The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has unveiled the nominees for its 12th International Awards.
The Awards honor and celebrate the most outstanding film and television productions made worldwide in 2022, as determined by Australia’s leading filmmakers and content creators.
Fifteen feature films are nominated in the seven film categories, with The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All at Once leading the race with six nominations apiece. Both are nominated for the coveted Best Film award and are joined in the race for the top prize by Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water and the Australian film Elvis.
As well as Best Film, Elvis is nominated for Best Direction for Baz Luhrmann, Lead Actor for Austin Butler and Best Supporting Actress for Olivia DeJonge.
Actors Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris have been acknowledged for their performances in the Australian thriller The Stranger, with Australians Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie and Hugh Jackman nominated for their lead performances in Tár, Babylon and The Son respectively.
Babylon received two further nominations – one for Brad Pitt for Best Supporting Actor, and actress Jean Smart who is acknowledged for her work in both film and television; she receives a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Babylon, and Best Actress in a Series for Hacks.
In the small screen categories, Australian productions Heartbreak High and Mystery Road: Origin are both up for Best Drama Series, with Australians Thomas Weatherall and Mark Coles Smith vying for Best Actor in a Series for their performances in the respective dramas. Hit programs Severance, Stranger Things and The Bear also received nominations for Best Drama.
The White Lotus: Sicily is up for Best Comedy Series, with Season 1 having won Best Comedy Series at the AACTA International Awards last year. Also competing for Best Comedy is the recent online sensation Wednesday, along with Only Murders in the Building, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Hacks.
AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella says, “It has been an incredibly strong year internationally for film and television and the Australian Academy is proud to acknowledge such brilliant work by screen practitioners on the global stage. It is also gratifying to see Australian productions and talent in the mix. I extend my congratulations to all the nominees.”
The 2022 AACTA International Awards will be presented virtually on Friday, Feb. 24 AEDT / Thursday, Feb. 23 PST.
Here’s a category-by-category rundown of the nominations
FILM
In film, 15 productions compete for seven awards
Best Film
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- Elvis
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- Top Gun: Maverick
Best Lead Actor
- Austin Butler (As Elvis) – Elvis
- Joel Edgerton (As Mark Frame) – The Stranger
- Colin Farrell (As Pádraic Súilleabháin) – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Brendan Fraser (As Charlie) – The Whale
- Hugh Jackman (As Peter) – The Son
Best Lead Actress
- Cate Blanchett (As Lydia Tár) – Tár
- Ana de Armas (As Norma Jeane) – Blonde
- Margot Robbie (As Nellie Laroy) – Babylon
- Michelle Williams (As Mitzi Fabelman) – The Fabelmans
- Michelle Yeoh (As Evelyn Wang) – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actor
- Brendan Gleeson (As Colm Doherty) – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Woody Harrelson (As The Captain) – Triangle Of Sadness
- Sean Harris (As Henry Teague) – The Stranger
- Brad Pitt (As Jack Conrad) – Babylon
- Ke Huy Quan (As Waymond Wang) – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actress
- Kerry Condon (As Siobhan Súilleabháin) – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Jamie Lee Curtis (As Deirdre Beaubeirdre) – Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Olivia DeJonge (As Priscilla) Elvis
- Stephanie Hsu (As Joy Wang / Jobu Tupaki) – Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Jean Smart (As Elinor St. John) – Babylon
Best Direction
- James Cameron – Avatar: The Way of Water
- Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Baz Luhrmann – Elvis
- Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Steven Spielberg – The Fabelmans
Best Screenplay
- Todd Field – Tár
- Rian Johnson – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
- Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Ruben Östlund – Triangle of Sadness
- Dana Stevens, Maria Bello – The Woman King
TELEVISION
In television 14 productions compete for four awards
Best Drama Series
- Heartbreak High
- Mystery Road: Origin
- Severance
- Stranger Things
- The Bear
Best Comedy Series
- Hacks
- Only Murders in The Building
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- The White Lotus: Sicily
- Wednesday
Best Actor in a Series
- Jeremy Allen White (As Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto) – The Bear
- Jason Bateman (As Martin ‘Marty’ Byrde) – Ozark
- Mark Coles Smith (As Jay Swan) – Mystery Road: Origin
- Bob Odenkirk (As Jimmy Mcgill) – Better Call Saul
- Thomas Weatherall (As Malakai Mitchell) – Heartbreak High
Best Actress in a Series
- Jennifer Coolidge (As Tanya Mcquoid-Hunt) – The White Lotus: Sicily
- Elizabeth Debecki (As Princess Diana) – The Crown
- Laura Linney (As Wendy Byrde) – Ozark
- Jean Smart (As Deborah Vance) – Hacks
- Zendaya (As Rue Bennett) – Euphoria
