Succession and All Her Fault star Sarah Snook will receive the Trailblazer Award at the 2026 AACTA Awards ceremony next month.
The awards were established to recognize Australian creatives who are forging an influential path in the global industry and are determined by AFI | AACTA Board of Directors, previous recipients include Margot Robbie, Chris Hemsworth, Rose Byrne, Simon Baker and Isla Fisher.
After accepting his award at the AACTA Awards on Friday, February 6, Snook will take part in a ‘conversation’ session with Australian actor Shane Jacobson the following day.
The discussion will explore her journey from her early Australian film roles to her international breakthrough as ‘Shiv Roy’ on HBO’s Succession. Her latest projects include the internationally acclaimed All Her Fault, which just won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Limited Series. and for her award-winning play The Picture of Dorian Gray, for which she won both a Laurence Olivier Award and a Tony Award for Best Actress.
Snook paid tribute to how he “learned to love telling stories” in his home country, and said every opportunity started with “the support of this community.”
“I am so honored to receive the AACTA Trailblazer Award,” she said.
“I would like to thank the filmmakers, co-stars, crew and audiences who have lifted me up along the way. It is an honor to represent Australian talent on the world stage and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the vibrant world-class industry we are building together.”
Snook has been nominated for six AACTA Awards and won three, including her first AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama (for Sisters of War) at the 2012 inaugural ceremony. She won the Best Actress in a Motion Picture Award in 2014 for her performance opposite Ethan Hawke in Predestination, and recently won an AACTA Award for her voice performance in the animated film Memoir of a Snail.
AACTA CEO Damian Trehera said Snook embodies everything the AACTA Trailblazer Award stands for.
“From her early work in Australian film and television to her incredible global success in film and stage, Sarah has built a reputation as one of Australia’s greatest performers,” he said.
“She continues to champion Australian storytelling on the world stage, while inspiring the next generation of creators at home. We are extremely proud to celebrate Sarah and look forward to hearing more about her journey at this year’s AACTA Festival.”
The 2026 AACTA Awards Ceremony, held at HOTA on the Gold Coast, will be broadcast on Channel 10 on Friday 6 February at 7:30pm (AEDT). The AACTA Industry Celebration, where most of the craft and technology awards will be awarded, will be held on February 4th.
