Australia’s cream of the screen honoured at Academy of Cinema and Television Arts awards
A favourite Aussie actor and a show that has captivated audiences have won national acclaim at the Sydney Opera House.
The people have spoken, with the Australian television and film’s elite honoured at the industry’s biggest night of the year.
Eric Bana was voted Favourite Actor in the Audience Choice section of the 2021 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) at the Sydney Opera House, while hit Foxtel series Wentworth took home Favourite Television Drama.
It was a bittersweet moment for actor Susie Porter and the rest of the Wentworth cast, with the series wrapping this year after 100 episodes and eight seasons.
“We have the most loyal fans in the world,” Porter, who played Marie Winter, told News Corp Australia.
“I always think it is best to go out on top. I still think quality after 100 episodes was still really there. All of us feel really grateful to have been a part of the show.”
Katrina Milosevic, known for playing Boomer in all eight seasons, was emotional at Wentworth coming to an end.
“It is only starting to hit me now,” she said.
“What I glean from the audience is that everyone has a story to tell and for some reason, this show moves people and illuminates what people are going through.
“It is a show that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a whole bunch of women who want to love and want to be loved. It is a show about wanting to survive and belong somewhere … and who doesn’t want that.”
Eric Bana, meanwhile, received his award for his work in big screen production of The Dry, which was also voted Favourite Film.
“It is obviously a real thrill to be voted by the public, they were the ones that turned The Dry into a hit, we made the film and they turned it into a smash so this is a real treat,” he said.
“It is an amazing feeling. It is such a strong year and we are a small industry so when we collectively have a year like this, hopefully it gives a lot of people confidence and we can build on it.”
In the industry-voted categories, ABC drama The Newsreader picked up five gongs, among them Best Drama Series, Best Actress, for Anna Torv, and Best Supporting Actor, for William McInnes.
Scott Ryan, of Foxtel’s Mr Inbetween, won Best Lead Actor in a Drama and Rachel Griffiths took home Best Supporting Actress for her work in Total Control.
Love On The Spectrum was named Best Factual Entertainment Program, while MasterChef Australia secured Best Reality Program.
Accepting the award for Best Comedy Entertainment Program for Hard Quiz, host Tom Gleeson joked: “I’m so excited I’m going to get a tattoo of (ABC Chair) Ita Buttrose on my arse”.
Best Children’s Program went to Bluey.
In film, Justin Kurzel’s Nitram took the majority of awards, including Best Direction, Best Film, Best Editing, Best Lead Actor, for Caleb Landry Jones, and Best Lead Actress, for Judy Davis.
Nitram also scored Essie Davis and Anthony LaPaglia Best Supporting Actress and Actor awards.
Best Original Score went to June Again while Ellie and Abbie was named Best Indie Film of the year.
And the winners are …
AUDIENCE CHOICE
Favourite Actor: Eric Bana
Favourite Competition Reality Show: LEGO® Masters Australia
Favourite Digital Comedy Creator: Sooshi Mango
Favourite Entertainment Show: Gardening Australia
Favourite Film: The Dry
Favourite Television Drama: Wentworth
Favourite Television Host: Costa Georgiadis – Gardening Australia – ABC
TELEVISION
Best Children’s Program: Bluey
Best Comedy Entertainment Program: Hard Quiz
Best Comedy Performer: Kitty Flanagan – Fisk
Best Drama Series: The Newsreader
Best Factual Entertainment Program: Love on the Spectrum
Best Lead Actor in a Drama: Scott Ryan, Mr Inbetween
Best Lead Actress in a Drama: Anna Torv, The Newsreader
Best Lifestyle Program: Grand Designs Australia
Best Miniseries or Telefeature: Fires
Best Reality Program: MasterChef Australia
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: William McInnes, The Newsreader
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Rachel Griffiths, Total Control
FILM
Best Direction: Nitram – Justin Kurzel
Best Film: Nitram
Best Indie Film: Ellie and Abbie
Best Lead Actor: Caleb Landry Jones – Nitram
Best Lead Actress: Judy Davis – Nitram
Best Supporting Actor in Film: Anthony LaPaglia – Nitram
Best Supporting Actress in Film: Essie Davis – Nitram
DOCUUMENTARY
Best Cinematography in a Documentary: The Beach (Episode 1: Too Mad Too Shy) – Dylan River
Best Documentary: My Name is Gulpilil – Molly Reynolds (Dir.), Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr, David Gulpilil – Vertigo Productions
Best Editing in a Documentary: My Name is Gulpilil – Tania M. Nehme
Best Original Score in a Documentary: Playing With Sharks – Caitlin Yeo
Best Sound in a Documentary: Life in Colour with David Attenborough (Episode 1: Seeing in Colour) – Wayne Pashle
OTHER
Best Casting Presented by Casting Networks: High Ground – Anousha Zarkesh
Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK: Australian Gangster – Sheldon Wade, Helen Magelaki, Mariel McClorey, Donna Kennedy
Best Visual Effects or Animation: Peter Rabbit 2 – Will Reichelt, Simon Pickard, Simon Whiteley, Fiona Chilton, Jason Bath, Matt Middleton – Animal Logic
See the full list of winners at https://www.aacta.org/aacta-awards/winners-and-nominees/
SNOOK COMING TO TERMS WITH FAME
Sarah Snook is no rookie when it comes to the acting game.
But with fame very much now in the frame, the star of hit Foxtel series Succession concedes it is taking some getting used to.
The 34-year-old has flown home to Sydney to present an award at Australia’s top event honouring the film and television industry, the 2021 AACTA Awards, receiving top billing alongside Russell Crowe and Eric Bana.
“I am trying to get used to it all,” Snook said as she made her way into the iconic Sydney Opera House. “Plus we’ve been living in a pandemic so we’ve all been inside. You come out and you’re like, ‘They can’t be talking about me’.”
Snook plays Siobhan ‘Shiv’ Roy in the American series alongside the likes of Brian Cox and Kieran Culkin.
The much anticipated season three finale will air on Foxtel on Monday.
“The response has been extraordinary,” the 2008 NIDA graduate said.
“I am also just enjoying the nature of it coming out (episode) one by one each week. Everyone has been loving watching this season and I can't wait to see what happens in the next season.”
While Snook has long appeared on the big screen here and in Hollywood, Succession has put her on the map as a big player.
“It seems to be doing that,” she said. “People recognise me more, I guess. They are like, ‘Oi, that is Shiv’. They’re like, ‘I am a bit starstruck’. And I am like, ‘Who? where?’
“They weren’t looking at me when they said it and I thought there must have been some famous person in the restaurant that they were confused about. Later she said it was me and I had really missed it.”
Snook wore Australian designer Toni Maticevski on the red carpet and joked about the colour.
“I feel like I am blending in. One of us has got to change, the carpet or me.”
The actor attended the event with new husband Dave Lawson, whom she described as “great, he is lovely, he is the best”.
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