Full list of this year’s AACTA nominees: Nitram and The Newsreader dominate

What a wild time for Australian screen culture: after the industry’s pandemic confusion and some surprisingly great box-office news earlier in the year, the 2021 AACTA awards should be a more fascinating show than ever.

Previously known as the AFI Awards, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards celebrate the very best in the nation’s film and TV production. The big winners will be awarded at a ritzy Sydney Opera House ceremony on December 8. Aussie screen addicts will not only be able to tune into a live TV broadcast on Channel Ten; they can also vote in seven categories for the AACTA Audience Choice Awards.

You can go ahead and scroll for a full list of this year’s AACTA nominees, but let’s break down the noms here first: it’s a uniquely 2021 blend of boomer-friendly cinema and free-to-air releases, with streaming titles steadily creeping their way in. Port Arthur massacre biopic Nitram, for instance, has enjoyed a hybrid release both into cinemas and as a Stan Original from November 24. It’s one of this year’s hottest, if most controversial, AACTA contenders, with Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Anthony LaPaglia and Essie Davis all receiving acting nods.

Our trifecta of Aussie blockbusters The Dry, Penguin Bloom, and High Ground have done well, scooping up acting, directing, and screenplay nominations aplenty (Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps have each been nominated thrice for two different script categories).

On the TV front, the ABC can still be counted on for prestige local drama—The Newsreader took industry voters on a nostalgic trip back in time to 1986 Melbourne, scoring 10 nominations. Wakefield, Jack Irish and Total Control also dominated the serialized categories, alongside grittier Foxtel series Wentworth and Mr Inbetween.

You can also expect cute ABC comedy Rosehaven to collect some statues for its final season, with lead besties Luke McGregor and Celia Pacquola both picking up comedy category nominations.

Australian network TV only makes it presence felt in the reality and lifestyle categories with shows like Lego Masters and Australian Survivor. And there’s the usual amount of snubs to be found, too. The excellent New Gold Mountain was acknowledged only once, for best miniseries, and two out of the three Aunty Donna boys got nominated for Best Comedy Performer. We demand justice for Zach!!

Now’s your chance to check out the pivotal Australian titles you might’ve missed this year while you were mostly focused on Netflix and Prime Video—although some of those streaming titles, such as Clickbait, The Moth Effect and Hannah Gadsby’s Douglas, are repped here, too.

Don’t forget to have your own say via the AACTA Audience Choice Awards if you feel that any of your local 2021 faves (like, say, an SBS period western epic) have been overlooked…

AACTA Award for Best Film
The Dry
The Furnace
High Ground
Nitram
Penguin Bloom
Rams

AACTA Award for Best Indie Film
Disclosure
Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)
Lone Wolf
Moon Rock For Monday
My First Summer
Under My Skin

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film
The Dry—Rob Connolly
The Furnace—Roderick MacKay
High Ground—Stephen Maxwell Johnson
Nitram—Justin Kurzel
Penguin Bloom—Glendyn Ivin

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in Film
Simon Baker—High Ground
Eric Bana—The Dry
Caleb Landry Jones—Nitram
Ahmed Malek—The Furnace
Jacob Junior Nayinggul—High Ground

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film
Rose Byrne—Peter Rabbit 2
Judy Davis—Nitram
Noni Hazlehurst—June Again
Genevieve O’Reilly—The Dry
Naomi Watts—Penguin Bloom

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film
Michael Caton—Rams
Baykali Ganambarr—The Furnace
Anthony LaPaglia—Nitram
Sean Mununggurr—High Ground
Jack Thompson—High Ground

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film
Essie Davis—Nitram
Claudia Karvan—June Again
Esmerelda Marimowa—High Ground
Miranda Tapsell—The Dry
Jacki Weaver—Penguin Bloom

AACTA Award for Best Original Screenplay in Film
Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)—Monica Zanetti
The Furnace—Roderick MacKay
High Ground—Chris Anastassiades
June Again—JJ Winlove
Nitram—Shaun Grant

AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in Film
The Dry—Rob Connolly, Harry Cripps
Penguin Bloom—Shaun Grant, Harry Cripps
Peter Rabbit 2—Will Gluck, Patrick Burleigh
Rams—Jules Duncan

AACTA Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Program
Dom and Adrian 2020
Hard Quiz
The Moth Effect
Spicks And Specks
The Weekly

AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program
Australian Ninja Warrior
LEGO® Masters Australia
The Masked Singer
Mastermind
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2021
The Voice

AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program
Australia Talks
Courtney Act’s One Plus One
Gogglebox Australia
Love on the Spectrum
The Project
You Can’t Ask That

AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program
Adam and Poh’s Malaysia in Australia
The Cook Up with Adam Liaw
Gardening Australia
Grand Designs Australia
The Living Room
Love it or List it Australia

AACTA Award for Best Reality Program
The Amazing Race Australia
Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn
The Block
Luxe Listings Sydney
MasterChef Australia
The Real Housewives of Melbourne

AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program
Brazen Hussies
EXPOSED: The Ghost Train Fire
Life in Colour with David Attenborough
Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb
Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds
The School That Tried to End Racism

AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program
100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone
Bluey
The Bureau of Magical Things
Dive Club
Hardball
Kangaroo Beach

AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special
Anne Edmonds and Lloyd Langford – Business with Pleasure
Celia Pacquola – Let Me Know How It All Works Out
Hannah Gadsby – Douglas
Lano and Woodley in Lano and Woodley
Rhys Nicholson Live at the Athenaeum
Tom Gleeson – Lighten Up

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama presented by Foxtel
Deborah Mailman—Total Control
Mandy McElhinney—Wakefield
Miranda Otto—Fires
Pamela Rabe—Wentworth
Anna Torv—The Newsreader

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama presented by Foxtel
Rudi Dharmalingam—Wakefield
Guy Pearce—Jack Irish
Sam Reid—The Newsreader
Richard Roxburgh—Fires
Scott Ryan—Mr Inbetween

AACTA Award for Best Comedy Performer
Mark Samual Bonanno—Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House Of Fun
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

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
Michelle Lim Davidson—The Newsreader
Marg Downey—The Newsreader
Harriet Dyer—Wakefield
Rachel Griffiths—Total Control
Noni Hazlehurst—The End

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
Harry Greenwood—Wakefield
William McInnes—The Newsreader
Matt Nable—Mr Inbetween
Stephen Peacocke—The Newsreader
Justin Rosniak—Mr Inbetween

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy
Fires – Episode 2: Everything’s Gone—Ana Kokkinos
Mr Inbetween – Episode 6: Ray Who?—Nash Edgerton
The Newsreader – Episode 1: Three, Two, One…—Emma Freeman
Wakefield – Episode 5—Kim Mordaunt
Wakefield – Episode 8—Jocelyn Moorhouse

AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television
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—Kristen Dunphy, Sam Meikle

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television
Brazen Hussies—Catherine Dwyer
Hannah Gadsby – Douglas—Madeleine Parry
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

AACTA Award for Best Short Form Comedy presented by Facebook
A Life in Questions: Wisdom School with Aaron Chen
All My Friends Are Racist
Celebration Nation
Hug the Sun
Jimmy Rees
Samantha Andrew

AACTA Award for Best Short Form Drama
Beautiful They
The Bends
Dwarf Planet
Grace
The Tailings
You and Me, Before and After

AACTA Award for Best Short Form Entertainment
Chopsticks or Fork?
Gourmet Lazy
Nat’s What I Reckon
Ozzy Man Reviews
Strong Women
Woven Threads – Stories from Within

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