The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) handed out its 2024 awards on Saturday, and Talk to Me won big, including for best film and best director, while Margot Robbie was honored with the Trailblazer Award.
Barbie, Oppenheimer and The Bear were among the Hollywood honorees, with big Australian winners including the likes of The Newsreader, Deadloch and The New Boy.
“Talk to Me is the biggest winner of the night, adding a further three awards to its collection and taking its total wins to eight, following the AACTA Industry Awards earlier in the week,” the Australian Academy noted. The honors include the one for best direction in film for sibling-YouTubers-turned-directors Danny and Michael Philippou.
Among acting talent earning trophies, rising star Sophie Wilde won the best lead actress in film award for her performance in Talk to Me, while Aswan Reid got the best lead actor in film honor for his turn in The New Boy. Anna Torv won the AACTA Award as best lead actress in a drama for work in The Newsreader, while Hugo Weaving added two trophies to his collection – for best lead actor in a drama for his turn in Love Me and for best supporting actor in film for The Rooster.
In the TV categories, The Newsreader and Deadloch won five AACTA Awards each.
Meanwhile, the AACTA Trailblazer Award, highlighting “the achievements, abilities and success of an Australian screen practitioner who inspires others in the industry, was bestowed on Robbie.
“Awards season favorites Barbie, The Bear and Oppenheimer are among the winners of the AACTA International Awards, also presented at the ceremony,” AACTA also highlighted. “Individual international winners included Cillian Murphy, Margot Robbie and Christopher Nolan.”
The stars were out in force for the awards. Rebel Wilson was spotted on the red carpet prior to hosting the ceremony held at the Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Australian Gold Coast. “She joined Margot Robbie, Ron Howard and Cate Blanchett at the star-studded ceremony as the industry gathered to honor the country’s best and brightest screen talent at the 2024 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group,” AACTA said.
See the full list of winners of the Australian Academy Awards below.
FILM
Best FilmTalk to Me – Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton – Causeway Films
Best Direction in FilmTalk to Me – Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Best Lead Actor in FilmAswan Reid – The New Boy
Best Lead Actress in FilmSophie Wilde – Talk to Me
Best Supporting Actor in FilmHugo Weaving – The Rooster
Best Supporting Actress in FilmDeborah Mailman – The New Boy
Best Casting in FilmShayda – Anousha Zarkesh
Best Cinematography in FilmThe New Boy – Warwick Thornton
Best Costume Design in FilmCarmen – Emily Seresin
Best Editing in FilmTalk to Me – Geoff Lamb
Best Hair and MakeupTalk to Me – Rebecca Buratto, Paul Katte, Nick Nicolaou
Best Indie FilmLimbo – Ivan Sen (Dir.), David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin, Rachel Higgins – Bunya Productions
Best Original Score in FilmTalk to Me – Cornel Wilczek
Best Production Design in FilmThe New Boy – Amy Baker
Best Screenplay in FilmTalk to Me – Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman
Best Sound in FilmTalk to Me – Emma Bortignon, Pete Smith, Nick Steele
TELEVISION
Best Drama SeriesThe Newsreader – Joanna Werner, Michael Lucas – Werner Film Productions (ABC)
Best Acting in a ComedyKate Box – Deadloch
Best Children’s ProgramBluey – Joe Brumm, Charlie Aspinwall, Sam Moor, Daley Pearson – Ludo Studio (ABC)
Best Comedy Entertainment ProgramHard Quiz – Chris Walker, Kevin Whyte, Tom Gleeson, John Tabbagh – Thinkative Television and ABC (ABC)
Best Comedy PerformerCal Wilson – The Great Australian Bake Off
Best Factual Entertainment ProgramOld People’s Home for Teenagers – Tony De La Pena, Tara McWilliams, Emily Potts – Endemol Shine Australia (ABC)
Best Lead Actor in a DramaHugo Weaving – Love Me
Best Lead Actress in a DramaAnna Torv – The Newsreader
Best Lifestyle ProgramGardening Australia – Gill Lomas – ABC TV (ABC)
Best MiniseriesThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Jodi Matterson, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Barbara Gibbs, Sarah Lambert, Glendyn Ivin – Made Up Stories, Amazon Studios, Fifth Season (Amazon Prime Video)
Best Narrative Comedy SeriesColin From Accounts – Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer – Easy Tiger (Binge, Foxtel)
Best Reality ProgramMasterChef Australia – David Forster, Simon Child, Eoin Maher, April Mackay – Endemol Shine Australia (Network Ten)
Best Screenplay in TelevisionDeadloch (Episode 1) – Kate McCartney, Kate McLennan
Best Stand-Up SpecialHannah Gadsby: Something Special – Hannah Gadsby, Kevin Whyte, Kathleen McCarthy, Jenney Shamash, Frank Bruzzese – Guesswork Television Pty Ltd (Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor in a DramaHunter Page-Lochard – The Newsreader
Best Supporting Actress in a DramaHeather Mitchell – Love Me
Best Casting in TelevisionDeadloch – Alison Telford, Kate Leonard
Best Cinematography in TelevisionThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Episode 1 – Sam Chiplin
Best Costume Design in TelevisionThe Newsreader – Episode 4 – Zed Dragojlovich
Best Direction in Drama or ComedyThe Newsreader (Episode 4) – Emma Freeman
Best Direction in Nonfiction TelevisionThe Australian Wars (Episode 1) – Rachel Perkins, Dylan River, Tov Belling
Best Documentary or Factual ProgramThe Australian Wars – Darren Dale, Rachel Perkins, Belinda Mravicic – Blackfella Films Pty Ltd (NITV, SBS)
Best Editing in a DocumentaryThe Australian Wars – Andrea Lang, Mark Atkin, Hilary Balmond
Best Editing in Television: Deadloch – Episode 1 – Angie Higgins
Best Entertainment ProgramEurovision Song Contest 2023 – Grand Final – Paul Clarke, Emily Griggs – Blink TV Production Pty Ltd (SBS)
Best Original Score in TelevisionDeadloch – Episode 1 – Amanda Brown
Best Production Design in TelevisionThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Episode 1 – Melinda Doring
Best Sound in TelevisionThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Episode 6 – David Lee, Robert Mackenzie, Leah Katz, James Ashton
DOCUMENTARY
Best DocumentaryJohn Farnham: Finding The Voice – Poppy Stockell (Dir.), Mikael Borglund, Paul Clarke, Martin Fabinyi, Olivia Hoopmann – Beyond Oz in association with Blink TV Production
Best Cinematography in a DocumentaryThe Giants – Sherwin Akbarzadeh
Best Original Score in a DocumentaryThe Dark Emu Story – Caitlin Yeo, Damien Lane
Best Sound in a DocumentaryEgo: The Michael Gudinski Story – David Williams
ONLINE
Best Online Drama or ComedyLatecomers – Liam Heyen, Hannah Ngo, Angus Thompson, Emma Myers, Nina Oyama, Madeleine Gottlieb, Alistair Baldwin – Mad Ones Films & Lazy Susan Films
SHORT FILM
Best Short FilmFinding Addison – Francisca Braithwaite, Jess Milne, Nick Bolton – Blue Sparrow Entertainment
OTHER
Best Visual Effects or AnimationIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – Andrew Whitehurst, Kathy Siegel, Alistair Williams, Julian Hutchens, Ian Cope – Rising Sun Pictures
INDIVIDUAL
Trailblazer AwardMargot Robbie
Byron Kennedy AwardBruna Papandrea
Brian Walsh AwardNgali Shaw
Reg Grundy AwardRachel Berger (Seriously Funny)
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
Favorite TV ShowGinny & Georgia
Favorite FilmBarbie
Favorite ActressMargot Robbie
Favorite ActorAdam Sandler
Favorite Australian Media PersonalitySophie Monk
Favorite Australian Digital CreatorKat Clark and family @katclark
Favorite Australian Sporting MomentSoccer: Matilda’s World Cup run
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
International Award for Best Actor in a SeriesJeremy Allen White – The Bear
International Award for Best Actress in a SeriesSarah Snook – Succession
International Award for Best Comedy SeriesThe Bear
International Award for Best Direction in FilmOppenheimer – Christopher Nolan
International Award for Best Drama SeriesSuccession
International Award for Best FilmBarbie
International Award for Best Lead Actor in FilmCillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
International Award for Best Lead Actress in FilmMargot Robbie – Barbie
International Award for Best Screenplay in FilmPoor Things – Tony McNamara
International Award for Best Supporting Actor in FilmRyan Gosling – Barbie
International Award for Best Supporting Actress in FilmVanessa Kirby – Napoleon