The 2021 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTAs) took place earlier this week, with Nitram and The Newsreader scoring the most wins.
Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, a Stan-original film based on the 1996 Port Arthur mass shooting committed by Martin Bryant, took home eight awards, including Best Film, Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Directing.
Nitram also swept the ceremony’s four film acting categories with Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Anthony LaPaglia and Essie Davis winning Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively. Jones had previously won Best Actor for the role at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
In the television awards, ABC’s The Newsreader took home five awards, including Best Drama Series, Best Production Design in Television and Best Direction in Drama or Comedy. Anna Torv and William McInnes won Best Lead Actress in a Drama and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for their roles in the series, respectively.
The late David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu was honoured with the Longford Lyell award, just over a week since the legendary actor passed away. My Name Is Gulpilil, a documentary centred on the actor, won Best Documentary at the ceremony, and his face was projected onto the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House to honour him.
President of the AACTAs, Russell Crowe, encouraged award winners to be “political” with their speeches, saying “I’m supposed to now tell the winners to be as time-efficient and as apolitical as they can be in their acceptance speeches.
“But this is the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts – that last word ‘Arts’, to my mind, is your licence to be as political as you want to be.”
“As artists, you have the licence to overthrow empires,” he continued. “To hold mirrors to hypocrisy. To shine lights into dark corners and bring humanity into political discourse in a way that other professions simply can’t. Respect that. Use your voice efficiently.”
Some of the stars in attendance at the ceremony included Taika Waititi, Succession star Sarah Snook, Rebel Wilson, director Baz Luhrmann and more. In addition, Baker Boy and Lime Cordiale performed at the ceremony.
View the full list of winners at the 2021 AACTAs below.
Television Awards
Best Drama Series
Clickbait
Jack Irish
Mr Inbetween
The Newsreader – winner
Total Control
Wakefield
Wentworth
Best Miniseries or Telefeature
A Sunburnt Christmas
The End
Fires – winner
New Gold Mountain
The Unusual Suspects
Best Lead Actor in a Drama
Rudi Dharmalingam – Wakefield
Guy Pearce – Jack Irish
Sam Reid – The Newsreader
Richard Roxburgh – Fires
Scott Ryan – Mr Inbetween – winner
Best Lead Actress in a Drama
Deborah Mailman – Total Control
Mandy McElhinney – Wakefield
Miranda Otto – Fires
Pamela Rabe – Wentworth
Anna Torv – The Newsreader – winner
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
Harry Greenwood – Wakefield
William McInnes – The Newsreader – winner
Matt Nable – Mr Inbetween
Stephen Peacocke – The Newsreader
Justin Rosniak – Mr Inbetween
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
Michelle Lim Davidson – The Newsreader
Marg Downey – The Newsreader
Harriet Dyer – Wakefield
Rachel Griffiths – Total Control – winner
Noni Hazlehurst – The End
Best Comedy Entertainment Program
Dom and Adrian 2020
Hard Quiz – winner
The Moth Effect
Spicks And Specks
The Weekly
Best Comedy Performer
Mark Samual Bonanno – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House Of Fun
Kitty Flanagan – Fisk – winner
Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz
Broden Kelly – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House Of Fun
Sarah Kendall – Frayed
Nakkiah Lui – Preppers
Luke McGregor – Rosehaven
Celia Pacquola – Rosehaven
Best Documentary
Girls Can’t Surf
I’m Wanita
My Name is Gulpilil – winner
Playing With Sharks
Strong Female Lead
When the Camera Stopped Rolling
Best Entertainment Program
Australian Ninja Warrior
Lego Masters Australia
The Masked Singer
Mastermind
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2021 – winner
The Voice
Best Factual Entertainment Program
Australia Talks
Courtney Act’s One Plus One
Gogglebox Australia
Love on the Spectrum– winner
The Project
You Can’t Ask That
Best Lifestyle Program
Adam and Poh’s Malaysia in Australia
The Cook Up with Adam Liaw
Gardening Australia
Grand Designs Australia – winner
The Living Room
Love it or List it Australia
Best Reality Program
The Amazing Race Australia
Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn
The Block
Luxe Listings Sydney
MasterChef Australia – winner
The Real Housewives of Melbourne
Best Screenplay in Television
Mr Inbetween (Episode 6) – Scott Ryan – winner
The Newsreader (Episode 1) – Michael Lucas
The Newsreader (Episode 5) – Kim Ho & Michael Lucas
Wakefield (Episode 5) – Kristen Dunphy & Sam Meikle
Total Control (Episode 1) – Stuart Page
Longford Lyell Award
David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu AM
Favourite Awards
Favourite Australian Actor
Asher Keddie – Nine Perfect Strangers
Celia Pacquola – Rosehaven
Deborah Mailman – Total Control
Eric Bana – The Dry – winner
Pamela Rabe – Wentworth
Favourite Australian Competition Reality Show
Australian Survivor
LEGO Masters Australia – winner
MasterChef Australia
The Block
The Voice
Favourite Australian Entertainment Show
Anh’s Brush With Fame
Bondi Rescue
Gardening Australia – winner
Gogglebox Australia
Have You Been Paying Attention
Favourite Australian TV Drama
Clickbait
Home and Away
Jack Irish
RFDS
Wentworth – winner
Favourite Australian TV Host
Adam Hills – Spicks and Specks
Carrie Bickmore – The Project
Costa Georgiadis – Gardening Australia – winner
Hamish Blake – LEGO Masters Australia
Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz
Film Awards
Best Film
The Dry
The Furnace
High Ground
Nitram – winner
Penguin Bloom
Rams
Best Indie Film
Disclosure
Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) – winner
Lone Wolf
Moon Rock For Monday
My First Summer
Under My Skin
Best Direction in Film
The Dry – Rob Connolly
The Furnace – Roderick MacKay
High Ground – Stephen Maxwell Johnson
Nitram – Justin Kurzel – winner
Penguin Bloom – Glendyn Ivin
Best Lead Actor in Film
Simon Baker – High Ground
Eric Bana – The Dry
Caleb Landry Jones – Nitram – winner
Ahmed Malek – The Furnace
Jacob Junior Nayinggul – High Ground
Best Lead Actress in Film
Rose Byrne – Peter Rabbit 2
Judy Davis – Nitram – winner
Noni Hazlehurst – June Again
Genevieve O’Reilly – The Dry
Naomi Watts – Penguin Bloom
Best Supporting Actor in Film
Michael Caton – Rams
Baykali Ganambarr – The Furnace
Anthony LaPaglia – Nitram – winner
Sean Mununggurr – High Ground
Jack Thompson – High Ground
Best Supporting Actress in Film
Essie Davis – Nitram
Claudia Karvan – June Again
Esmerelda Marimowa – High Ground
Miranda Tapsell – The Dry
Jacki Weaver – Penguin Bloom
Industry Awards
Best Children’s Program
100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone
Bluey – winner
The Bureau of Magical Things
Dive Club
Hardball
Kangaroo Beach
Best Cinematography in Television
A Sunburnt Christmas – Dylan River
Bump (Episode 1: Sorpresa!) – Garry Phillips
Clickbait (Episode 6: Simon) – Marden Dean
Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Bonnie Elliot – winner
The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Earle Dresner
Best Costume Design in Television
Dancing With The Stars: All Stars (Episode 6) – Tim Chappel
Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Cappi Ireland
Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries (Episode 1: Death By Design) – Penny Dickinson
New Gold Mountain (Episode 1: Propriety) – Cappi Ireland – winner
The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Marion Boyce
Best Direction in Drama or Comedy
Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Ana Kokkinos
Mr Inbetween (Episode 6: Ray Who?) – Nash Edgerton
The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Emma Freeman – winner
Wakefield (Episode 5) – Kim Mordaunt
Wakefield (Episode 8) – Jocelyn Moorhouse
Best Direction in Nonfiction Television
Brazen Hussies – Catherine Dwyer
Hannah Gadsby – Douglas – Madeleine Parry
Love on the Spectrum (Episode 4) – Cian O’Clery – winner
Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb (Episode 1: Getting There) – Stamatia Maroupas
You Can’t Ask That (Episode 1: Cheaters) – Kirk Docker
Best Documentary or Factual Program
Brazen Hussies
Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire
Life in Colour with David Attenborough
Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb
Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds – winner
The School That Tried to End Racism
Best Editing in Television
Clickbait (Episode 1: Five Million Hits) – Rodrigo Balart – winner
Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Mark Atkin
The Newsreader (Episode 5: No More Lies) – Angie Higgins
Total Control (Episode 1: Aftermath) – Nicholas Holmes
Wakefield (Episode 8) – Gabriel Dowrick
Best Narrative Comedy Series
Aftertaste
Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House Of Fun
Fisk – winner
Frayed
Preppers
Rosehaven
Best Original Score in Television
Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House Of Fun (Episode 1: Housemates) – Tom Armstrong
Clickbait (Episode 1: Five Million Hits) – Cornel Wilczek
Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Cornel Wilczek
Frayed (Episode 1) – Bryony Marks
New Gold Mountain (Episode 1: Propriety) – Caitlin Yeo – winner
Best Production Design in Television
Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Jo Ford
Jack Irish (Episode 1) – Carrie Kennedy
Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries (Episode 1: Death By Design) – Ben Bangay
New Gold Mountain (Episode 1: Propriety) – Paddy Reardon & Adele Flere
The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Melinda Doring – winner
Best Sound in Television
Clickbait (Episode 1: Five Million Hits) – Emma Bortignon, Stephen Witherow, Nigel Croyden & John Wilkinson
Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Emma Bortignon, Paul Pirola & Roger Van Wensveen – winner
Frayed (Episode 1) – Paul Finlay, Robert Sullivan, James Andrews & Dino Giacomin
The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Nick Godkin
Total Control (Episode 1: Aftermath) – Phil Keros, Stuart Waller, Andy Wright & Diego Ruiz
Best Stand-Up Special
Anne Edmonds and Lloyd Langford – Business with Pleasure
Celia Pacquola – Let Me Know How It All Works Out
Hannah Gadsby – Douglas – winner
Lano and Woodley in Lano and Woodley
Rhys Nicholson Live at the Athenaeum
Tom Gleeson – Lighten Up
Best Cinematography in a Documentary
After The Night (Episode 1: The End of Innocence) – Jim Frater
The Beach (Episode 1: Too Mad Too Shy) – Dylan River – winner
The Bowraville Murders – Nathan Barlow
Freeman – Bonnie Elliott
Step into Paradise – Bonnie Elliott
Best Editing in a Documentary
Freeman – Daniel Wieckmann
My Name is Gulpilil – Tania M. Nehme – winner
Playing With Sharks – Adrian Rostirolla
Under The Volcano – Karen Johnson
When the Camera Stopped Rolling – Ray Thomas
Best Original Score in a Documentary
Freeman – James Henry
Playing With Sharks – Caitlin Yeo – winner
Step into Paradise – Amanda Brown & Nick Wales
The Beach (Episode 1: Too Mad Too Shy) – Megan Washington & Kristin Rule
When the Camera Stopped Rolling – Kyls Burtland
Best Sound in a Documentary
The Bowraville Murders – Richard Boxhall
Freeman – Byron Scullin
Life in Colour with David Attenborough (Episode 1: Seeing in Colour) – Wayne Pashley – winner
My Name is Gulpilil – Tom Heuzenroeder
When the Camera Stopped Rolling – Sam Petty
Best Casting
The Dry – Jane Norris
High Ground – Anousha Zarkesh – winner
The Newsreader – Nathan Lloyd
Nitram – Nikki Barrett, Alison Telford & Kate Leonard
Wakefield – Marianne Jade
Best Hair and Makeup
Australian Gangster – Sheldon Wade – winner
Mortal Kombat – Nikki Gooley
Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries – Lynn Wheeler
New Gold Mountain – Cheryl Williams, Helen Magelaki & Ian Loughnan
Nitram – Fiona Rees-Jones
Best Short Form Comedy
A Life in Questions: Wisdom School with Aaron Chen
All My Friends Are Racist – winner
Celebration Nation
Hug the Sun
Jimmy Rees
Samantha Andrew
Best Short Form Drama
Beautiful They
The Bends
Dwarf Planet
Grace
The Tailings – winner
You and Me, Before and After
Best Short Form Entertainment
Chopsticks or Fork?
Gourmet Lazy
Nat’s What I Reckon
Ozzy Man Reviews
Strong Women – winner
Woven Threads – Stories from Within
