ABC and Foxtel were the big winners in the television categories of the 8th annual AACTA Awards, held at the The Star Event Centre in Sydney over two events — a non-televised presentation held on Monday afternoon (pictured above), hosted by Kat Stewart and Nazeem Hussain, and the televised ceremony on Wednesday night, hosted by Stephen Curry.
Mystery Road, Riot, The Weekly With Charlie Pickering, Employable Me and The Letdown were among the winners for ABC — with Riot stars Damon Herriman and Kate Box winning Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress respectively.
Foxtel’s winners included Selling Houses Australia, Picnic At Hanging Rock, Sky News and Fox Sports, plus individual awards for Shaynna Blaze, Andrew Winter and Scott Ryan.
Network Ten collected awards for Australian Survivor: Champions Vs Contenders and children’s program The Bureau Of Magical Things.
The SBS series Safe Harbour won two awards.
The Seven Network (which televised the ceremony) and the Nine Network did not pick up any awards.
Among the streamers, Hannah Gadsby was a winner for Netflix and Romper Stomper for Stan.
Actor Bryan Brown was awarded the Longford Lyell Award for his outstanding contribution to Australia’s screen environment and culture. Brown made his film debut in 1975 and has starred in a long list of films and television series. His TV credits include A Town Like Alice (pictured below with Helen Morse), The Shiralee, Against The Wind, The Thorn Birds, Eureka Stockade, Twisted Tales, The Good Wife, Better Man, Old School and the upcoming series Bloom.
In 1989 he was inducted into the TV Week Logie Awards Hall of Fame.
First awarded in 1968, previous winners of the Longford Lyell Award include Ken G Hall, John Meillon, Peter Weir, Jack Thompson, Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell, David Stratton, Patricia Edgar, Ray Barrett, Reg Grundy, Patricia Lovell, Jacki Weaver, Andrew Knight and Paul Hogan.
The AACTA Awards began in 2011 as the successor to the AFI Awards, dating back to 1958.
AACTA Award for Best Drama Series
Mystery Road. David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin. ABC / Bunya Productions
AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series
Riot. Joanna Werner, Louise Smith. ABC / Werner Film Productions
AACTA Award for Best Comedy Program
The Letdown. Julian Morrow, Sarah Scheller, Alison Bell. ABC / Giant Dwarf
AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program
The Weekly With Charlie Pickering. Chris Walker, Kevin Whyte, Charlie Pickering, Jo Long. ABC / Thinkative TV
AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program
Selling Houses Australia. Geoff Fitzpatrick, Duane Hatherly, Sonia Harding. Foxtel/Lifestyle / Beyond Productions
AACTA Award for Best Reality Series
Australian Survivor: Champions Vs Contenders. Amelia Fisk, Georgina Hinds, Adam Fergusson. Network Ten / Endemol Shine Australia
AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program
The Bureau Of Magical Things. Jonathan M. Shiff, Stuart Wood. Eleven / Jonathan M. Shiff Productions
AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program
Employable Me. Karina Holden, Sue Clothier, Jenni Wilks. ABC / Northern Pictures
AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama
Damon Herriman. Riot. ABC / Werner Film Productions
AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama
Kate Box. Riot. ABC / Werner Film Productions
AACTA Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy
Hannah Gadsby. Nanette. Netflix / Guesswork Television
AACTA Award for Best Guest Or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama
Wayne Blair. Mystery Road. ABC / Bunya Productions
AACTA Award for Best Guest Or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama
Deborah Mailman. Mystery Road. ABC / Bunya Productions
AACTA Award for Best Direction in a Television Drama Or Comedy
Safe Harbour – Episode 1. Glendyn Ivin. SBS / Matchbox Pictures
AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television
Hawke: The Larrikin and the Leader – Episode 1: The Apprenticeship. Bruce Permezel. ABC / Southern Pictures
AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television
Safe Harbour – Episode 1. Belinda Chayko. SBS / Matchbox Pictures
AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television
Picnic at Hanging Rock – Episode 1. Garry Phillips. Foxtel/Showcase / FremantleMedia Australia
AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television
Mystery Road – Episode 5: The Waterhole. Deborah Peart. ABC / Bunya Productions
AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television
Romper Stomper – Episode 3: Poetry. Greg Burgmann, Frank Lipson, Andrew McGrath. Stan / Roadshow Rough Diamond
AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score in Television
Mystery Road – Episode 4: Silence. Antony Partos, Matteo Zingales. ABC / Bunya Productions
AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television
Picnic at Hanging Rock – Episode 1. Jo Ford. Foxtel/Showcase / FremantleMedia Australia
AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television
Picnic at Hanging Rock – Episode 1. Edie Kurzer. Foxtel/Showcase / FremantleMedia Australia
AACTA Subscription Television Award for Best Female Presenter
Shaynna Blaze. Selling Houses Australia. Foxtel/Lifestyle / Beyond Productions
AACTA Subscription Television Award for Best Male Presenter
Andrew Winter. Love It or List It, Selling Houses Australia. Foxtel/Lifestyle / Beyond Productions
AACTA Subscription Television Award for Best New Talent
Scott Ryan. Mr Inbetween. Foxtel/Showcase / Blue-Tongue Films & Jungle Entertainment
AACTA Subscription Television Award for Best Live Event Production
Sky News Leadership Spill. David Speers, Kieran Gilbert, Laura Jayes. Foxtel/Sky News / Sky News
AACTA Subscription Television Award for Best Sports Presentation
Finals Footy on Fox: Richmond V Collingwood. Ben Roberts, Zach Larkins, Leigh Carlson, Michael Neill. Foxtel/Fox Sports / Fox Sports Australia Pty Ltd
Longford Lyell Award
Bryan Brown
Source: AACTA