Oscar nominee Tony McNamara and Together writer-director Michael Shanks are among the nominees for the 58th AWGIE Awards, to be held in Sydney next month.
The Australian Writers Guild (AWG) today announced nominations in 22 categories, including feature film, television, documentary, play, interactive and games, audio, stand-up comedy, animation and children’s television.
McNamara’s dark comedy “The Roses” will be in the feature film category along with Peter Duncan’s “The Correspondent” and Craig Alexander’s “Snatchers.” Shanks’ body-horror hit will compete in the original feature category against films from Alice Folcher and Gregory Erdstein (One More Shot), Natalie Erika James (Saccharine), Harvey Zielinski (Sweet Milk Lake) and Jesse Rowley (Zero).
The final seasons of “Bump” and “The Newsreader” earned recognition for best television series with nominations for Kelsey Munroe and Christine Bartlett, respectively. Black Snow (Lucas Taylor), Good Cop/Bad Cop (Claire Sladden) and The Invisible Boys (Alan Clarke) are also nominated.
Showrunner Samantha Strauss has received multiple nominations in the television limited series category, having been recognized for her work alongside Angela Betsian and Anya Beiersdorf in Apple Cider Vinegar and The Last Anniversary with Jura Sandler, Sarah L. Walker and Greg Waters. “Plum” (Brendan Cowell and Fiona Seles) and “Sean Grant” round out this category.
The winners of the AWGIE Awards will be announced on Thursday 19 February at NIDA’s Parade Theater in Sydney. People outside of Sydney can watch the broadcast of the event for free via live stream from home.
The candidates are as follows.
Feature film – adaptation
Correspondent – Peter Duncan
The Roses – Tony McNamara
Snatchers – Craig Alexander
Feature film – original
One More Shot – Alice Folcher and Gregory Erdstein
Saccharine – Natalie Erica James
Sweet Milk Lake – Harvey Zielinski
Together – Michael Shanks
Zero – Jesse Rowley
short film
Asian male leads – Brendan Wang, Alan Thangaratnam, Jeremy Teh, Vivian Nguyen
DIY – Lachlan Marks
Nothing, Number 2 – Marcus Coudea
St. Valentine – Vanessa Gaethje
Discomfort – Kylie Aoibean
Tuesday Tuesday – Leanne Mackesy and Emily Sheehan
Documentary – public broadcast (including VOD) or exhibition
Journey Home David Gulpilil – Maggie Miles, Trisha Morton-Thomas
Not just Fred Dagg, but John Clark – Lorin Clark too.
Packing What Britain Stolen: Season 2, Episode 5 “The Irish Giant” – Mark Fennell and Stephanie Weimar
Surviving Malka Leifer – Adam Kamien and Ivan O’Mahony, Jane Asher
Illukala howls the journey home – Larissa Behrendt
interactive media and games
Only one nomination will be accepted and the winner will be announced that night
TV – Serial
Hollyoaks: Episode 6522 – Gary Sewell
Home and Away: Episode 8330 – Fiona Kelly
Home and Away: Episode 8405 – Alexandra Cullen
Neighbors: Episode 9104 – Emma J. Steele
TV – Series
Black Snow: Season 2, Episode 1 “Running” – Lucas Taylor
Bump: Season 5, Episode 3 “Hand-Shaped Balloon” – Kelsey Munroe
Good Cop/Bad Cop: Season 1, Episode 7 “Buckle Up” – Claire Sladden
Invisible Boys: Season 1, Episode 7 “The Vigil” – Alan Clarke
Newsreader: Season 3, Episode 3 “Behind the Front Lines” – Christine Bartlett
TV – Limited Series
Apple Cider Vinegar – Samantha Strauss, Angela Betsian, Anya Beiersdorf
Plums – Brendan Cowell and Fiona Seles
The Last Anniversary – Samantha Strauss, Jura Sandler, Sarah L. Walker, Greg Waters
The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Sean Grant
animation
Only one nomination will be accepted and the winner will be announced that night
Children’s TV – “P” classification (preschoolers – under 5 years)
Kangaroo Beach: Season 3, Episode 17 “The Curse of Boomerang Island” – Sylvie van Dijk
and Angus Woodiwiss
Kangaroo Beach: Season 3, Episode 20 “The Hungry Seagull” – Charlotte Rose Hamlin
Zip and the Tiny Sprouts: Season 1, “Everything Keeps Changing?!” – Peter Johnston
Children’s TV – “C” classification (Children – 5 to 14 years old)
Rock Island Mystery: Season 3, Episode 8 “Sleepwalker” – Matthew Bonn
Rock Island Mysteries: Season 3, Episode 15 “Crystallization” – Trent Roberts
The Spooky Files: Season 2, Episode 2 “I Go Night-Night” – Guy Edmonds, Andrea Denholm
The Spooky Files: Season 2, Episode 4 “FOMO Dojo Casa House” – Emma Gordon
The Spooky Files: Season 2, Episode 9 “Arrival” – Marisa Nanakorn Brown
Comedy – a situation or story
Austin: Season 1, Episode 6 “Pulp Fiction” – Adam Zwar
Colin on Account: Season 2, Episode 5 “Waterfall” – Patrick Bramall
Fisk: Season 3, Episode 2 “Burning Up” – Penny Flanagan with Kitty Flanagan
Strife: Season 2, Episode 7 “Sometimes Always” – Sarah Scherer
Uruvi Attended an All-Girls School: Season 1, Episode 1 “The Perfect Bell” – Uruvi Majumdar and Nina Oyama
Comedy – sketch or light entertainment
Last year on TV: 2024 – Mitch McTaggart
Weekly: Season 10, “Lysearch” – Nicolette Minster, Rhys Nicholson, Aleisha McCormack
The Weekly: Season 10, “A Week on TV with Margaret Pomerantz” – Rob Hunter
Comedy – Stand-up
Pillow xxxx – Bronwyn Kuss
Perfectly normal – Naseem Hussain
Audio – Fiction
Central Intelligence Agency: Season 1, Episode 10 – Greg Hadrick
New: Season 1, Episode 4 “Vesti La Giubba” – CK Parlow with David Singer
Audio – Nonfiction
Only one nomination will be accepted and the winner will be announced that night
Stage – Adaptation
Fool in Love – Van Badham
The Magic Hour – Vanessa Bates
stage – original
All Boys – Xavier Hazard
American Signs – Antuli Felicia King
To a sparkling world – Angus Cellini
The past is a wild party – Noel Janacevska
The Queen’s Nurse – Melanie Tate
musical theater
My Brilliant Career – Sheridan Harbridge and Dean Bryant, Matthew Frank
Question – Van Badham and Richard Wise
community theater
We have all the time in the world* (Terms and conditions apply) – Jamie Hornsby
Women of the Riverina – Leanne Clarke and Aunt Cheryl Penrith OAM, Arvis Casanova, Claudia Haines, Gabriel Tozer, Haya Alzidine, Imogen Rubi, Jodi Roberts, Leanne Clarke, Marie Clear, Melanie Reeves, Roz Hasan, Sasha McMillan
theater for young audiences
Feather – Dan Giovannoni
“The Girl Who Glows” – Joe Turner with Zeeko
Chi’s Story – Jeremy Nguyen with Hiroki Kobayashi, Hoa Pham
Web Series and Other Non-Broadcast/Non-“Subscription Video on Demand” Television
short works
Bad Ancestors – Wendy Mocke
Burial – Charlotte George and Miriam Glaser
Ruff and Ruby – Jess Fish
