AACTAS 2021 ceremony: All the highlights from the awards

The AACTAs ceremony has wrapped at the Sydney Opera House, where a wild revelation was dropped about Russell Crowe. Read all the highlights.

And that’s a wrap on the 2021 AACTAs ceremony at the Sydney Opera House.

A host of star-studded presenters took to the stage to honour the best and brightest in Australian film and television over the past year, with Stan’s Nitram sweeping the film category while The Newsreader dominated the TV awards.

We started with a performance from Aussie pop group Lime Cordiale, with a special guest appearance from A-list actor Idris Elba who appeared via the big screen to perform their collaboration, Apple Crumble.

Elba joked he was ready to rock the “AA BB CC DD awards”.

Idris Elba wishes he could’ve been present in person at the ABCDLMNOP awards.

AACTA president Russell Crowe officially opened formalities, going off-script and urging actors to be “as political as you want” in their acceptance speeches.

“I’m supposed to now tell the winners to be as time-efficient and as apolitical as they can be in their acceptance speeches. But this is the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts - that last word ‘arts’, to my mind, is your licence to be as political as you want to be,” he said.

“As artists, you have the licence to overthrow empires. To hold mirrors to hypocrisy. To shine lights into dark corners and bring humanity into political discourse in a way that other professions simply can’t. Respect that. Use your voice efficiently.”

Russell Crowe encouraging actors to extend the telecast until 3am. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images for AFI

Rebel: ‘Russell told me to f**k off’

Rebel Wilson presented the first award of the night for Best Drama Series, which went to The Newsreader.

But first she told a rather prickly story about Crowe, revealing he told her to “f**k off” the first time they met two decades ago.

“I have to tell you guys a story about the very first time that I met Russell. I was a young actor. I was like 19. And he was sitting there having dinner with Nicole Kidman. And I was like, ‘Oh my God’,” she began.

“And I went up to them and I was like really nervous, and he turned to me and he looked me right in the eyes... And he just said, ‘F**k off’.”

The joke was met with laughs, but Wilson insisted she wasn’t joking.

“Many years later, Nicole Kidman gave me a scholarship to go to America and study comedy. Um, Russell didn’t give me anything. No Rabbitohs merch. Nothing.

“You know, he did, though, a few years ago, give me a hug. And then he sweetly whispered in my ear, ‘I thought I told you to f**k off’.”

Rebel Wilson and Russell Crowe had a frosty start.

Neill takes stance against gender neutral awards

Jurassic Park star Sam Neill presented the award for Best Lead Actress in a Film, where he declared he didn’t agree with gender neutral awards - but not for the reason you might think.

“You know, in these modern times, it’s often suggested that there shouldn’t be a separate category for men and women in these actor awards. That’s a really bad idea,” he began.

“Because if men people like me were put up against women actors, they would wipe the bloody floor with us.

“That’s a word on behalf of the patriarchy.”

Good on ya Sam!!! Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images for AFI

Hughesy’s hilarious takedown of premiers

Leave it to David Hughes to say what no one else will, as the comedian savaged the country’s state premiers.

“The WA guy (Mark McGowan) thinks he’s Kim Jong-un, doesn’t he?” he said. “The Northern Territory guy (Michael Gunner) is coming with a late run. For two years, he was going, ‘We don’t have Covid in the Territory’. I’m like, ‘Because you’ve got no people, mate!’

“Look, my favourite at the moment is the NSW premier (Dominic Perrottet), because he is just ‘Just get out and about!’ He’s given up on lockdown. And I think I know why - he has 14,000 children!”

Hughesy brought the jokes.

He also told the audience to “shut up” if they happen to get Covid-19 after attending the AACTAs.

“If any of you over the next few days get Covid, we need you to shut up alright? Just be quiet. Stay home. Do not ring us! We’re all double-vaxxed, alright? We’re OK! If Eric Bana gets Covid, don’t ring Jack Thompson! He’s got sh*t to do this week!”.

Moving tribute to Bert Newton

Rove McManus opened the tributes segment of the evening to honour showbiz legend Bert Newton, who died in October.

“Bert was a mentor and a friend to me, but I know to all of us in the industry, he was a huge titan of the game. He was the last of the true old-school all-rounders,” McManus said.

“He grew up with variety in his veins and ended up becoming one of the greatest entertainers Australia has ever seen. Bert had personality and positivity to spare, and his lightning-quick comedy reflexes knew no equal.

“No matter how brightly his star shone, he always made sure that he had time for those whose light was only just starting to emerge in the industry as well.”

McManus’ spiel was followed by a poignant performance from Steve Kilbey, who sang an acoustic version of Under The Milky Way as the audience stopped to pay their respects to entertainers who died over the past year.

Steve Kilbey performs "Under the Milky Way" during the 2021 AACTA Awards. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images for AFI

Here is the full list of 2021 AACTA Awards winners:

THE LONGFORD LYELL AWARD: David Gulpilil

TELEVISION:

Best Reality Program

The Amazing Race Australia

Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn

The Block

Luxe Listings Sydney

WINNER: MasterChef Australia

The Real Housewives of Melbourne

Best Drama Series

Clickbait

Jack Irish

Mr Inbetween

WINNER: The Newsreader

Total Control

Wakefield

Wentworth

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama

Michelle Lim Davidson – The Newsreader

Marg Downey – The Newsreader

Harriet Dyer – Wakefield

WINNER: Rachel Griffiths – Total Control

Noni Hazlehurst – The End

Best Comedy Entertainment Program

Dom and Adrian 2020

WINNER: Hard Quiz

The Moth Effect

Spicks And Specks

The Weekly

Best Lead Actor in a Drama Presented by Foxtel

Rudi Dharmalingam – Wakefield

Guy Pearce – Jack Irish

Sam Reid – The Newsreader

Richard Roxburgh – Fires

WINNER: Scott Ryan – Mr Inbetween

Best Comedy Performer

Mark Samual Bonanno – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House Of Fun

WINNER: Kitty Flanagan – Fisk

Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz

Broden Kelly – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House Of Fun

Sarah Kendall – Frayed

Nakkiah Lui – Preppers

Luke McGregor – Rosehaven

Celia Pacquola – Rosehaven

Best Direction in Drama or Comedy

Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Ana Kokkinos

Mr Inbetween (Episode 6: Ray Who?) – Nash Edgerton

WINNER: The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One …) – Emma Freeman

Wakefield (Episode 5) – Kim Mordaunt

Wakefield (Episode 8) – Jocelyn Moorhouse

Best Direction in Non-Fiction Television

Brazen Hussies – Catherine Dwyer

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas – Madeleine Parry

WINNER: Love on the Spectrum (Episode 4) – Cian O’Clery

Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb (Episode 1: Getting There) – Stamatia Maroupas

You Can’t Ask That (Episode 1: Cheaters) – Kirk Docker

Best Documentary or Factual Program

Brazen Hussies

EXPOSED: The Ghost Train Fire

Life in Colour with David Attenborough

Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb

WINNER: Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds

The School That Tried to End Racism

Best Entertainment Program

Australian Ninja Warrior

LEGO® Masters Australia

The Masked Singer

Mastermind

WINNER: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2021

The Voice

Best Factual Entertainment Program

Australia Talks

Courtney Act’s One Plus One

Gogglebox Australia

WINNER: Love on the Spectrum

The Project

You Can’t Ask That

Best Lead Actress in a Drama Presented by Foxtel

Deborah Mailman – Total Control

Mandy McElhinney – Wakefield

Miranda Otto – Fires

Pamela Rabe – Wentworth

WINNER: Anna Torv – The Newsreader

Best Lifestyle Program

Adam and Poh’s Malaysia in Australia

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

Gardening Australia

WINNER: Grand Designs Australia

The Living Room

Love it or List it Australia

Best Miniseries or Telefeature

A Sunburnt Christmas

The End

WINNER: Fires

New Gold Mountain

The Unusual Suspects

Best Screenplay in Television

WINNER: Mr Inbetween (Episode 6: Ray Who?) – Scott Ryan

The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One …) – Michael Lucas

The Newsreader (Episode 5: No More Lies) – Kim Ho & Michael Lucas

Total Control (Episode 1: Aftermath) – Stuart Page

Wakefield (Episode 5) – Sam Meikle

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama

Harry Greenwood – Wakefield

WINNER: William McInnes – The Newsreader

Matt Nable – Mr Inbetween

Stephen Peacocke – The Newsreader

Justin Rosniak – Mr Inbetween

FILM:

Best Lead Actor in Film

Simon Baker – High Ground

Eric Bana – The Dry

WINNER: Caleb Landry Jones – Nitram

Ahmed Malek – The Furnace

Jacob Junior Nayinggul – High Ground

Best Supporting Actress in Film

WINNER: Essie Davis – Nitram

Claudia Karvan – June Again

Esmerelda Marimowa – High Ground

Miranda Tapsell – The Dry

Jacki Weaver – Penguin Bloom

Best Supporting Actor in Film

Michael Caton – Rams

Baykali Ganambarr – The Furnace

WINNER: Anthony LaPaglia – Nitram

Sean Mununggurr – High Ground

Jack Thompson – High Ground

Best Lead Actress in Film

Rose Byrne – Peter Rabbit 2

WINNER: Judy Davis – Nitram

Noni Hazlehurst – June Again

Genevieve O’Reilly – The Dry

Naomi Watts – Penguin Bloom

Best Direction in Film

The Dry – Rob Connolly

The Furnace – Roderick MacKay

High Ground – Stephen Maxwell Johnson

WINNER: Nitram – Justin Kurzel

Penguin Bloom – Glendyn Ivin

Best Film

The Dry

The Furnace

High Ground

WINNER: Nitram

Penguin Bloom

Rams

AUDIENCE CHOICE:

Favourite Australian actor

Asher Keddie – Nine Perfect Strangers – Amazon Prime Video

Celia Pacquola – Rosehaven – ABC

Deborah Mailman – Total Control – ABC

WINNER: Eric Bana – The Dry

Pamela Rabe – Wentworth Foxtel – Fox Showcase

Favourite Australian TV host

Adam Hills – Spicks and Specks – ABC

Carrie Bickmore – The Project – Ten

WINNER: Costa Georgiadis – Gardening Australia – ABC

Hamish Blake – LEGO Masters Australia – Nine

Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz – ABC

Favourite Australian TV drama

Clickbait – Netflix

Home and Away – Seven

Jack Irish – ABC

RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service) – Seven

WINNER: Wentworth – Foxtel – Fox Showcase

Favourite Australian film

A Sunburnt Christmas

Mortal Kombat

Penguin Bloom

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

WINNER: The Dry

Favourite Australian competition reality show

Australian Survivor – Ten

WINNER: LEGO® Masters Australia – Nine

MasterChef Australia – Ten

The Block – Nine

The Voice – Seven

Favourite Australian entertainment show

Anh’s Brush With Fame – ABC

Bondi Rescue – Ten

WINNER: Gardening Australia – ABC

Gogglebox Australia – Foxtel – LifeStyle

Have You Been Paying Attention – Ten

Favourite Australian digital comedy creator

Christian Hull

Jimmy Rees

Millie Ford

Sam Cotton

WINNER: Sooshi Mango

The AACTAs ceremony will encore on FOX ARENA on FOXTEL, BINGE, and AACTA TV

Originally published as AACTAS 2021 ceremony: All the highlights from the awards