The film and TV industries gathered Friday night, February 7th on the Gold Coast for the 2025 AACTA Awards, to celebrate the shows and content that turned us on in 2024.
Leading the film categories were music-themed movies “Better Man” and “How to Make Gravy,” action blockbuster “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga<” horror flick “Late Night with the Devil,” and the beloved stop-motion animated tragicomedy “Memoir of a Snail.”
Heading the hunt on the silver screen was the Robbie Williams-inspired “Better Man,” with a record-breaking 16 nominations across film categories, followed by “Furiosa,” (15) the latest in George Miller’s “Mad Max” franchise and BINGE’s feature film debut “How to Make Gravy,” (15) “Late Night with the Devil,” (14) “Memoir of a Snail” (11) and “Runt.” (4)
On the small screen, “Boy Swallows Universe” led the way with 22 nominations. Dylan River’s “Thou Shalt Not Steal” follows (9), ahead of “Colin From Accounts” and “The Artful Dodger” (8), with “Exposure,” “Total Control,” “Fisk” and “Territory” all figuring prominently.
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts’ annual gala salutes the finest achievements in Australian film, television, documentary, and online content.
The winners of the 2025 AACTA Awards were announced across two ceremonies at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast: the AACTA Awards Industry Gala, held on Wednesday, February 5th and the AACTA Award Ceremony tonight.
The winners for the 2025 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group are:
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FILM
- AACTA Award for Best Film: Better Man – Paul Currie, Michael Gracey, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Craig McMahon – Better Man Productions Pty Ltd
- AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film: Sarah Snook – Memoir Of A Snail
- AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in Film: Jonno Davies – Better Man
- AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film: Jacki Weaver – Memoir Of A Snail
- AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film: Damon Herriman – Better Man
- AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film: Better Man – Michael Gracey
- AACTA Award for Best Indie Film: Birdeater – Jack Clark (Dir.), Jim Weir (Dir.), Ulysses Oliver, Stephanie Troost – Breathless Films and Fax Machine
- AACTA Award for Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks: Better Man – Alison Telford, Kate Leonard, Kate Dowd
- AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Simon Duggan
- AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Jenny Beavan
- AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films: Better Man – Martin Connor, Lee Smith, Spencer Susser, Jeff Groth, Patrick Correll
- AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film: Better Man – Batu Sener
- AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Colin Gibson, Katie Sharrock
- AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Film: Better Man – Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
- AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Robert Mackenzie, Ben Osmo, James Ashton, Yulia Akerholt, Jessica Meier, Tom Holkenborg
TELEVISION
- AACTA Award for Best Drama Series: Heartbreak High – Carly Heaton, Sarah Freeman, Hannah Carroll Chapman – Fremantle Australia (Netflix)
- AACTA Award for Best Miniseries: Boy Swallows Universe – Andrew Mason, Troy Lum – Brouhaha Entertainment Australia (Netflix)
- AACTA Award for Best Narrative Comedy Series: Fisk – Nicole Minchin, Kitty Flanagan, Vincent Sheehan, Tom Peterson – Origma 45 (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama presented by BINGE: Phoebe Tonkin – Boy Swallows Universe
- AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama presented by BINGE: Felix Cameron – Boy Swallows Universe
- AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Deborah Mailman – Boy Swallows Universe
- AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Lee Tiger Halley – Boy Swallows Universe
- AACTA Award for Best Acting in a Comedy: Kitty Flanagan – Fisk
- AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program: Bluey – Joe Brumm, Charlie Aspinwall, Daley Pearson, Sam Moor – Ludo Studio (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special: Anne Edmonds: Why Is My Bag All Wet? – Anne Edmonds, Frank Bruzzese, Kathleen McCarthy, Kevin Whyte, Georgina Ogilvie – Guesswork Television (Network 10, Paramount+)
- AACTA Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Program: Hard Quiz – Chris Walker, Kevin Whyte, Tom Gleeson, John Tabbagh – Thinkative Television and ABC (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program: Muster Dogs – Monica O’Brien, Michael Boughen, John Unwin, Matthew Street, Jo Chichester, Rachel Robinson – Ambience Entertainment Pty Ltd (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Reality Program presented by Network 10: MasterChef Australia – Marty Benson, Simon Child, Eoin Maher, April Mackay – Endemol Shine Australia (Network 10)
- AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – John Collee
- AACTA Award for Best Comedy Performer:: Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz
- AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program: Grand Designs Australia – Brooke Bayvel, Michael Collett – Fremantle Australia (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Casting in Television presented by Casting Networks: Boy Swallows Universe – Nikki Barrett
- AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Shelley Farthing-Dawe
- AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television: Ladies in Black – Episode 2 – Marion Boyce
- AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 1 – Bharat Nalluri
- AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television: Muster Dogs – Episode 3 – Sally Browning, Monica O’Brien
- AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program: Miriam Margolyes Impossibly Australian – Jo Siddiqui, Helen Barrow, Paulo Vivan, Laurie Critchley, Julie HannaJo Siddiqui – Southern Pictures Pty Ltd (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Mark Perry
- AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program: Spicks and Specks – Rowdie Walden, Michiko Smith, Anthony Watt – ABC (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television: Bluey – Episode 2 – Joff Bush, Daniel O’Brien, Jazz Darcy, Joseph Twist
- AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Michelle McGahey
- AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Sam Hayward, Scott Mulready, Danielle Wiessner, Nigel Christensen
DOCUMENTARY
- AACTA Award for Best Documentary: Otto by Otto – Gracie Otto (Dir.), Cody Greenwood, Nicole O’Donohue, – Rush Films & Wildflower Films
- AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary: The Musical Mind: A Portrait In Process – Geoffrey Hall, Emerson Hoskin
- AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary – Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line – Gretchen Peterson
- AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary: Mozart’s Sister – Jessica Wells
- AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary: Mozart’s Sister – Damian Jory
ONLINE
AACTA Award for Best Online Drama or Comedy: Buried – Fran Derham, Charlotte George, Miriam Glaser – Frantales Productions
SHORT FILM
- AACTA Award for Best Short Film: Gorgo – Katie Amos, Veniamin Gialouris (Dir.), Katie Amos, Danielle Stamoulos – Australian Film, Television and Radio School
OTHER
- AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation: Better Man – Luke Millar, Andy Taylor, Craig Young, Tim Walker – Wētā Better Man Productions Pty Ltd
- AACTA Award for Best Soundtrack: Heartbreak High – Jemma Burns
- AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Lesley Vanderwalt, Larry Van Duynhoven, Matteo Silvi, Luca Vannella
- AACTA Award for Best Original Song: Fine (Meg Washington, Brendan Maclean & The Prison Choir) – How To Make Gravy
INDIVIDUAL
- 2025 AACTA Longford Lyell Award Recipient: Working Dog- Santo Cilauro, Rob Sitch, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner, and producer Michael Hirsh.
- 2025 AACTA Byron Kennedy Award Recipient: Greig Fraser
- 2025 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Recipient: “Unspoiled” – Melanie Hogan, Neville Poelina, and Jamie Durie
- 2025 AACTA Brian Walsh Award Recipient: Kartanya Maynard
2025 AACTA Audience Choice Awards
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Digital Creator: Bridey Drake
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Media Personality: Robert Irwin
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Australian Actress: Margot Robbie
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Australian Actor: Chris Hemsworth
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite TV Show: Outerbanks
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Film: Wicked