“Boy Swallows Universe” hit the AACTA Awards for six on Friday night, February 7th, bringing its total wins this week to an even dozen.
The coming-of-age Netflix series collected Best Miniseries, Best Screenplay in Television for John Collee, and nabbed all four TV acting honours, including Best Lead Actor in a Drama (Felix Cameron), Best Lead Actress in a Drama (Phoebe Tonkin), supporting actor (Lee Tiger Halley) and actress (Deborah Mailman).
Earlier, during Wednesday night’s AACTA Awards Industry Gala, also presented at HOTA on the Gold Coast, “Boy Swallows Universe” scooped six awards.
British pop superstar Robbie Williams was in the house as his biopic, “Better Man”, picked up four AACTA Awards, including Best Film, Best Direction in Film (for Michael Gracey), lifting their total to nine AACTA Awards.
Williams gave a good-humoured shout-out to his bad habits. “I would like to thank drugs, depression, anxiety, dyslexia, dyscalculia, insomnia, dyspraxia and a lack of self-awareness, a lack of self-worth, the fear of social interaction and body dysmorphia, addiction, alcoholism and a lower than average sized penis, without which, none of this film would be possible,” he remarked from the podium.
According to the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, these wins mark an “historic first” for the organisation with motion-capture performances and voice acting included in the Acting categories.
Those trailblazers include Jonno Davies, recognised for his portrayal of the motion-capture monkey in “Better Man”, and Damon Herriman, who added to his AACTA Awards collection with a fourth trophy for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the flick.
Williams made multiple trips to the stage, including a performance of his signature song “Angels,” while Paul Kelly performed his iconic song “How to Make Gravy”, the theme to the AACTA-nominated Binge film, the streamer’s first original feature.
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Also on Friday night, “Fisk” was a multiple winner with Kitty Flanagan collecting Best Acting in a Comedy and the series earning Best Narrative Comedy Series; “Heartbreak High” took out Best Drama Series; “Hard Quiz” scooped Best Comedy Entertainment Program and “Bluey” grabbed Best Children’s Program.
Jacki Weaver (Best Supporting Actress) and Sarah Snook (Best Lead Actress) were in the winner’s circle for their work in “Memoir of a Snail”.
Among the Audience Choice Award winners were “Outer Banks” (Australia’s Favourite TV Show), “Wicked” (Favourite Film), Margot Robbie (Favourite Australian Actress), Chris Hemsworth (Favourite Actor), Robert Irwin (Favourite Media Personality) and Bridey Drake (Favourite Digital Creator).
Oscar-winning actor and AACTA president Russell Crowe was the evening’s host.
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The 2025 AACTA Award Winners are:
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