Australia’s top film and industry professionals were honored Friday as the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts held its 2025 AACTA Awards ceremony, sponsored by Casting Networks.
The show, hosted by AACTA President Russell Crowe, featured performances by British pop star Robbie Williams and Australian folk legend Paul Kelly.
The big winner was Netflix’s Boy Swallows Universe, which took home six AACTA’s Friday, including Best Casting in Television, presented by Casting Networks, which went to Nikki Barrett. This doubled its 2025 AACTA wins to 12 after Wednesday’s AACTA Industry Awards Gala, which kicked off a five-day festival celebrating the Australian screen industry.
Robbie William’s Biopic, Better Man earned four AACTAs, including the AACTA Award for Best Casting in Film (Alison Telford, Kate Leonard, Kate Dowd), presented by Casting Networks.
Also announced were the 2025 AACTA Audience Choice Awards, which included Netflix’s Outer Banks and Wicked. Four discretionary awards were also presented, celebrating both emerging and established creatives. Winners included:
- Greig Fraiser (Dune, The Batman, Lion, and The Mandalorian) received the AACTA Byron Kennedy Award for his industry contributions, use of technology and distinct visual style.
- Emerging Talent Kartanya Maynard won the AACTA Brian Walsh Award. She will receive $50,000 to support their career development, contributed by Nicole Kidman.
- Working Dog (Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Michael Hirsh, and Rob Sitch) received the AACTA Longford Lyell Award celebrating their contribution to advancing Australian screen culture.
- The team behind “Unspoiled” – Melanie Hogan, Neville Poelina, and Jamie Durie – won the AACTA Reg Grundy Award. The award offers a combined $50,000 prize to the individual or team with the best pitch for a new and innovative unscripted format.
“The winners of the 2025 AACTA Awards remind us why Australian storytelling stands among the best in the world,” said Jack Christian, AACTA Chair. “From bold new voices to industry icons, this year’s recipients have delivered work that is powerful, original, and deserving of global recognition. Better Man is a perfect example – critically acclaimed and now AACTA-winning, proving that great cinema leaves a lasting impact beyond the box office. We celebrate all of tonight’s winners and their contribution to shaping the future of Australian screen culture.”
Below is the list of winners. Congratulations to all!
Film
- Best Film: Better Man – Paul Currie, Michael Gracey, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Craig McMahon – Better Man Productions Pty Ltd
- Best Lead Actress in Film: Sarah Snook – Memoir of a Snail
- Best Lead Actor in Film: Jonno Davies – Better Man
- Best Supporting Actress in Film: Jacki Weaver – Memoir of a Snail
- Best Supporting Actor in Film: Damon Herriman – Better Man
- Best Direction in Film: Better Man – Michael Gracey
- Best Indie Film: Birdeater – Jack Clark (Dir.), Jim Weir (Dir.), Ulysses Oliver, Stephanie Troost – Breathless Films and Fax Machine
- Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks: Better Man – Alison Telford, Kate Leonard, Kate Dowd
- Best Cinematography in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Simon Duggan
- Best Costume Design in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Jenny Beavan
- Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films: Better Man – Martin Connor, Lee Smith, Spencer Susser, Jeff Groth, Patrick Correll
- Best Original Score in Film: Better Man – Batu Sener
- Best Production Design in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Colin Gibson, Katie Sharrock
- Best Screenplay in Film: Better Man – Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
- Best Sound in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Robert Mackenzie, Ben Osmo, James Ashton, Yulia Akerholt, Jessica Meier, Tom Holkenborg
Television
- Best Drama Series: Heartbreak High – Carly Heaton, Sarah Freeman, Hannah Carroll Chapman – Fremantle Australia (Netflix)
- Best Miniseries: Boy Swallows Universe – Andrew Mason, Troy Lum – Brouhaha Entertainment Australia (Netflix)
- Best Narrative Comedy Series: Fisk – Nicole Minchin, Kitty Flanagan, Vincent Sheehan, Tom Peterson – Origma 45 (ABC)
- Best Lead Actress in a Drama presented by BINGE: Phoebe Tonkin – Boy Swallows Universe
- Best Lead Actor in a Drama presented by BINGE: Felix Cameron – Boy Swallows Universe
- Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Deborah Mailman – Boy Swallows Universe
- Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Lee Tiger Halley – Boy Swallows Universe
- Best Acting in a Comedy: Kitty Flanagan – Fisk
- Best Children’s Program: Bluey – Joe Brumm, Charlie Aspinwall, Daley Pearson, Sam Moor – Ludo Studio (ABC)
- 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+)
- Best Comedy Entertainment Program: Hard Quiz – Chris Walker, Kevin Whyte, Tom Gleeson, John Tabbagh – Thinkative Television and ABC (ABC)
- Best Factual Entertainment Program: Muster Dogs – Monica O’Brien, Michael Boughen, John Unwin, Matthew Street, Jo Chichester, Rachel Robinson – Ambience Entertainment Pty Ltd (ABC)
- Best Reality Program presented by Network 10: MasterChef Australia – Marty Benson, Simon Child, Eoin Maher, April Mackay – Endemol Shine Australia (Network 10)
- Best Screenplay in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – John Collee
- Best Comedy Performer: Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz
- Best Lifestyle Program: Grand Designs Australia – Brooke Bayvel, Michael Collett – Fremantle Australia (ABC)
- Best Casting in Television presented by Casting Networks: Boy Swallows Universe – Nikki Barrett
- Best Cinematography in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Shelley Farthing-Dawe
- Best Costume Design in Television: Ladies in Black – Episode 2 – Marion Boyce
- Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 1 – Bharat Nalluri
- Best Direction in Nonfiction Television: Muster Dogs – Episode 3 – Sally Browning, Monica O’Brien
- 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)
- Best Editing in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Mark Perry
- Best Entertainment Program: Spicks and Specks – Rowdie Walden, Michiko Smith, Anthony Watt – ABC (ABC)
- Best Original Score in Television: Bluey – Episode 2 – Joff Bush, Daniel O’Brien, Jazz Darcy, Joseph Twist
- Best Production Design in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Michelle McGahey
- Best Sound in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Sam Hayward, Scott Mulready, Danielle Wiessner, Nigel Christensen
Documentary
- Best Documentary: Otto by Otto – Gracie Otto (Dir.), Cody Greenwood, Nicole O’Donohue, – Rush Films & Wildflower Films
- Best Cinematography in a Documentary: The Musical Mind: A Portrait In Process – Geoffrey Hall, Emerson Hoskin
- Best Editing in a Documentary: Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line – Gretchen Peterson
- Best Original Score in a Documentary: Mozart’s Sister – Jessica Wells
- Best Sound in a Documentary: Mozart’s Sister – Damian Jory
Online
- Best Online Drama or Comedy: Buried – Fran Derham, Charlotte George, Miriam Glaser – Frantales Productions
Short Film
- Best Short Film: Gorgo – Katie Amos, Veniamin Gialouris (Dir.), Katie Amos, Danielle Stamoulos – Australian Film, Television and Radio School
Other
- Best Visual Effects or Animation: Better Man – Luke Millar, Andy Taylor, Craig Young, Tim Walker – Wētā Better Man Productions Pty Ltd
- Best Soundtrack: Heartbreak High – Jemma Burns
- Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Lesley Vanderwalt, Larry Van Duynhoven, Matteo Silvi, Luca Vannella
- 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
- AACTA Award for Outstanding Contribution: Paul Kelly
2025 AACTA Audience Choice Awards
- Favorite Digital Creator: Bridey Drake
- Favorite Media Personality: Robert Irwin
- Favorite Australian Actress: Margot Robbie
- Favorite Australian Actor: Chris Hemsworth
- Favorite TV Show: Outerbanks
- Favorite Film: Wicked
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