Australia’s top film and television talent came together on Wednesday evening to honour Australia’s best screen achievements of 2015 at the 5th AACTA Awards Ceremony held at The Star Event Centre in Sydney.
Among the show highlights was the presentation of Australia’s highest screen accolade – the AACTA Longford Lyell Award, to performer Cate Blanchett, who received tributes from some of the world’s biggest names in film, including Martin Scorsese, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Robert Redford, Ridley Scott and Ron Howard.
The recipient of the Byron Kennedy Award was presented to Cinematographer, Adam Arkapaw – whose body of work includes: Animal Kingdom, Snowtown, Lore, True Detective, Top of the Lake, Macbeth and Assassin’s Creed.
FILM AWARDS:
In a record-breaking year for Australian films at the local box office, taking more than $85 million to date, anticipation was great regarding which films would take Australia’s top screen accolades at the 5th AACTA Awards Ceremony
Mad Max: Fury Road continued its impressive run in the 5th AACTA Awards season. Following six wins at last week’s Industry Dinner, tonight it received two Awards: the AACTA Award for Best Direction went to George Miller; and the AACTA Award for Best Film was awarded to Miller along with Doug Mitchell and PJ Voeten.
Following its win for Best Costume Design at the Industry Dinner, comedic revenge drama The Dressmaker scooped three Awards for performance tonight, as well as the AACTA People’s Choice Award for Favourite Australian Film, totaling five wins for the 5th AACTA Awards season.
Kate Winslet was awarded the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress for her performance as Tilly Dunnage in The Dressmaker, Hugo Weaving received the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor and Judy Davis received the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Michael Caton received the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor for his moving performance in Last Cab To Darwin, marking a first-time AFI or AACTA Award win for the seasoned performer, whose last AFI Award nomination was for his performance as Darryl Kerrigan in The Castle, which cemented Caton as one of Australia’s most popular and much-loved performers.
TELEVISION AWARDS:
Following its outstanding success with audiences, attracting more than one million viewers across two nights in September, the Seven Network’s Peter Allen – Not The Boy Next Door has also confirmed its success on the screen craft front.
Peter Allen – Not The Boy Next Door took home the AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series for Kerrie Mainwaring and Rory Callaghan, whilst Michael Miller received the AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television for his work on Episode 2.
With three past AFI nominations in a stellar career spanning three decades, Sigrid Thornton tonight received the AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for her performance as Judy Garland in Peter Allen – Not The Boy Next Door (Episode 1).
Marking a young performer to watch, 14-year-old Ky Baldwin tonight received his first AACTA Award, receiving Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama for his performance as the young Peter Allen in Episode 1. Joel Jackson’s captivating performance as Peter Allen earned him the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama, firmly cementing Jackson as an Australian actor on the rise.
The AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama went to Pamela Rabe for her chilling performance as Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson on Wentworth (Series 3). The ABC’s debut supernatural drama, GLITCH, received the AACTA Award for Best Television Drama Series for multi-AFI and AACTA Award winner, Tony Ayres, along with first-time winners, Louise Fox and Ewan Burnett .
From its third consecutive nomination, Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell (ABC) earned its first AACTA Award for Best Television Comedy Series tonight, awarded to Shaun Micallef (who was previously awarded for Best Performance in a Television Comedy for his role in this production) and executive producer Peter Beck. The AACTA Award for Best Reality Television Series was hotly contested this year with Network Ten’s Masterchef Australia taking home the Award for the second time in four years.
For more information, and a complete list of winners, visit: www.aacta.org for details.
Image: Mad Max: Fury Road