The AACTA Awards (formerly the AFI Awards) has honoured screen excellence in Australia since the first AFI Awards were held in 1958.
Held annually in Sydney in recognition and celebration of Australia’s highest achievements in film and television, the AACTA Awards present over 55 awards across two major ceremonies.
The peer-assessed AACTA Awards are the only Australian industry body to honour practitioners across all crafts and industry sectors, including feature film, documentary, short film, television, online, visual effects, and animation.
The Awards have grown to become a world-class marker of screen excellence alongside the Oscars® and the BAFTAs. Many of Australia’s most iconic and successful screen talent, both in front of and behind the camera – from actors such as Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Deborah Mailman, and Hugo Weaving, to directors such as Bruce Beresford, Gillian Armstrong, Dr. George Miller, and Warwick Thornton, to craftspeople such as Jill Bilcock, Catherine Martin and John Seale – have come through the ranks and been recognised among their peers at the AFI and AACTA Awards before going on to achieve international accolades and become household names.
Sonia Kruger, Mark Coles Smith, and the cast of Heartbreak High were among the stars to walk the carpet at the star-studded ceremony last year as the industry came together to honour Australia’s best and brightest screen talent.
Elvis and Mystery Road: Origin led the winners at the 2022 AACTA Awards Ceremony. Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis was the biggest winner of the night, taking home four additional Awards, including the coveted award for Best Film, Best Direction in Film presented by Filmology Finance (Baz Luhrmann), Best Lead Actor (Austin Butler), and Best Supporting Actress in Film (Olivia DeJonge). Elvis dominated the AACTA Industry Awards with 7 wins, bringing the total AACTA Award count to 11.
In television, Mystery Road: Origin received an additional 3 AACTA Awards, including Best Drama Series, as well as Best Lead Actor (Mark Coles Smith) and Actress (Tuuli Narkle) in a Drama presented by Foxtel. After receiving 4 AACTA Awards during the Industry Awards, Mystery Road: Origin lead the TV Award categories with a total of 7 AACTA Awards.
Another big winner was internet-sensation Heartbreak High. The teen drama swept all 3 of their eligible public-voted Audience Choice Award categories, including Best TV Show, Best Actor (Bryn Chapman), and Best Actress (Chloe Hayden). The Audience Choice Awards continued with Kat Clark crowned Best Digital Creator and Abbie Chatfield given the title of Australia’s Best TV Personality.
Chris Hemsworth was the recipient of the Trailblazer Award. The AACTA Trailblazer Award highlights the achievements, abilities, and success of an Australian screen practitioner who inspires others in the industry. Hemsworth was honoured for his outstanding career and contribution to the Australian screen industry as one of the most famous residents of the NSW North Coast; Hemsworth has used his position and status to attract global productions to Australia, creating jobs and opportunities for hundreds of local screen practitioners and championing the Australian film industry.