Rachel Perkins awarded Distinguished Services to Australian Screen Award at APRA

Another top accolade has been awarded to a Territory filmmaker, whose impact on the industry ‘isn’t just remarkable, it’s transformative’. Find out more.

Rachel Perkins. Picture: Supplied

A Territory filmmaker has added another accolade to her long list of awards, taking out the Screen Music Awards’ highest honour.

Writer, director, and producer Rachel Perkins has been announced as the 2024 Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award, set to be presented at a ceremony in Melbourne on October 29.

The award, given out by Australasian Performing Right Association Limited (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) in conjunction with Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), honours Australians who have made significant contributions to the country’s screen industry.

APRA AMCOS chief executive Dean Ormston said Ms Perkins’ impact on the Australian industry “isn’t just remarkable, it’s transformative”.

“Her ability to tell stories that can both rattle and resonate the heart and the soul of this nation has contributed to the way we see and understand ourselves, not just as Australians, but as citizens of the world,” he said.

Rachel Perkins. Picture: Dylan River

Ms Perkins is behind Australian films such as Bran Nue Dae and Jasper Jones, as well as documentaries The Australia Wars and the award-winning seven part series First Australians.

“Through Rachel’s storytelling, we see the power of film to bridge divides, to reflect our struggles, our triumphs, our shared humanity. Her stories, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, have become woven into the fabric of our national story,” Mr Ormston said.

“They challenge us to look deeper, to understand more fully and to walk in the shoes of those whose experiences may be different from our own.”

Aside from running her own production company, Blackfella films, Ms Perkins has also served as the commissioner for the Australian Film Commission, chaired the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School Council, and currently sits on the Screen Australia board.

“It is an honour to welcome Rachel into the esteemed ranks of Distinguished Services recipients, knowing that her work will continue to inspire, to move and to shape the way Australians see themselves for generations to come,” Mr Ormston said.

Originally published as Rachel Perkins awarded Distinguished Services to Australian Screen Award at APRA