AACTA Awards: Winners, speeches and host Rebel Wilson’s best jokes

Rebel Wilson is back on home turf - and she roasted Aussies to their faces as host of the AACTA film and television awards.

Australian film and television awards the AACTAs took place on the Gold Coast this evening, with Aussie acting export Rebel Wilson on hosting duties.

And new mum Wilson, who earlier walked the red carpet hand in hand with partner Ramona Argruma, opened the show with a few jokes about Australia - and specifically, the awards’ host city.

In a crowded awards season, “this will be the only one serving boxed wine,” she joked.

“It’ll also be the only one where people will get munted and chuck a spew in the dunny. I love Queensland… It’s like if Jetstar was a state,” she said, to lengthy laughter and applause.

“All the best Married at First Sight participants are from Queensland,” she continued.

Rebel Wilson and partner Ramona Agruma walk the red carpet. Picture: David Clark

Noting that massive children’s show Bluey is made in Queensland, she said that Brisbane celebrated the show’s success by keeping “one restaurant open after eight o’clock.”

And she called out one of this year’s most nominated films, horror flick Talk To Me, for one final joke, which was met with groans in the room - and was cut from Ten’s broadcast of the ceremony.

“Why is Australia so good at making horror? Is it because everyone had that aunt who’s had half a nose chopped off because of skin cancer?” she asked.

Cal Wilson’s widower gives moving speech

Cal Wilson won the Best Comedy Performer award posthumously. Picture: Foxtel

One of the night’s first awards, Best Comedy Performer, went to the late comedian Cal Wilson, who died last October aged 53 after a short, private battle with a rare form of cancer. Wilson’s husband Chris Woods and son Digby accepted the award on her behalf, with Woods delivering an emotional tribute to his late wife.

“Tomorrow will be four months since I lost my beautiful wife and best friend. Four months since Digby lost his amazing mum, and four months since the world lost a truly amazing talented and gifted woman,” he said.

“Cal was kind, generous, and supportive of everything and everyone and we miss her every day.”

Jock Zonfrillo’s wife Lauren spoke at the AACTAs. Picture: jockzonfrillo/facebook

Later on, a similarly moving speech from the partner of another late TV star: Jock Zonfrillo’s wife, Lauren, spoke after her late husband’s show MasterChef won Best Reality Series.

“I’d love to thank Andy Allen,” she said of Zonfrillo’s fellow MasterChef judge, also on stage.

“When Ava [Jock’s eldest daughter] said her eulogy to her dad, she chose Andy to stand by her side and that says everything about the very special place that he has in our family. Without Jock, the day seemed like they’d been drained of colour, but today is one of pride and celebration for the kids and I.”

Margot’s big award

Margot Robbie. Picture: Getty

Cate Blanchett, 'middle aged Barbie.'

After a Hollywood celeb-filled tribute package that featured a lengthy, effusive message from none other than Brad Pitt, Aussie actress Cate Blanchett took to the stage to present Margot Robbie with the Trailblazer Award.

Blanchett drew gasps with her outfit, a giant, pink and polka-dots ensemble: “Middle-aged Barbie,” she explained of the get-up.

“If you asked me growing up who my favour actor was, my answer was always, and will always be, Cate Blanchett,” Robbie revealed.

“I have been adoring you from afar for as long as I can remember. To be adoring you now at such close proximity is truly overwhelming.”

A Gold Coast local, Robbie said that “just about everything that ever happened to me in my life until the age of 17” had occured within 15 minutes of the venue.

“I did have big, big dreams as a kid, and big dreams can carry you pretty far, but the love and support of your family and friends will carry you much further,” she said.

Colin From Accounts stars Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall walk the red carpet. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty

Later on, Robbie won another award - this time Best International Actress, for her work in Barbie. “I’d like to thank the biggest Ken of them all - and I know Ryan [Gosling] wouldn’t mind me saying this - Tom Ackerley. Aside from producing this film and running two successful companies with me, he happens to be my husband and he’s good at that as well.”

Here’s the full list of AACTA Award winners:

AACTA Award for Best Film

WINNER: Talk to Me

Of An Age

Shayda

Sweet As

The New Boy

The Royal Hotel

AACTA Award for Best Drama Series

WINNER: The Newsreader

Bay Of Fires

Black Snow

Bump

Erotic Stories

Love Me

AACTA Award for Best Narrative Comedy Series

WINNER: Colin From Accounts

Deadloch

Fisk

Gold Diggers

Upright

Utopia

AACTA Award for Best Miniseries

WINNER: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

Bad Behaviour

In Our Blood

Safe Home

The Clearing

While The Men Are Away

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film

WINNER: Sophie Wilde – Talk to Me

Zar Amir Ebrahimi – Shayda

Shantae Barnes-Cowan – Sweet As

Cate Blanchett – The New Boy

Julia Garner – The Royal Hotel

Sarah Snook – Run Rabbit Run

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in Film

WINNER: Aswan Reid – The New Boy

Elias Anton – Of An Age

Simon Baker – Limbo

Thom Green – Of An Age

Phoenix Raei – The Rooster

Osamah Sami – Shayda

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama presented by BINGE

WINNER: Anna Torv – The Newsreader

Kate Box – Erotic Stories

Aisha Dee – Safe Home

Bojana Novakovic – Love Me

Teresa Palmer – The Clearing

Sigourney Weaver – The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama presented by BINGE

WINNER: Hugo Weaving – Love Me

Tim Draxl – In Our Blood

Travis Fimmel – Black Snow

Joel Lago – Erotic Stories

Sam Reid – The Newsreader

Richard Roxburgh – Bali 2002

Deadloch creators Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty

AACTA Award for Best Acting in a Comedy

WINNER: Kate Box – Deadloch

Celeste Barber – Wellmania

Patrick Brammall – Colin From Accounts

Harriet Dyer – Colin From Accounts

Kitty Flanagan – Fisk

Nina Oyama – Deadloch

Helen Thomson – Colin From Accounts

Julia Zemiro – Fisk

AACTA Award for Best Documentary

WINNER: John Farnham: Finding The Voice

Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story

Harley & Katya

The Dark Emu Story

The Giants

The Last Daughter

This Is Going To Be Big

To Never Forget

AACTA Trailblazer Award

WINNER: Margot Robbie

AACTA Brian Walsh Award for Emerging Talent

WINNER: Ngali Shaw

AACTA Reg Grundy Award for Next Favourite Unscripted TV Show

WINNER: Rachel Berger (Seriously Funny)

AACTA Award for Best Indie Film

WINNER: Limbo

A Savage Christmas

Monolith

Streets of Colour

The Rooster

The Survival of Kindness

AACTA Award for Best Comedy Performer presented by Network Ten

WINNER: Cal Wilson – The Great Australian Bake Off

Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz

Jim Jefferies – The 1% Club

Luke McGregor – Taskmaster Australia

Rhys Nicholson – RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under

Nina Oyama – Taskmaster Australia

Charlie Pickering – The Weekly with Charlie Pickering

Natalie Tran – The Great Australian Bake Off

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film

WINNER: Deborah Mailman – The New Boy

Alex Jensen – Talk to Me

Tasma Walton – Sweet As

Mia Wasikowska – Blueback

Ursula Yovich – The Royal Hotel

Selina Zahednia – Shayda

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film

WINNER: Hugo Weaving – The Rooster

Mojean Aria – Shayda

Eric Bana – Blueback

Wayne Blair – The New Boy

Rob Collins – Limbo

Zoe Terakes – Talk to Me

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama

WINNER: Heather Mitchell – Love Me

Alycia Debnam-Carey – The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

Marg Downey – The Newsreader

Michelle Lim Davidson – The Newsreader

Leah Purcell – The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

Brooke Satchwell – Black Snow

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama

WINNER: Hunter Page-Lochard – The Newsreader

Tim Draxl – Erotic Stories

Alexander England – Black Snow

William McInnes – The Newsreader

Bob Morley – Love Me

Guy Pearce – The Clearing

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film

WINNER: Talk to Me – Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou

Of An Age – Goran Stolevski

Shayda – Noora Niasari

Sweet As – Jub Clerc

The New Boy – Warwick Thornton

The Royal Hotel – Kitty Green

AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program

WINNER: Eurovision Song Contest 2023 – Grand Final

Dancing With The Stars

Lego Masters: Grand Masters

Mastermind

The 1% Club

The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy

WINNER: The Newsreader (Episode 4) – Emma Freeman

Colin From Accounts (Episode 3) – Trent O’Donnell

Colin From Accounts (Episode 6) – Matt Moore

Deadloch (Episode 1) – Ben Chessell

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Episode 1) – Glendyn Ivin

Sam reid and Anna Torv in the second season of The Newsreader. Picture: ABC

AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program

WINNER: Bluey

Barrumbi Kids

Beep and Mort

Crazy Fun Park

The PM’s Daughter

Turn Up The Volume

AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special

WINNER: Hannah Gadsby: Something Special

Aaron Chen: If Weren’t Filmed, Nobody Would Believe

Celeste Barber: Fine, thanks

Jim Jefferies: High & Dry

Lizzy Hoo: Hoo Cares!?

Rhys Nicholson’s Big Queer Comedy Concert

AACTA Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Program

WINNER: Hard Quiz

RocKwiz

Taskmaster Australia

Thank God You’re Here

The Cheap Seats

The Weekly with Charlie Pickering

AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program

WINNER: Old People’s Home for Teenagers

Alone Australia

Gogglebox Australia

Kitchen Cabinet

Take 5 with Zan Rowe

Who The Bloody Hell Are We?

AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program

WINNER: Gardening Australia

Adam and Poh’s Great Australian Bites

Grand Designs Australia

Love it or List It Australia

Selling Houses Australia

The Great Australian Bake Off

AACTA Award for Best Reality Program

WINNER: MasterChef Australia

Australian Survivor: Heroes V Villains

FBOY Island Australia

Hunted Australia

Real Housewives of Sydney

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under

AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television

WINNER: Deadloch (Episode 1) – Kate McCartney, Kate McLennan

Black Snow (Episode 1) – Lucas Taylor

Colin From Accounts (Episode 3) – Harriet Dyer

Colin From Accounts (Episode 6) – Patrick Brammall

The Newsreader (Episode 4) – Adrian Russell Wills

AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program

WINNER: The Australian Wars

Matildas: The World at Our Feet

Ningaloo Nyinggulu

Queerstralia

War on Waste

Who Do You Think You Are

AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Film

WINNER: Talk to Me – Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman

Of An Age – Goran Stolevski

Shayda – Noora Niasari

The New Boy – Warwick Thornton

The Royal Hotel – Kitty Green, Oscar Redding

AACTA Award for Best Short Film

WINNER: Finding Addison

An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It

Ashes

Jia

Mud Crab

Not Dark Yet

AACTA Award for Best Online Drama or Comedy

WINNER: Latecomers

Appetite

Me & Her(pes)

Monologue

The Disposables

The Future of Everything

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television

WINNER: The Australian Wars (Episode 1) – Rachel Perkins, Dylan River, Tov Belling

Aaron Chen: If Weren’t Filmed, Nobody Would Believe

Adam and Poh’s Great Australian Bites (Episode 1)

Matildas: The World at Our Feet (Episode 2)

Queerstralia (Episode 1)

AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation

WINNER: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

I Am Groot: Season 2

Scarygirl

Wolf Like Me

AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film

WINNER: The New Boy – Warwick Thornton

Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism – Carl Allison

Shayda – Sherwin Akbarzadeh

Sweet As – Katie Milwright

Talk to Me – Aaron McLisky

Aussie horror flick Talk To Me has picked up a few awards.

AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television

WINNER: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Episode 1 – Sam Chiplin

Aunty Donna’s Coffee Cafe – Episode 1 – Aaron Farrugia

Deadloch – Episode 1 – Katie Milwright

Erotic Stories – Episode 2 – Tania Lambert

The Newsreader – Episode 4 – Earle Dresner

AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films

WINNER: Talk to Me – Geoff Lamb

Carmen – Dany Cooper

Scarygirl – Michelle McGilvray, Matt Villa, Courtney Teixera

Sweet As – Katie Flaxman

The New Boy – Nick Meyers

AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television

WINNER: Deadloch – Episode 1 – Angie Higgins

Aunty Donna’s Coffee Cafe – Episode 1 – Peter Bennett

Colin From Accounts – Episode 3 – Danielle Boesenberg

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Episode 1 – Deborah Peart

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Episode 6 – Deborah Peart, Dany Cooper

The Newsreader – Episode 4 – Angie Higgins

AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film

WINNER: Talk to Me – Cornel Wilczek

Blueback – Nigel Westlake

Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism – Dmitri Golovko

Suka – Me-Lee Hay

The Big Dog – Sam Weiss

AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television

WINNER: Deadloch – Episode 1 – Amanda Brown

Bad Behaviour – Episode 1 – Caitlin Yeo

Fisk – Episode 4 – Megan Washington, Daniel O’Brien

In Limbo – Episode 1 – Matteo Zingales

RFDS – Episode 5 – Amanda Brown, Damien Lane

AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film

WINNER: The New Boy – Amy Baker

Carmen – Steven Jones-Evans

Scarygirl – Nathan Jurevicius

The Portable Door – Matthew Putland

True Spirit – Michelle McGahey, Bill Booth, Gillian Butler

AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television

WINNER: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Episode 1 – Melinda Doring

Beep and Mort – Episode 2 – Jonathon Oxlade

Black Snow – Episode 1 – Helen O’Loan

Deadloch – Episode 1 – Emma Fletcher

Gold Diggers – Episode 3 – Simon McCutcheon

The Newsreader – Episode 4 – Paddy Reardon

AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film

WINNER: Carmen – Emily Seresin

Blueback – Lien See Leong

Seriously Red – Tim Chappel

The New Boy – Heather Wallace

The Rooster – Ellen Stanistreet

AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television

WINNER: The Newsreader – Episode 4 – Zed Dragojlovich

Ten Pound Poms – Episode 1 – Xanthe Heubel

The Claremont Murders – Episode 1 – Lisa Galea Gunning

The Clearing – Episode 1 – Erin Roche

While The Men Are Away – Episode 2 – Nina Edwards

AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film

WINNER: Talk to Me – Emma Bortignon, Pete Smith, Nick Steele

Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism – Benni Knop

Scarygirl – Stuart Morton, Cameron Grant

Seriously Red – Sam Hayward, Angus Robertson, Guntis Sic, Danielle Wiessner

Three Chords and the Truth – Anthony Marsh

AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television

WINNER: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Episode 6 – David Lee, Robert Mackenzie

Black Snow – Episode 6 – Mark Cornish, Tom Heuzenroeder, Justin Spasevski, Robert

Mackenzie

Last King of The Cross – Episode 4 – Grant Shepherd

The Clearing – Episode 1 – Roger van Wensveen, David Williams, Ralph Ortner

The Newsreader – Episode 6 – Nick Godkin, Ralph Ortner, Lee Yee, Liesl Pieterse

AACTA Award for Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks

WINNER: Shayda – Anousha Zarkesh

Run Rabbit Run – Allison Meadows, Keziah Morgan

Sweet As – Jane Norris

The New Boy – Anousha Zarkesh

The Royal Hotel – Kirsty McGregor

AACTA Award for Best Casting in Television presented by Casting Networks

WINNER: Deadloch – Alison Telford, Kate Leonard

Colin From Accounts – Kirsty McGregor, Stevie Ray

Safe Home – Nathan Lloyd

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Jane Norris

The Newsreader – Nathan Lloyd

AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK

WINNER: Talk to Me – Rebecca Buratto, Paul Katte, Nick Nicolaou

Last King of The Cross – Jennifer Lamphee

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Lara Jade Birch, Georgia Lockhart-Adams

The Portable Door – Jennifer Lamphee

Wolf Like Me – Sheldon Wade, Adam Johansen, Damian Martin

AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary

WINNER: The Giants – Sherwin Akbarzadeh

Australia’s Wild Odyssey – Nick Robinson, Jack Riley, Ashley Gibb, Caspar Mazzotti

Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival – Caspar Mazzotti, Cam Batten, Nick Robinson,

Miles Rowland

The Dark Emu Story – Simon Morris

This Is Going To Be Big – Alex Serafini

AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary

WINNER: The Australian Wars – Andrea Lang, Mark Atkin, Hilary Balmond

Because We Have Each Other – Patrick McCabe

Folau – Peter Crombie, Lawrie Silvestrin

Harley & Katya – Simon Njoo, Pete Ward

Queerstralia – Aleck Morton, Lydia Springhall

AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary

WINNER: The Dark Emu Story – Caitlin Yeo, Damien Lane

John Farnham: Finding The Voice – David Hirschfelder

Kindred – Caitlin Yeo

Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey – Brett Aplin, Burkhard Dallwitz

Under Cover – Mark D’Angelo

AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary

WINNER: Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story – David Williams

John Farnham: Finding The Voice – Wayne Pashley

Kindred – Damien Lane, Andrew Belletty

Memory Film – A Filmmaker’s Diary – Tristan Meredith

The Dark Emu Story – Eren Sener, Andrew Wright, Will Carroll, Megan Howieson

For AACTA International award winners, visit the AACTAs website.