AACTA Awards

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AACTA Awards
Current:
Fox Arena
(2013–present)

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry, both locally and internationally, including the producers, directors, actors, writers, and cinematographers. It is the most prestigious awards ceremony for the Australian film and television industry. They are generally considered to be the Australian counterpart of the Academy Awards for the United States and the BAFTA Awards for the United Kingdom.

The awards, previously called Australian Film Institute Awards or AFI Awards, began in 1958, and involved 30 nominations across six categories. They expanded in 1986 to cover television as well as film. The AACTA Awards were instituted in 2011.[2][3] The AACTA International Awards, inaugurated on 27 January 2012, are presented every January in Los Angeles.[4]

History

1958–2010: AFI Awards

The awards were presented annually by the Australian Film Institute (AFI) as the Australian Film Institute Awards (more commonly known as the AFI Awards), "to recognise and honour outstanding achievement in the Australian film and television industry."[1] They were instituted in 1958, "as a way to improve the impoverished state of Australian cinema", and was part of the Melbourne International Film Festival (known then as the Melbourne Film Festival) until 1972.[5][6] The first AFI Awards ceremony consisted of seven fields: Documentary, Educational, Advertising, Experimental Film, Public Relations and Teaching, and an Open category for other films which did not fit in the aforementioned categories.[2][5]

Between 1958 and 1980, submitted films were presented with a gold, silver or bronze prize, and in some circumstances, a Grand Prix award, which was the highest honour a film could receive.[7][8] Additionally, films were also presented with a gold or silver medallion for technical achievements, and films which did not receive a prize were given a certificate of honourable mention.[9][10][11] From the awards inception to 1968, documentary and educational films were the only films submitted for awards due to few feature films produced in Australia, but in 1969, Jack and Jill: A Postscript became the first feature film to receive an award from the AFI, with a silver prize in the "Open" category, and is considered a winner in the Best Film category of the current awards.[9][12][13]

Up until 1970, prizes were handed out in recognition of the film and production, rather than achievements of individual filmmakers and crafts people. However, from 1971 special achievement awards were introduced to recognise actors, directors, screenwriters, musicians, editors and cinematographers in feature films, and from 1975, an additional cash prize was given per achievement.[14][15] In 1977 feature film categories became competitive, while non-feature films continued to be awarded the gold, silver and bronze prizes until 1981, when they also became competitive.[8][15][16]

In 1976 the awards were broadcast live on television for the first time on the

mini-series and telefeatures before expanding to dramas, comedies and documentaries in the 1990s.[18][19][20]

2011–present: AACTA Awards

Actress Diana Glenn with an AACTA Award in 2012.

In June 2011, the AFI announced an industry consultation for an "Australian Academy".[21] The aim of the Academy is to create awareness for Australian film in local and international markets and to improve the way the AFI rewards practitioners with the formation of an "Honorary Council".[22] Of the announcement Damian Trewhella, CEO of the AFI said, "We thought a better way to engage with the industry would be to try and improve our professional membership structure...It's quite a big improvement on the way the AFI does things."[23] The consultation period ended in July 2011 and on 20 July it was announced that the AFI would go ahead with the Australian Academy with Trewhella stating that "[The AFI] envisage that this will lead to greater opportunities for those working in the industry, as well as greater audience recognition and connection with Australian screen content."[24]

The name of the new Academy was revealed on 18 August 2011 as the

Don McAlpine for his contribution to cinematography, at the inaugural awards luncheon.[28]

Also in 2011, the first AACTA International Awards were launched, to take place around a month before the

Oscars in Los Angeles, "to recognise excellence within the categories of best film, best acting, writing and directing and is open to any international film, voted on by the Australian academy".[29] As of 2023, the scope of these awards had broadened, to "honour the best achievements in screen excellence, regardless of geography... [and to honour] our international screen peers and celebrate fellow Australians working in screen internationally".[30]

In 2018, two new categories were announced for the 8th AACTA Awards: AACTA Award for Best Indie Film, and AACTA Award for Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks.[31][32]

Rules and voting

To be eligible for nomination, a production must be an Australian production or program and, in the case of a film, cannot have been previously submitted for consideration; the material is sent to the AFI in DVD or video formats; for a feature film, it must have been publicly exhibited for seven consecutive days in at least two Australian states; for television and documentaries, the production must have been broadcast on television between the eligibility period.[33][34][35] The submission of a production is accompanied by an entry fee in Australian dollars, of up to A$1680 for feature films, $400 for documentaries, $330 for short film and animation and $1125 for television categories.[36]

At the time of the awards inception, a jury of five judges, composed of film critics and filmmakers, determined the winner of a production.

Best Film category.[37][38] The nominees and winners were later peer-voted by a jury which was made up of representatives from all industry crafts, including members of guilds, who have a "professional membership" with the AFI.[39][40]

When the AFI announced the launch of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, it introduced the Chapters who vote through a two step voting process.

Statuette

AACTA Awards Statuette on Red Carpet in 2014.

Throughout the history of the awards there have been several differently designed awards given to winners. Most notable ones given are: the "Kodak film award", a gold, silver or bronze medal, which was handed out from 1958 to 1975; the Grand Prix award which was a "bronze leaf shaped award mounted on a square wooden base", also presented between 1958 and 1975;

2011 AACTA Awards
.

A medal was used between 1958 and 1975 as a gold, silver or bronze prize and depicted "three leaping

Victoria and minted by John Pinchas in London, in 1958.[46]

The statuette used between 1979 and 2010 is made of "four clear acrylic rectangular prisms on a silver metal base, green felt on bottom"; a plaque, which is attached to the base, has the "afi" insignia, with the words "Australian Film Institute" beneath it; a description of the award category, the recipient of the award, and the film title cascade below each other.[48] The statuette stands at 295mm in height, 70mm in width and 70mm in depth.[48]

When the

one dollar.[54] The award may, however, have its ownership transferred to a museum, gallery or other not-for-profit institution, at the AFI's discretion.[54]

Ceremony

The awards were first presented in 1958 during the Melbourne Film Festival at

Sydney during the 1990s and 2000s (decade).[55] Awards are handed out over two separate events; the AACTA Awards Luncheon, a black tie event where accolades are given for achievements in non-feature and short films, film production (with the exception of the Best Film, Direction and Screenplay awards), non-drama related television programs and the Longford Lyell Award; the AACTA Awards Ceremony presents the awards in all other categories at a larger venue and is broadcast on television.[29][56] Awards were presented at the end of each calendar year (November or December) to celebrate film achievements of the corresponding year but beginning in 2012, the awards date was changed to January to celebrate films from the previous year.[26][21][57]

List of AACTA ceremonies

Past ceremonies and a selection of main awards are shown below.[58]

Year Ceremony International
ceremony
Host Best Film
winner
Best International
Film
winner
Best TV Drama
Series
winner
Best Documentary
winner
Longford Lyell
Award
winner
2012 1st AACTA Awards 1st AACTA International Awards Russell Crowe Red Dog The Artist East West 101 Mrs Carey's Concert
Don McAlpine
2013 2nd AACTA Awards 2nd AACTA International Awards The Sapphires Silver Linings Playbook Puberty Blues Storm Surfers 3D Al Clark
2014 3rd AACTA Awards 3rd AACTA International Awards Shane Bourne The Great Gatsby Gravity Redfern Now Red Obsession Jacki Weaver
2015 4th AACTA Awards 4th AACTA International Awards Cate Blanchett
Deborah Mailman
The Babadook
The Water Diviner
Birdman The Code
Ukraine is Not a Brothel
Andrew Knight[59]
5th AACTA Awards 5th AACTA International Awards N/A Mad Max: Fury Road Glitch That Sugar Film Cate Blanchett
2016 6th AACTA Awards 6th AACTA International Awards Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Wentworth Chasing Asylum Paul Hogan
2017 7th AACTA Awards 7th AACTA International Awards Lion Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Top of the Lake: China Girl Casting JonBenet Phillip Noyce
2018 8th AACTA Awards 8th AACTA International Awards Stephen Curry Sweet Country Roma Mystery Road Gurrumul Bryan Brown
2019 9th AACTA Awards 9th AACTA International Awards Shane Jacobson The Nightingale Parasite Total Control The Australian Dream Sam Neill
2020 10th AACTA Awards 10th AACTA International Awards Tom Gleeson
Susie Youssef
Rove McManus
Babyteeth Promising Young Woman Mystery Road
Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra
N/A
2021 11th AACTA Awards 11th AACTA International Awards N/A Nitram The Power of the Dog The Newsreader
My Name is Gulpilil
David Gulpilil
2022 12th AACTA Awards 12th AACTA International Awards Amanda Keller
Rove McManus
Elvis Avatar: The Way of Water
Mystery Road: Origin
River Catherine Matin
2024 13th AACTA Awards 13th AACTA International Awards Rebel Wilson Talk to Me Barbie The Newsreader John Farnham: Finding the Voice N/A

Categories

AACTA Awards

AACTA International Awards

Other awards

Hosts / television coverage

Criticisms and controversies

There have been controversial decisions of the Australian Film Institute Awards that have led to claims that it has broken its own rules by including an unscreened mini series in the 2005 awards judging:

The controversy is a blow for the institute, which after years of criticism this year revamped its awards in an effort to restore credibility. Producer John Edwards, who collected seven nominations for Foxtel's Love My Way, did not enter a second drama series, The Surgeon, because it missed the screening deadline. "If I'd known it was this flexible, of course I would have entered it," Edwards said. "Awards are useless if they break their own rules."[66]

AFIA has also been criticised for narrow selection of artists for award nominations and an unfair judging process.[67]

There has also been controversy over both the exclusion and inclusion of films that are technically Australian productions, but are made overseas, with foreign funding and/or foreign talent.

See also

Notes

A^ : From 2003–2005, the Best Television Comedy Series award was known as Best Comedy Series – Sitcom or Sketch.[70]
B^ : In 1993, and then from 1995 to 2001, the award was split into two categories: Best Episode in a Television Drama, Series or Serial and Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial (the latter was changed to Best Episode in a Television Drama Series (Long) in 1998).[70]
C^ : From 1991–2010, the Best Children's Television Series was known as Best Children's Television Drama.[56][70]
D^ : From 1986–1989, the Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series was two separate categories for Mini Series and Telefeatures. The two categories were merged in 1990 and became known as Best Telefeature or Mini Series, and in 2008 the awards name was changed to include Short Run Series.[70]
E1 2 3 : The award for Best Comedy Performance, and the awards for Best Lead Actor and Best Actress in a Television Drama was merged from 2004–2005 as the award for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy. They were separated in 2006 when the Best Comedy Performance award was introduced.[70]
F1 2 : The awards for Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama was first awarded in 1986, in two categories for performance by an actor in a Mini Series and Telefeature. The two awards were merged, and presented in 1990, and was changed again in 1991 as the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama. In 2000 the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Telefeature or Mini Series was re-introduced as a separate category. From 2002 all awards were combined under the titles Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama.[70]
G1 2 : The awards for Best Guest or Supporting Actor and Best Guest or Supporting Actress was first awarded for a performance in a guest role in a television drama from 2000–2001. In 2002, the categories were changed to Best Actor and Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama, and in 2004 it became Best Actor and Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy. In 2006, the Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television Drama was reintroduced after the Best Comedy Performance award was established.[70]
H^ : From 1986–1989 the award for Best Direction in Television was presented in two separate categories for Mini Series and Telefeatures. In 1990 both categories were merged as Best Direction in a Telefeature or Mini Series, and in 1991 it was renamed Best Achievement in Direction in a Television Drama. It then became Best Direction in Television in 2004.[70]
I^ : From 1986–1989 the award for Best Screenplay in Television was presented in two separate categories for Mini Series and Telefeatures. In 1990 both categories were merged as Best Screenplay in a Telefeature or Mini Series, and in 1991 it was renamed Best Screenplay in a Television Drama. It then became Best Screenplay in Television in 2004.[70]

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External links