian student Sofia Yeung, 14, narrowly missed winning the Red level (Years 7-8), her First Runner Up status earning her an extra claim to fame as the education state’s highest ranked finisher this year.

“It feels really surprising, but also great,” Sofia said. “I truly didn’t expect to do so well.”

She said took a relaxed and confident approach to the final and didn’t do anything specific to prepare.

“I’m not sure how I would’ve prepared, to be fully honest, because I obviously didn’t know which words I would have been asked to spell,” she said.

A Year 8 student at Ashwood High School, Sofia said she liked how quick and easy it was to do the Bee.

“Because it’s online instead of in person with a bunch of other people, I feel like it takes some of the pressure off,” she said. “I’d probably mess up way more if I had to spell it out loud, because it helps to see the word written out as well.

“I only found out about the Bee last year through high school, so I’ve only done it once prior, and I haven’t competed in any other spelling bees.”

As a constant reader, Sofia found it hard to name her favourite book – or even a single favourite series.

“One of my longtime favourites is the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy,” she said. “I also enjoyed The Hunger Games, all of Christopher Paolini’s work – especially To Sleep in a Sea of Stars – A Hunger of Thorns and Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson, Bungo Stray Dogs by Kafka Asagiri, which is a manga, and Holly Jackson’s work.”

The hardest word Sofia got wrong was “psephology”, the study of elections and voting.

“I hadn’t seen it before and the extra ‘p’ at the start tripped me up,” she said.

Sofia’s English teacher Andrea van Olst said that Ashwood High School has participated in the PM’s Spelling Bee for the past two years “as an opportunity for kids to test themselves and have a little fun, to see how they go”.

“A love for reading and words is something we try to instil in all students, supported by our amazing library,” Ms van Olst said. “Our students love to spend time in our library and we’re working on ways to make it an even more integral part of their learning.”

Sofia was narrowly edged out in the final due to the winner’s accuracy rather than speed, Sofia’s 25/30 unable to catch Charlotte’s 27/30 winning score.

SECOND RUNNERS-UP KEEP IT TIGHT AT THE TOP

In another “photo finish” style result, Ethan Shao of Coatesville Primary School in Victoria was named the Green level Second Runner-Up. Ethan scored 26/30 in 1:16.011, just a single mistake and 31 seconds behind the winner. His efforts are being heartily celebrated by his school community, not least because his performance in the national final makes him Victoria’s second highest performer in this year’s Bee.

Queensland’s Elijah Cockerton, 11, also finished Second Runner-Up, this time in the tough Orange level (Years 5-6), making the prizewinner the Sunshine State’s highest ranked performer. Elijah called his new claim to fame “kind of insane, but exhilarating.”

Nervous before the final about how he’d go, Elijah said his game plan for his second time entering the PM’s Spelling Bee was typing practice and spelling words.

“I like that it’s really fun, and it’s challenging too,” he said. “And I reckon everyone should give it a go. It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had at school.”

Elijah’s other secret weapon was reading – and the Darling Downs Adventist College student sure had a long list of favourites.

“Wings of Fire Book 6 – Moon Rising, Humble Pi by Matt Parker, The Hobbit, Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda, Mojang’s Minecraft books, True Grit and the Mission Survival series by Bear Grylls, and Space: From Earth to the Edge of the Universe by Carol Stott,” he said. “My favourite authors are Tui T Sutherland, Rick Riordan, Bear Grylls, Trenton Lee Stewart, and John Flanagan”

Still able to recall the mistake he made last year attempting “bettong” – the hopping, rabbit-sized native marsupial – this year Elijah snagged on “mawkish”.

“I hadn’t even heard of that word,” he said.

Not that he was bothered, cheerfully describing himself as “really happy” with his achievement.

Deputy Principal Naomi Green said Darling Downs Adventist College (DDAC) first joined the Bee three years ago.

“This year we were thrilled to see our largest student participation,” Ms Green said. “We are proud of every student who stepped up, challenged themselves and embraced the opportunity to put their spelling skills to the test.”

“We are immensely proud of Elijah’s achievement in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee and are excited to see him continue to flourish and grow in his learning.”

Western Australian student Una Sijan was the high school category’s Second Runner-Up. The Kolbe Catholic College student achieved an equal score with the First Runner-Up but took around 15 seconds longer to do it.

TOP 10 FOR THE TOP END

The 2026 final was also a Top 10 outing for the Top End, as the Northern Territory’s three Green level (years 3-4) legends played a Bee blinder.

Delivering the Territory’s best ever result, these small but mighty finalists finished inside the first eight.

All three hail from Darwin’s Haileybury Rendall School. Elliot Mitchell placed 5th in the country in the Bee’s most junior category, scoring 26/30 in two minutes and 13 seconds.

Hannah Gregory followed close behind in 6th, scoring 26/30 in two minutes and 37 seconds. Alexander Campbell finished 8th with his score of 25/30 in two minutes and 20 seconds.

Elliot, 9, said he felt “happy and proud” of his result.

He said the hardest words he had to spell were “rabbi” and “hospitable”.

Alexander, also 9, said the hardest words he had to spell were “gingham” – a fabric featuring a grid of alternating coloured squares on a white background – and “edict”.

Both boys also love to read, with Elliot a fan of the Harry Potter series and Alexander interested in medieval fiction.

Deputy head of junior school – teaching and learning, Mimi Woolley said the school used a range of strategies to support the teaching and learning of spelling, including Spelling Mastery, spelling focus words, high-frequency words, writing and ­vocabulary development.

“These approaches are research-based and work together to build our students’ spelling knowledge, confidence and overall literacy skills,” she said.

“We have incredible staff and students, and it is so pleasing to see our students continuing to improve and achieve more in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee each year. Their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm are truly wonderful to watch.”

A CAPITAL EFFORT
Meanwhile, in the nation's capital, the Green level champion of the past two years has aged into the Orange category of the competition. Brindabella Christian College student Echo Feng may have handed the mantle to a new champion in 2026, but she remains the ACT's highest ranked finisher across all three competition categories for the third consecutive year. A mere 45 seconds behind the Second Runner-Up, Echo just one mark lower than the Orange level winner and finished 4th in this year's epic contest.

The Kids News Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee returns in Term 3, 2027, but kids of all ages can ‘Try the Bee’ year ‘round at spelling-bee.com.au/try-the-bee and for more information, visit kidsnews.com.au

2026 NATIONAL PRIZE-WINNERS

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4)

Winner: Anna Y, Yu Homeschool (SA): 27/30, 1:47.022

First Runner-Up: Man Yan Cynthia K, Beecroft Public School (NSW): 26/30, 1:04.317

Second Runner-Up: Ethan S, Coatesville Primary School (VIC): 26/30, 1:16.011

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6)

Winner: Aarika H, Holsworthy Public School (NSW): 29/30, 1:04.604

First Runner-Up: Hope Hoe, St Paul’s Primary School (WA): 29/30, 1:10.948

Second Runner-Up: Elijah C, Darling Downs Adventist College (QLD): 28/30, 1:45.659

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8)

Winner: Charlotte E, Leighland Christian School (TAS): 27/30, 2:36.733

First Runner-Up: Sofia Y, Ashwood High School (VIC): 25/30, 1:25.131

Second Runner-Up: Una S, Kolbe Catholic College (WA): 25/30, 1:41.088

Warmest congratulations to our winners, runners-up and all participants in the sixth annual Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. The Kids News team sincerely applauds each and every one of you. Childhood literacy change lives – oh, the places you’ll go!

Classroom activities still to come