THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY REVEALS 2025 AACTA AWARD NOMINEES: A CELEBRATION OF AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EXCELLENCE

THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY REVEALS 2025 AACTA AWARD NOMINEES: A CELEBRATION OF AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EXCELLENCE 

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has announced the nominees for the 2025 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group. Returning to the Gold Coast in February, the awards will celebrate the finest achievements in Australian film, television, documentary, and online content.

Film Powerhouses Dominate the Nominations

Topping the film categories are cinematic heavyweights Better Man, How to Make Gravy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Late Night with the Devil, and Memoir of a Snail. Leading the race, the Robbie Williams-inspired Better Man picked up a record-breaking 16 nominations across film categories. This is followed closely by George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and streaming giant BINGE’s feature film debut How to Make Gravy securing 15 nominations each. Horror-favourite Late Night with the Devil secured 14 nominations while the animated gem Memoir of a Snail lands 11 nominations. Rounding out the Best Film category is Runt which earned four nominations. 

Television Shines with Standout Productions

 In television, the critically acclaimed Boy Swallows Universe dominates with 22 nominations, including Best Miniseries and eight acting nominations, the most nominations for any production in AACTA history. Dylan River’s Thou Shalt Not Steal follows with nine nods, while Colin From Accounts and The Artful Dodger impress with eight and seven nominations respectively. Other standout productions include Exposure, Fake, Total Control, Fisk, and Territory, showcasing the diversity of Australia’s small-screen storytelling.

The winners of the 2025 AACTA Awards will be announced across two ceremonies - the AACTA Awards Industry Gala will be held on Wednesday 5 February and the AACTA Award Ceremony will be held on Friday 7 February. Both ceremonies are presented by Foxtel Group and will be held at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast. For publicity stills and further information, click here. For a full list of AACTA Award nominees, click here.  

The 2025 AACTA Awards ceremonies will form part of AACTA Festival which will run for 5 days from February 5th - 9th offering a vast range of activities celebrating film, television, and pop culture. Festival goers can enjoy a range of meet the nominee events, 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 Screen Careers Expo presented by Essential Screen Skills will also make its return on Saturday the 8th of February.

For more information visit aactafestival.com.

Breaking Boundaries

For the first time in AACTA history, motion capture performances and voice acting have been included in the Acting categories. Jonno Davies earns a nod for his portrayal of a motion-capture monkey in Better Man, while performances by Jacki Weaver, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Sarah Snook in Memoir of a Snail highlight the skill and artform of voice acting.

Comedy and horror continue to be Australia’s global calling cards. Late Night with the Devil stands tall with 14 nominations, following the trail blazed by last year’s winner Talk to Me. Meanwhile, comedy hits like Colin From Accounts, Fisk, and The Office Australia underline the international appeal of Australian wit and humour.

The nominees were determined by AACTA Members, Australia’s largest community of screen professionals and fans. Round 2 voting opens today, AACTA Members are invited to vote on the nominated productions to determine the 2025 AACTA Award winners. 

The 2025 AACTA Awards Ceremony will be broadcast on Channel Ten at 7.30pm AEDT, Friday 7 February. A special extended AACTA Awards broadcast, including all awards from the ceremony, will be available from 7:30pm on Saturday 8 February on BINGE and Foxtel (Famous and available On-Demand).

The AACTA Audience Choice Awards will return from December as AACTA open applications for contenders on their social media platforms for the publicly voted Awards including Favourite Australian Digital Creator, Favourite Film, Favourite TV Show, Favourite Actors and more. Voting for these Awards will happen in January. Follow AACTA on social media for more information. 

AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella stated “Australian screen storytelling is hitting new heights, with an incredible range of films and series showcasing the best of our creativity and talent. Better Man smashing all-time records with 16 film nominations is a massive nod to the brilliance of everyone involved. It’s in great company too, with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, How to Make Gravy, Late Night with the Devil, and Memoir of a Snail all racking up nominations across 11 or more categories.  

Among Australian series, Boy Swallows Universe has made history with the most nominations ever – 22! It’s a huge achievement and a testament to the strength of our TV industry, with other Aussie favourites like Bluey continuing to shine on the world stage.” 

Alison Hurbert-Burns, Commissioner and Executive Director, Entertainment Content, Foxtel Group, said: “Congratulations to all nominees for what has been another incredible year in Australian film and television. We are proud to support AACTA in recognising these achievements and look forward to coming together as an industry in February to celebrate our collective success.”

AACTA have teamed up with a number of local businesses to help you plan your trip to Queensland. Take advantage of discount accommodation offers and deals on exciting Gold Coast experiences available via aacta.org. 

“It’s a double celebration of film and television for our city as we continue to showcase the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts,’’ said Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

“I wish everyone success at the February awards and am thrilled to see several Gold Coast-affiliated nominees in the running. Let’s make it a gold carpet night!”

Upcoming Key Dates:

Location: HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast 

2025 AACTA Awards Industry Gala & After Party: Wednesday 5 February

2025 AACTA Awards Ceremony & Official After Party: Friday 7 February

AACTA Festival: Wednesday 5 February – Sunday 9 February 

For information on the AACTA Festival, AACTA Awards and ticket sales, click here.

Further Festival programs will be announced in December. 

Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said “The AACTA Awards nominees highlight the depth of talent and diversity of storytelling right across Australia’s screen sector. It’s been a remarkable year for homegrown stories and Screen Queensland looks forward to welcoming the industry to the sunshine state for the second AACTA Awards and Festival in February.  

We congratulate all of the nominees, including Screen Queensland-supported productions such as Boy Swallows Universe, How to Make Gravy, Audrey, Muster Dogs and Bluey.”