New Gold Mountain, The Newsreader, and Fires have become the biggest winners at this year’s AACTA Industry Awards presented by Foxtel Group, taking home half the categories at the virtual ceremony hosted by comedian Claire Hooper.
Honouring the work of Australia’s best screen craft practitioners, 31 awards were presented by stars such as Luke McGregor, Nakkiah Lui, Tanya Hennessy, Tom Ballard, Pia Miranda, Lehmo, and Melissa Leong.
Bluey was once again crowned Best Children’s Program, while Fisk starring Kitty Flanagan won Best Narrative Comedy Series and Hannah Gadsby’s Douglas took out Best Stand-Up Special.
The first film awards were also presented, with The Dry, Nitram, and High Ground all receiving two awards each. Queer romance film Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) starring Zoe Terakes took out Best Indie Film.
Composer Caitlin Yeo took out the most individual awards for the evening winning Best Original Score in Television for New Gold Mountain and Best Original Score in a Documentary for Playing with Sharks.
AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella said: “On behalf of the Australian Academy, I congratulate all of the AACTA Award nominees and winners recognised at the AACTA Industry Awards ceremony this evening. We are proud to be an organisation that can recognise the outstanding achievement of screen practitioners behind the best films, television productions and online content.”
The remainder of this year’s Award winners will be announced at the 2021 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group Ceremony on Wednesday 8 December at The Sydney Opera House. The Ceremony will be broadcast on Channel 10 at 7:30pm, and encored in the days following on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and AACTA TV.
The full list of 2021 AACTA Industry Award Winners:
TELEVISION
• Best Children’s Program: Bluey – Charlie Aspinwall, Joe Brumm, Daley Pearson, Sam Moor – Ludo Studio (ABC)
• Best Cinematography in Television: Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Bonnie Elliott
• Best Costume Design in Television: New Gold Mountain (Episode 1: Propriety) – Cappi Ireland
• Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Emma Freeman
• Best Direction in Non-Fiction Television: Love on the Spectrum (Episode 4) – Cian O’Clery
• Best Documentary or Factual Program: Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds – Debbie Cuell, Bethan Arwel-Lewis – Endemol Shine Australia (ABC)
• Best Editing in Television: Clickbait (Episode 1: Five Million Hits) – Rodrigo Balart
• Best Narrative Comedy Series: Fisk – Vincent Sheehan – Porchlight Films (ABC)
• Best Production Design in Television: The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Melinda Doring
• Best Original Score in Television: New Gold Mountain (Episode 1: Propriety) – Caitlin Yeo
• Best Sound in Television: Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Emma Bortignon, Paul Pirola, Roger Van Wensveen, Brendan Croxon
• Best Stand-Up Special: Hannah Gadsby – Douglas – Hannah Gadsby, Kevin Whyte, Kathleen McCarthy, John Irwin – Irwin Entertainment & Token Events (Netflix)
FILM
• Best Adapted Screenplay in Film: The Dry – Rob Connolly, Harry Cripps
• Best Cinematography in Film: The Dry – Stefan Duscio
• Best Costume Design in Film: High Ground – Erin Roche
• Best Editing in Film: Nitram – Nick Fenton
• Best Indie Film: Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) – Monica Zanetti (Dir.), MahVeen Shahraki, Patrick James – Brazen Lot formerly Cobbstar Productions
• Best Original Screenplay in Film: Nitram – Shaun Grant
• Best Production Design in Film: Mortal Kombat – Naaman Marshall
• Best Original Score in Film: June Again – Christopher Gordon
• Best Sound in Film: Mortal Kombat –Robert McKenzie, James Ashton, Des Kenneally, Adrian Medhurst, Jed Dodge, Phil Heywood
SHORT
• Best Short Form Comedy Presented by Facebook: All My Friends Are Racist – Enoch Mailangi, Kodie Bedford, Bjorn Stewart, Liliana Munoz – Maximo Entertainment & Hoodlum Entertainment
• Best Short Form Drama: The Tailings – Good Lark Pty Ltd, Liz Doran, Richard Kelly, Stephen Thomas, Stevie Cruz-Martin, Caitlin Richardson – The Two Jons & Roar Film
• Best Short Form Entertainment: Strong Women – Corinne Innes, Alexandra Gaulupeau, Ann Megalla, Patrick McCabe – Strong Women Documentary Pty. Ltd. & AM Media
DOCUMENTARY
• Best Cinematography in a Documentary: The Beach (Episode 1: Too Mad Too Shy) – Dylan River
• 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 Pashley
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