Winners for the 2025 AACTA Awards Industry Gala presented by Foxtel Group Announced

WINNERS FOR THE 2025 AACTA AWARDS INDUSTRY GALA PRESENTED BY FOXTEL GROUP ANNOUNCED

Boy Swallows Universe, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Better Man emerge as the standout winners at the Winners for the 2025 AACTA Awards Industry Gala presented by Foxtel Group 

The 2025 AACTA Industry Awards Gala kicked off a five day Festival of the Australian screen industry. Held at HOTA, Home of the Arts, on the Gold Coast, the Awards celebrated an extraordinary year of Australian screen content. Hosted by Stephen Curry, the evening honoured the exceptional talent and craftsmanship of the industry, with 31 awards presented across film, television, documentary, short film, and digital production categories.

Presenters included a stellar lineup of industry figures, such as award-winning singer-songwriter Meg Washington, comedian Dane Simpson, and AACTAAward-winner Joel Jackson. They were joined by Chris Alosio, Shane and Clayton Jacobson, Nicole Da Silva, and Nina Oyama, among others.

Major Winners of the Night

Boy Swallows Universe dominated the television categories, winning six awards from its eleven nominations, including Best Casting in Television presented by Casting Networks, Best Editing in Television, Best Direction in Drama or Comedy, Best Cinematography in Television, Best Sound in Television, and Best Production Design in Television. The series remains a strong contender for additional accolades at the AACTA Awards Ceremony on Friday 7 February.

In the film categories, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Better Man emerged as the standout productions of the evening, each taking home five wins. These highly anticipated films demonstrated their broad appeal and craftsmanship, with both productions securing multiple accolades across various categories. 

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga secured wins for Best Cinematography in Film, Best Costume Design in Film, Best Hair and Makeup, and Best Sound in Film. The film also won Best Production Design showcasing the creativity and epic scale behind this blockbuster. It will compete for five more awards at Friday’s ceremony, including Best Supporting Actor for Chris Hemsworth and Best Lead Actress for Anya Taylor-Joy.

Better Man also claimed five wins from its ten nominations, taking home Best Casting in Film, Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films, Best Original Score in Film, and Best Visual Effects or Animation for its groundbreaking CGI work. 

Celebrating Excellence Across All Categories

The AACTA Awards continued to recognise excellence across a broad spectrum of screen content. Birdeater was honoured with Best Indie Film, highlighting the creative talents of directors Jack Clark and Jim Weir. In television, Tom Gleeson won Best Comedy Performer for Hard Quiz, while Grand Designs Australia took home Best Lifestyle Program.

Other winners included Ladies in Black (Best Costume Design in Television) and Miriam Margolyes: Impossibly Australian (Best Documentary or Factual Program). Spicks and Specks was awarded Best Entertainment Program presented by EMG/Gravity Media, Muster Dogs (Best Direction in Nonfiction Television),and global sensation Bluey won for Best Original Score in Television. Across Documentary The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process won Best Cinematography in a Documentary, Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line (Best Editing in a Documentary), as well as Mozart’s Sister (Best Original Score in a Documentary and Best Sound in a Documentary). 

For production stills, imagery and further information, click here. A full list of winners and nominees can be found here. 

AACTA CEO, Damian Trewhella said  “The 2025 AACTA Awards have once again showcased the incredible talent and creativity that define Australia’s screen industry. This year’s winners show the innovation, passion, and storytelling that continue to captivate audiences both locally and internationally. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners – your work elevates Australian cinema and television to new heights.”

Alison Hurbert-Burns, Commissioner and Executive Director, Entertainment Content, Foxtel Group, said: “Congratulations to all the winners, nominees and everyone recognised at the 2025 AACTA Industry Gala. It’s been another incredible year of Australian film and television and Foxtel Group is proud to be a part of this vibrant creative community.”

The 2025 AACTA Awards ceremonies will form part of AACTA Festival which will run for five days from February 5 - 9th 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 Screen Careers Expo presented by Essential Screen Skills will also make its return on Saturday the 8th of February.

Whether you are a film fan, a budding creative, a pop culture enthusiast, or a dedicated industry professional, AACTA Festival offers a unique opportunity to network, learn, and revel in the magic of film and television.  For more information visit aactafestival.com.

“What a night and what a celebration of industry excellence,” said Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. “Hosting AACTA’s premier awards is an honour and I congratulate the winners and all nominees.

Your collective skills bring screen magic to millions of people every year and showcases why Australia’s film and television industry is gold standard.”

Additional winners will be announced at the 2025 AACTA Awards Ceremony on Friday 7 February, this event will be broadcast in Australia on Channel Ten at 7.30pm AEDT that evening. 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). 

Upcoming Key Dates:

Location: HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast

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

AACTA Festival: Wednesday 5 February – Sunday 9 February 

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

Queensland Minister for the Arts and Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek said the AACTA Awards Industry Gala showcases the remarkable achievements of the Australian screen industry. 

“Through Screen Queensland, the Crisafulli Government is proud to support the recognition of the skilled technicians, artisans and visionaries who bring our country’s unique screen stories to life, particularly those made here in the sunshine state.

“Congratulations to all the talented winners and nominees on their success, and I encourage locals and visitors to immerse themselves in the Gold Coast and all that the AACTA Festival offers in the coming days.”

"On behalf of Experience Gold Coast, I would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the award winners at the AACTA Awards Industry Gala," said Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn.

"We are immensely proud to host this iconic event at HOTA, Home of the Arts, and celebrate the outstanding craftsmanship and technical excellence behind Australia’s finest film and television."

The winners for the 2025 AACTA Awards Industry Gala presented by Foxtel Group are:

FILM

In film, 3 productions won across 9 Awards

• AACTA Award for Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks: Better Man – Alison Telford, Kate Leonard, Kate Dowd

• AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Simon Duggan

• AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Jenny Beavan

• AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films: Better Man – Martin Connor, Lee Smith, Spencer Susser, Jeff Groth, Patrick Correll

• AACTA Award for Best Indie Film: Birdeater – Jack Clark (Dir.), Jim Weir (Dir.), Ulysses Oliver, Stephanie Troost – Breathless Films and Fax Machine

• AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film: Better Man – Batu Sener

• AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Colin Gibson, Katie Sharrock

• AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Film: Better Man – Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey 

• AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Robert Mackenzie, Ben Osmo, James Ashton, Yulia Akerholt, Jessica Meier, Tom Holkenborg

TELEVISION

In television, 8 productions won across 13 Awards

• AACTA Award for Best Comedy Performer: Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz

• AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program: Grand Designs Australia – Brooke Bayvel, Michael Collett – Fremantle Australia (ABC)

• AACTA Award for Best Casting in Television presented by Casting Networks: Boy Swallows Universe – Nikki Barrett

• AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Shelley Farthing-Dawe

• AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television: Ladies in Black – Episode 2 – Marion Boyce

• AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 1 – Bharat Nalluri

• AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television: Muster Dogs – Episode 3 – Sally Browning, Monica O'Brien

• AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program: Miriam Margolyes Impossibly Australian – Jo Siddiqui, Helen Barrow, Paulo Vivan, Laurie Critchley, Julie HannaJo Siddiqui  – Southern Pictures Pty Ltd (ABC)

• AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Mark Perry

• AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program: Spicks and Specks – Rowdie Walden, Michiko Smith, Anthony Watt – ABC (ABC)

• AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television: Bluey – Episode 2 – Joff Bush, Daniel O’Brien, Jazz Darcy, Joseph Twist

• AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Michelle McGahey

• AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television: Boy Swallows Universe – Episode 4 – Sam Hayward, Scott Mulready, Danielle Wiessner, Nigel Christensen

DOCUMENTARY

• AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary: The Musical Mind: A Portrait In Process – Geoffrey Hall, Emerson Hoskin

• Best Editing in a Documentary - Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line – Gretchen Peterson

• AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary: Mozart’s Sister – Jessica Wells

• AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary: Mozart’s Sister – Damian Jory

ONLINE

• AACTA Award for Best Online Drama or Comedy- Buried – Fran Derham, Charlotte George, Miriam Glaser – Frantales Productions

SHORT FILM

• AACTA Award for Best Short Film: Gorgo – Katie Amos, Veniamin Gialouris (Dir.), Katie Amos,  Danielle Stamoulos – Australian Film, Television and Radio School 

OTHER

• AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation: Better Man – Luke Millar, Andy Taylor, Craig Young, Tim Walker – Wētā Better Man Productions Pty Ltd

• AACTA Award for Best Soundtrack: Heartbreak High – Jemma Burns

• AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Lesley Vanderwalt, Larry Van Duynhoven, Matteo Silvi, Luca Vannella