Australian screen storytelling took center stage on Friday (2/6) as the 2026 AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) Awards celebrated the year’s most outstanding achievements across film, television, documentary, online and short form, with Bring Her Back emerging as the night’s biggest winner.
With 16 nominations and winning 10 AACTA Awards, Bring Her Back dominated the film categories, including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Casting, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Costume Design, Best Hair and Makeup, and Best Lead Actress in Film for Sally Hawkins.
Close behind was The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which converted nine AACTA Award wins from 12 nominations, asserting itself as the standout television production of the year, while The Newsreader continued its award-winning legacy with four wins from 12 nominations including Best Drama Series while Apple Cider Vinegar picked up the award for Best Miniseries.
Individual honors
The Australian Academy also recognized outstanding individual contributions to the screen industry:
–Bruce Beresford, AACTA Longford Lyell Award
–Kristina Ceyton and Samantha Jennings, AACTA Byron Kennedy Award
–Kate Armon and Craig Smith, AACTA Reg Grundy Award
–Sarah Snook, AACTA Trailblazer Award
–Clare Hughes, AACTA Brian Walsh Award
Audience Choice Awards
Voted by audiences across Australia and around the world, the 2026 AACTA Audience Choice Awards celebrated the films, series, performers, podcasts and creators that entertained the public over the past year.
From global phenomenon Stranger Things (Season 5) and Wicked: For Good to home-grown favorites Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi and Robert Irwin, the Audience Choice winners reflect the stories and voices audiences couldn’t get enough of. New Awards were also presented which saw Shameless win the inaugural Award for Best Podcast. Norris Nuts won Best Online Channel, Bridey Drake won Best Digital Creator for the second year, and Mekonnen Knife won the Rabanne Breakthrough Artist Award.
AACTA CEO, Damian Trewhella said, “This year’s AACTA Awards recognize the remarkable depth and diversity of Australian screen talent. From critically- acclaimed productions to audience favorites, the winners showcase the strength of our industry and the stories that continue to resonate locally and globally.”
The 2026 AACTA Awards ceremony is part of AACTA Festival, which runs for five days from February 4-8, offering a vast range of activities celebrating film, television, and pop culture. Festival goers can enjoy in-depth movie deconstructions, interactive workshops, meet-and-greets, music showcases, masterclasses with renowned filmmakers, outdoor screenings, and a variety of family-friendly activities – and for those looking to break into the industry, an expanded AACTA Netflix Screen Careers Expo presented by Essential Screen Skills will also make its return on Saturday (2/7).
The winners for the 2026 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group are:
FILM
In film, 5 productions won across 15 awards
AACTA Award for Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Film: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Indie Film: Lesbian Space Princess
AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in Film: Richard Roxburgh – The Correspondent
AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film: Sally Hawkins – Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film: The Correspondent
AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Film: The Correspondent
AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film: Julian McMahon – The Surfer
AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film: Deborah Mailman – Kangaroo
TELEVISION
In television, 13 productions won across 27 awards
AACTA Award for Best Acting in a Comedy: Miranda Tapsell – Top End Bub
AACTA Award for Best Casting in Television presented by Casting Networks: Apple Cider Vinegar
AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program: Play School: All Together
AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television: The Narrow Road to the Deep North
AACTA Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Program: Hard Quiz
AACTA Award for Best Comedy Performer: Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz
AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television: The Narrow Road to the Deep North
AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: The Narrow Road to the Deep North
AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television: The People vs Robodebt
AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program: The People vs Robodebt
AACTA Award for Best Drama Series: The Newsreader
AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television: The Narrow Road to the Deep North
AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program presented by Gravity Media: Portrait Artist of the Year
AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program: Alone Australia
AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama presented by BINGE: Jacob Elordi – The Narrow Road to the Deep North
AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama presented by BINGE: Anna Torv – The Newsreader
AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program: Grand Designs Australia
AACTA Award for Best Miniseries: Apple Cider Vinegar
AACTA Award for Best Narrative Comedy Series: Bump
AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television: The Narrow Road to the Deep North
AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television: The Narrow Road to the Deep North
AACTA Award for Best Reality Program presented by Network Ten: The Great Australian Bake Off
AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television: The Newsreader
AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television: The Narrow Road to the Deep North
AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special: Celia Pacquola: I’m As Surprised As You Are
AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Daniel Henshall – The Newsreader
AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Heather Mitchell – The Narrow Road to the Deep North
DOCUMENTARY
AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary: The Kimberley
AACTA Award for Best Documentary: Journey Home, David Gulpilil
AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary: Unbreakable – The Jelena Dokic Story
AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary: Journey Home, David Gulpilil
AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary: Yurlu | Country
SHORT FILM
AACTA Award for Best Short Film: I’m The Most Racist Person I Know
ONLINE
AACTA Award for Best Online Drama or Comedy: A Series of Unfortunate Dates
OTHER
AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup: Bring Her Back
AACTA Award for Best Original Song: Here I Go – Lesbian Space Princess
AACTA Award for Best Soundtrack: Mix Tape
AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation: Tron: Ares
INDIVIDUAL
2026 AACTA Longford Lyell Award Recipient: Bruce Beresford
2026 AACTA Byron Kennedy Award Recipients: Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings
2026 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Recipient: Kate Armon, Craig Smith
2026 AACTA Trailblazer Award Recipient: Sarah Snook
2026 AACTA Brian Walsh Award Recipient: Clare Hughes
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite TV Show: Stranger Things (Season 5)
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Film: Wicked: For Good
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Actress: Margot Robbie
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Actor: Jacob Elordi
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Media Personality: Robert Irwin
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Podcast: Shameless
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Music Video: The Kid LAROI – A Cold Play
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Online Channel: Norris Nuts @norrisnuts
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Digital Creator: Bridey Drake @brideydrake
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Rabanne Breakthrough Artist: Mekonnen Knife