Image provided by: AACTA
The 2026 AACTA Awards were held on Friday night on the Gold Coast, recognizing the year’s most significant achievements across Australian film, television, documentary, online and short form content. At the ceremony, hosted by Celeste Barber, big wins were won for film and television for Bring Her Back, cementing both as standouts of the year.
Stars including Sarah Snook, Brian Cox, Phoebe Tonkin and Dacre Montgomery walked the red carpet ahead of the broadcast, which will be broadcast nationally on Channel 10 on Friday, February 6 at 7:30pm AEDT. A special extended broadcast featuring all the awards from the ceremony will be available on BIGE and Foxtel (famous and available on demand) from 7:30pm on Saturday 7th February.
“Bring Her Back” Leads Movies, “The Road to the North” Leads TV
The night’s biggest winner was Bring Her Back, which won Best Picture with 10 out of 16 nominations, and Sally Hawkins also won Best Actress. It also cleaned up across the craft categories, winning Best Director, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Casting, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Costume Design, and Best Hair and Makeup.
In the television category, “The Road to the North” emerged as the year’s standout, winning nine out of 12 nominations. The Newsreader went on to win four awards, including Best Drama Series, while Apple Cider Vinegar won Best Miniseries.
Audience Choice Awards spotlight global hits and local favorites
Voted by viewers in Australia and around the world, the 2026 AACTA Audience Choice Awards reflected titles and personalities that viewers couldn’t get enough of. Stranger Things (Season 5) won favorite TV show and Wicked: For Good won favorite movie. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, who will soon co-star in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, were named favorite Australian actress and actor respectively, while Robert Irwin was named favorite media personality.
New categories were also introduced, with Shameless winning ‘Favorite Australian Podcast’, Norris Nuts winning ‘Favorite Online Channel’, Bridey Drake winning ‘Favorite Digital Creator’ for the second year in a row and Mekonnen Knife winning ‘Rabanne Breakthrough Artist Award’.
AACTA leaders look back at this year’s award winners
AACTA CEO Damien Trehera said: “This year’s AACTA Awards recognizes the incredible depth and diversity of Australian screen talent. From critically acclaimed films to audience favorites, the winners demonstrate the strength of our industry and the stories that continue to resonate locally and globally. We are thrilled to bring Australia’s film community together on the Gold Coast.”
Daniel Monaghan, executive director of entertainment content at Foxtel Group, added: “It’s been a great year for Australian film and television. The AACTA Awards shine a light on the imagination and craft at the heart of Australian storytelling. Congratulations to the winners, nominees and everyone recognized. The creativity and dedication within the industry continues to strengthen the awards.”
Full list of winners – 2026 AACTA Awards
film
“Take Her Back” | Sony Pictures Casting Networks AACTA Award for Best Casting in a Motion Picture: Bring Her Back AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture: AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in a Motion Picture: AACTA Award for Best Director in a Motion Picture: AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Motion Picture Sponsored by Spectrum Films AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Motion Picture: Bring Her Back AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture Awards: “Bring Her Back” AACTA Award for Best Independent Film: Lesbian Space Princess AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture: Richard Roxburgh – The Correspondent AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Sally Hawkins – “Bring Her Back” AACTA Award for Best Original Score: “Bring Her Back” AACTA Award for Best Production Design: The Correspondent AACTA Awards Best Film Screenplay: Correspondent AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Motion Picture: Bring Her Back AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Julian McMahon Surfer AACTA Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Deborah Mailman – Kangaroo
tv set
“The Narrow Road” | Prime Video AACTA Best Performance in a Comedy Series: Miranda Tapsell – Top End Bab Casting Networks AACTA Award for Best Cast in a Television Series: Apple Cider Vinegar AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program: Play School: All Together AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Television Series: The Deep North AACTA Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Program: Hard Quiz AACTA Best Comedy Performance Award: Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz AACTA Best Television Costume Design: The Deep North AACTA Best Director, Drama or Comedy: The Deep North AACTA Best Director, Nonfiction Television: The People vs. Robo-Debt AACTA Award for Best Documentary or True Story Program: The People vs. Robo-Debt AACTA Best Drama Series: The News Leader AACTA Best Editing for Television: Deep North AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program Presented by Gravity Media: Portrait Artist of the Year AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program Presented by: Alone Australia AACTA Award for Best Leading Actress in a Drama Presented by BIGE: Jacob Elordi – Narrow Road to the Deep North AACTA Award for Best Leading Actress in a Drama Presented by Binge: Anna Torv – Newsreader AACTA Award for Best Leading Actress in a Drama Presented by BIGE Awards: Grand Designs Australia AACTA Award for Best Miniseries: Apple Cider Vinegar AACTA Award for Best Narrative Comedy Series: Bump AACTA Award for Best Original Score for Television: Narrow Road to the Deep North AACTA Award for Best Production Design for Television: Narrow Road to the Deep North AACTA Award for Best Reality Program Presented by Network Ten: The Great Australian Bake Off Best Original Score for Television AACTA Award: The Newsreader AACTA Award for Best Sound on Television AACTA Award: The Narrow Road to the Deep North AACTA Award for Best Stand-up Special: Celia Paccola: I Am Astonished as You AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Daniel Henshall – The Newsreader AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Heather Mitchell – The Narrow Road to the Deep North
documentary
AACTA Best Documentary Cinematography: Kimberly AACTA Best Documentary: Journey Home, David Gulpilil AACTA Best Documentary: Unbreakable – The Jelena Dokic Story AACTA Best Original Music Documentary: Journey Home, David Gulpilil AACTA Best Sound Documentary: Yurlu | Country
short film
AACTA Award for Best Short Film: I’m the most racist person I know
online
AACTA Award for Best Online Drama or Comedy: A Series of Unlucky Dates
other
AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup: Bring Her Back AACTA Award for Best Original Song: “Here I Go” – Lesbian Space Princess AACTA Award for Best Soundtrack: Mix Tape AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation: Tron: Ares
personal honor
2026 AACTA Longford Lyell Award Winner: Bruce Beresford 2026 AACTA Byron Kennedy Award Winner: Christina Seiton, Samantha Jennings 2026 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Winner: Kate Armon, Craig Smith 2026 AACTA Trailblazer Award Winner: Sarah Snook 2026 AACTA Brian Walsh Award Winner: claire hughes
Audience Choice Award
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite TV Show: Stranger Things (Season 5) AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Movie: Wicked: For Good AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Actress: Margot Robbie AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Actor: Jacob Elordi AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Media Personality: Robert Irwin AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Podcast Audience Choice Award: Shameless AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Music Video: The Kid LAROI – “A Cold Play” AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Online Channel: Norris Nuts @norrisnuts AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Digital Creator: Bridey Drake @brideydrake AACTA Audience Choice Award for Rabanne Breakthrough Artist: Mekonnen Knife
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