After dominating the Industry Awards on Monday, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis continued its sweep at tonight’s AACTA Ceremony, adding another four awards, including Best Film and Best Direction.
Austin Butler’s portrayal of the King snared him Best Lead actor, while his Priscilla, Olivia DeJonge, was awarded Best Supporting Actress, bringing the film’s award tally to 11.
The work of Elvis costume designer, production designer and producer Catherine Martin – Luhrmann’s partner in both work and life – was also honoured with the Longford Lyell Award. The accolade recognises her career achievements spanning three decades and credits such as Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Australia and The Great Gatsby. Martin has won more Oscars than any other Australian at four (two for Moulin Rouge! and two for The Great Gatsby).
Multi-hyphenate Leah Purcell was recognised as Best Lead Actress for her film The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, which she also wrote, directed and produced.
Taking home Best Supporting Actor was The Stranger‘s Sean Harris, beating out a competitive field that included Tom Hanks for Elvis, Simon Baker for Blaze, Jemaine Clement for Nude Tuesday and The Drover’s Wife newcomer Malachi Dower-Roberts.
In television, ABC’s Mystery Road: Origin collected another three awards to add to its four on Monday. It marked the third time the franchise has won the Best Drama Series prize, with Mark Coles Smith also named Best Lead Actor and Tuuli Narkle Best Lead Actress.
Winning Best MiniSeries was Foxtel’s The Twelve, trumping Barons, Savage River, True Colours, and Underbelly: Vanishing Act, with the series also seeing Brooke Satchwell pick up Best Supporting Actress.
Best Screenplay in Television went to Heartbreak High creator Hannah Carroll Chapman, while Thomas Wetherall, who plays Malakai, won Best Supporting Actor. The Netflix series was also a big winner in the audience awards, deemed best series, and picking up acting gongs for Bryn Chapman, who plays Spider, and Chloe Hayden, who stars as Quinnie.
Best Comedy was won by Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, while Hard Quiz‘s Tom Gleeson won Best Comedy Performer.
Also honoured by AACTA on the night with the Trailblazer Award was Chris Hemsworth. The prize, designed to recognise an Australian screen practitioner who inspires others in the industry, was presented to the actor by AACTA president Russell Crowe. Among Hemsworth’s acknowledgements was the role he has played in helping to attracting global production to Australia.
Hemsworth said the accolade was a “huge honour”.
“I don’t take for granted the opportunities the Australian screen industry has afforded me and am excited and proud that the rest of the world is discovering just how great it is to make world class movies down under with our incredible crews and creatives. I feel like we are all only really getting started,” he said.
AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella said: “What a phenomenal year for Australian screen.To be able to celebrate and recognise so many talented practitioners who have found success both locally and internationally is an honour. These awards recognise the monumental effort and skill that goes into making a production and honour the hard-working creatives and artists who keep us entertained. Well done to all of the winners and nominees. I look forward to another prosperous year of Australian production.”
Wednesday’s ceremony, which originally aired on 10, will be encored on Fox Docos, Saturday, December 10 at 7:30pm. The broadcast will also be available to stream on demand via Foxtel, Binge and AACTA TV. Clips from the show will be available AACTA’s YouTube Channel.
The full list of 2022 AACTA Award winners:
TELEVISION
- AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program: Bluey – Charlie Aspinwall, Sam Moor, Daley Pearson – Ludo Studio (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Tyson Perkins
- AACTA Award for Best Comedy Performer: Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz
- AACTA Award for Best Comedy Program: Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell – Peter Beck, Beth Hart, Shaun Micallef – ITV Studios Australia (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television: Heartbreak High (Episode 1) – Rita Carmody
- AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Dylan River
- AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television: You Can’t Ask That (Episode 1) – Kirk Docker
- AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program: Miriam Margolyes Australia Unmasked – Laurie Critchley, Bethan Arwel-Lewis – Southern Pictures (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Drama Series: Mystery Road: Origin – Greer Simpkin, David Jowsey – Bunya Productions (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Nicholas Holmes
- AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program: LEGO® Masters Australia – David McDonald, Di Yang, AJ Johnson – Endemol Shine Australia (Nine Network)
- AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program: Old People’s Home for Teenagers – Debbie Cuell, Tony De La Pena, Paulo Vivan, Brooke Hulsman – Endemol Shine Australia (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Presented by Foxtel: Mark Coles Smith – Mystery Road: Origin
- AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Presented by Foxtel: Tuuli Narkle – Mystery Road: Origin
- AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program: Gardening Australia – Gill Lomas – Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
- AACTA Award for Best Miniseries: The Twelve – Hamish Lewis, Ian Collie, Ally Henville, Rob Gibson, Michael Brooks – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia and Easy Tiger Productions (Binge, Foxtel)
- AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television: Savage River (Episode 1) – Bryony Marks
- AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television: The Tourist (Episode 1) – Scott Bird
- AACTA Award for Best Reality Program: MasterChef Australia – David Forster, Eoin Maher, Simon Child – Endemol Shine Australia (Network 10)
- AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television: Heartbreak High (Episode 1) – Hannah Carroll Chapman
- AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Luke Mynott, Wes Chew, Trevor Hope, Dylan Barfield
- AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special: Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy – Ronny Chieng – All Things Comedy and Netflix (Netflix)
- AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Thomas Weatherall – Heartbreak High
- AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Brooke Satchwell – The Twelve
FILM
- AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film: Elvis – Mandy Walker
- AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film: Elvis – Catherine Martin
- AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film presented by Filmology Finance: Elvis – Baz Luhrmann
- AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films: Elvis – Matt Villa, Jonathan Redmond
- AACTA Award for Best Film: Elvis – Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss – Bazmark
- AACTA Award for Best Indie Film: A Stitch In Time – Sasha Hadden (Dir.) – Hadden Motion Pictures
- AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in Film: Austin Butler – Elvis
- AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film: Leah Purcell – The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson
- AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film: Falling For Figaro – Cezary Skubiszewski
- AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film: Elvis – Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Beverley Dunn
- AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Film: The Stranger – Thomas M. Wright
- AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film: Elvis – David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, Michael Keller
- AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film: Sean Harris – The Stranger
- AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film: Olivia DeJonge – Elvis
SHORT FILM
- AACTA Award for Best Short Film: Finding Jedda – Tanith Glynn-Maloney – Since1788 Productions, Unless Pictures, Orange Entertainment Co
DOCUMENTARY
- AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary: Facing Monsters – Rick Rifici
- AACTA Award for Best Documentary: River – Jennifer Peedom (Dir.), Joseph Nizeti, Jo-anne McGowan, John Smithson – Stranger Than Fiction Films
- AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary: We Were Once Kids – Shannon Swan
- AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary: River – Richard Tognetti, William Barton, Piers Burbrook de Vere
- AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary: Facing Monsters – Jeremy Ashton, Ric Curtin, Xoe Baird
DIGITAL
- AACTA Award for Best Digital Series or Channel: A Beginner’s Guide to Grief – Anna Lindner, Renee Mao, Linda Ujuk, Kate Butler, Julie Byrne
- AACTA Award for Best Digital Short Video: Daddy Long Legs – Dr. Karl
OTHER
- AACTA Award for Best Casting Presented by Casting Networks: The Twelve – Kirsty McGregor
- AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK: Elvis – Shane Thomas, Louise Coulston, Mark Coulier, Jason Baird
- AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation: Elvis – Tom Wood, Fiona Crawford, Julian Hutchens, Joshua Simmonds, Adam Hammond – Warner Bros. Pictures
INDIVIDUAL
- 2022 AACTA Trailblazer Award Recipient: Chris Hemsworth
- 2022 AACTA Longford Lyell Award Recipient: Catherine Martin
- 2022 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Recipient: Jayden James & George Harrington (Mr. Wolf), Rachel Kayrooz (Facing the Fear)
AACTA AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Film: Elvis
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best TV Series: Heartbreak High
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Actor: Bryn Chapman (Heartbreak High)
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Actress: Chloe Hayden (Heartbreak High)
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best TV Personality: Abbie Chatfield
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Digital Creator: Kat Clark
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Sports Program: Women’s Footy (Nine)
- AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Sports Commentary Team: 2022 AFL Grand Final (Seven)