Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dressmaker and Peter Allen – Not the Boy Next Door have taken home a swag of major awards at the 5th AACTA Awards ceremony.
Mad Max: Fury Road backed up six wins at last week's Industry Dinner with two gongs.
George Miller collected the AACTA Award for Best Direction and the AACTA Award for Best Film.
Following its win for Best Costume Design at the Industry Dinner, comedic revenge drama, The Dressmaker, won awards for performance, as well as the AACTA People’s Choice Award for Favourite Australian Film.
This took its tally to five wins after taking home Best Costume Design Award at the Industry Dinner.
Kate Winslet won the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress for her performance as Tilly Dunnage in The Dressmaker, while Hugo Weaving received the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Sergeant Farrat.
Judy Davis also received the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Last Cab to Darwin star Michael Caton won his first AACTA (Best lead actor) for his moving performance as Rex – a cab driver who embarks on epic journey from Broken Hill to Darwin after discovering he has terminal cancer.
Caton's last AFI Award nomination was for his performance as Darryl Kerrigan in The Castle.
The Seven Network’s Peter Allen – Not the Boy Next Door won all five of the Awards for which it was nominated, making it the most awarded television production this year.
The clean sweep brought its total number of Awards to seven, following two Awards at the Industry Dinner.
It won the AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series for Kerrie Mainwaring and Rory Callaghan, whilst Michael Miller received the AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television for his work on Episode 2.
Cate Blanchett was honoured with a standing ovation upon winning The Longford Lyell award.
Richard Roxburgh and Hugo weaving presented the award after a touching tribute from Gillian Armstrong which brought tears to the eyes of Blanchett.
Armstrong directed the five-time AFI winner at the start of her career in Oscar and Lucinda.
Big name directors including Martin Scorsese, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Robert Redford, Bruce Beresford, Ron Howard, Todd Haynes, Sam Raimi and Ridley Scott also delivered congratulatory messages and gave an insight into Blanchett's rare talent.
Blanchett has won more than 130 accolades from around the world, including an two Oscars three Golden Globes and three BAFTAs.
In other television awards, Sigrid Thornton tonight took the AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for her outstanding performance as Judy Garland in Peter Allen – Not the Boy Next door Episode 1.
In one of the lighter moments of the night, 14-year-old Ky Baldwin collected his first AACTA Award, receiving Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama for his performance as the young Peter Allen in Episode 1.
Joel Jackson’s performance as Peter Allen earned him the award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama, firmly cementing Jackson as an Australian actor on the rise.
This follows two AACTA Award nominations this year from just three on-screen acting credits.
The AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama went to Pamela Rabe for her portayal of Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson on Wentworth series 3 (FOXTEL – SoHo).
The ABC’s debut supernatural drama, Glitch, received the AACTA Award for Best Television Drama Series for multi-AFI and AACTA Award winner, Tony Ayres, along with first-time winners, Louise Fox and Ewan Burnett.
Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell (ABC) earned its first AACTA Award for Best Television Comedy Series tonight after being nominated three times for an AACTA.
Masterchef won the Best Reality television category for the second time in four years, staving off strong competition from the The Voice, My Kitchen Rules 6, The X Factor and The Real Housewives of Melbourne.
The Award went to Masterchef's Margaret Bashfield, Marty Benson, Tim Toni and Rob Wallace.
Following its recently announced partnership with the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA), which will see AACTA extend its subscription television Awards as of next year.
AACTA tonight gave a one-off AACTA Subscription Television 20th Anniversary Award for Best Drama, judged by a select group of television writers and critics.
Love My Way beat Devil's Playground, Top of the Lake and Wentworth to the award.
The Byron Kennedy Award, which is determined by a jury annually, is given to an individual or organisation whose work embodies innovation and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Cinematographer Adam Arkapaw was honoured with the 2015 award.
Arkapaw's work includes Animal Kingodm, Snowtown and Lore as well as the haunting television mystery series Top of the Lake and True Detective.
Most recently, Arkapaw teamed with Snowtown director Justin Kurzel to shoot the visually stunning Macbeth.
They are now working together on the feature film adaptation of the video game Assassin's Creed.
AACTA chief executive Damian Trewhella said the awards recognised the outstanding achievements of practitioners and performers whose skill, passion and commitment continued to put Australia on the world map for film and television excellence.
“The AACTA Awards play an important role in promoting this talent to our international industry peers as well as audiences here and at home, and tonight’s results will drive sales for awarded productions and see exciting new chapters in the careers of award recipients," he said.
"Especially the young performers awarded tonight, whose recognition will open new doors internationally as we have seen so many times over the years.
Trewhella also congratulatd Blanchett on receiving the nation's highest screen accolade.
“Screen is such a powerful medium for sharing Australian stories and creativity, and once again we are delighted to see a diverse slate of Australian stories, people and performances awarded across all genres including reality TV and documentaries through to dramas, comedies and feature films throughout this season of the 5th AACTA Awards presented by Presto in Sydney,” he said.
5TH AACTA AWARDS
NOMINEES & WINNERS
AACTA LONGFORD LYELL AWARD
ï‚· Cate Blanchett
BYRON KENNEDY AWARD
ï‚· Adam Arkapaw
TELEVISION
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION COMEDY SERIES
ï‚· DANGER 5 SERIES 2 Kate Croser, Dario Russo – SBS
ï‚· SAMMY J & RANDY IN RICKETTS LANE Donna Andrews, Stu Connolly – ABC
ï‚· SHAUN MICALLEF'S MAD AS HELL Shaun Micallef, Peter Beck – ABC
ï‚· UTOPIA Michael Hirsh, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch – ABC
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST REALITY TELEVISION SERIES
ï‚· MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Margaret Bashfield, Marty Benson, Tim Toni, Rob Wallace
– Network Ten
ï‚· MY KITCHEN RULES 6 Rikkie Proost, Evan Wilkes, Matt Apps – Seven Network
ï‚· REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MELBOURNE SEASON 2 Kylie Washington, Lisa Potasz, Virginia Hodgson
– FOXTEL – Arena
ï‚· THE VOICE AUSTRALIA Richard Rietveld – Nine Network
ï‚· THE X FACTOR Digby Mitchell – Seven Network
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION DRAMA SERIES
ï‚· GLITCH Tony Ayres, Louise Fox, Ewan Burnett – ABC
ï‚· LOVE CHILD SERIES 2 Tom Hoffie – Nine Network
ï‚· MISS FISHER'S MURDER MYSTERIES SERIES 3 Fiona Eagger, Deb Cox – ABC
ï‚· WENTWORTH SERIES 3 Jo Porter, Amanda Crittenden – FOXTEL – SoHo
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST TELEFEATURE OR MINI SERIES
ï‚· BANISHED Sita Williams, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jamie Laurenson, Brett Popplewell
– FOXTEL – BBC First
ï‚· PETER ALLEN – NOT THE BOY NEXT DOOR Kerrie Mainwaring, Rory Callaghan – Seven Network
ï‚· THE PRINCIPAL Ian Collie – SBS
ï‚· THE SECRET RIVER Stephen Luby – ABC
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY IN TELEVISION
ï‚· DEADLINE GALLIPOLI Part 1 Jacquelin Perske, Shaun Grant – FOXTEL – Showcase
ï‚· PETER ALLEN – NOT THE BOY NEXT DOOR Episode 2 Michael Miller – Seven Network
ï‚· THE PRINCIPAL Episode 1 Kristen Dunphy – SBS
ï‚· UTOPIA Episode 1 – A Fresh Start Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch – ABC
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
ï‚· Wayne Blair REDFERN NOW – PROMISE ME – ABC
ï‚· Joel Jackson DEADLINE GALLIPOLI – FOXTEL – Showcase
ï‚· Joel Jackson PETER ALLEN – NOT THE BOY NEXT DOOR – Seven Network
ï‚· Oliver Jackson-Cohen THE SECRET RIVER – ABC
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
ï‚· Deborah Mailman REDFERN NOW – PROMISE ME – ABC
ï‚· Pamela Rabe WENTWORTH SERIES 3 – FOXTEL – SoHo
ï‚· Peta Sergeant HOUSE OF HANCOCK – Nine Network
ï‚· Sarah Snook THE SECRET RIVER – ABC
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
ï‚· John Bach GALLIPOLI Episode 6 – If Only … – Nine Network
ï‚· Ky Baldwin PETER ALLEN – NOT THE BOY NEXT DOOR Episode 1 – Seven Network
ï‚· Lachy Hulme THE SECRET RIVER Part 1 – ABC
ï‚· Rahel Romahn THE PRINCIPAL Episode 2 – SBS
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
ï‚· Harriet Dyer LOVE CHILD SERIES 2 Episode 3 – Nine Network
ï‚· Rarriwuy Hick REDFERN NOW – PROMISE ME – ABC
ï‚· Hannah Monson GLITCH Episode 4 – ABC
ï‚· Sigrid Thornton PETER ALLEN – NOT THE BOY NEXT DOOR Episode 1 – Seven Network
AACTA SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION 20TH ANNIVERSARY AWARD FOR BEST DRAMA
ï‚· DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND
ï‚· LOVE MY WAY
ï‚· TOP OF THE LAKE
ï‚· WENTWORTH
FEATURE FILM
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST FILM PRESENTED BY PRESTO
ï‚· THE DRESSMAKER Sue Maslin
ï‚· HOLDING THE MAN Kylie du Fresne
ï‚· LAST CAB TO DARWIN Greg Duffy, Lisa Duff, Jeremy Sims
ï‚· MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Doug Mitchell, PJ Voeten, George Miller
ï‚· PAPER PLANES Robert Connolly, Maggie Miles, Liz Kearney
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION PRESENTED BY HYUNDAI GENESIS
ï‚· THE DRESSMAKER Jocelyn Moorhouse
ï‚· HOLDING THE MAN Neil Armfield
ï‚· LAST CAB TO DARWIN Jeremy Sims
ï‚· MAD MAX: FURY ROAD George Miller
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR
ï‚· Patrick Brammall RUBEN GUTHRIE
ï‚· Michael Caton LAST CAB TO DARWIN
ï‚· Ryan Corr HOLDING THE MAN
ï‚· Sullivan Stapleton CUT SNAKE
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS
ï‚· Robyn Butler NOW ADD HONEY
ï‚· Ningali Lawford-Wolf LAST CAB TO DARWIN
ï‚· Charlize Theron MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
ï‚· Kate Winslet THE DRESSMAKER
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
ï‚· Mark Coles Smith LAST CAB TO DARWIN
ï‚· Alex Dimitriades RUBEN GUTHRIE
ï‚· Anthony LaPaglia HOLDING THE MAN
ï‚· Hugo Weaving THE DRESSMAKER
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ï‚· Judy Davis THE DRESSMAKER
ï‚· Emma Hamilton LAST CAB TO DARWIN
ï‚· Deborah Mailman PAPER PLANES
ï‚· Sarah Snook THE DRESSMAKER
AACTA PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN FILM
ï‚· THE DRESSMAKER
ï‚· LAST CAB TO DARWIN
ï‚· MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
ï‚· ODDBALL
ï‚· PAPER PLANES