At this year’s Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) 55th National Awards held at the spectacular Forum Theatre Melbourne, it was Greig Fraser ACS ASC who won the prestigious Australian Cinematographer of the Year Milli Award. Fraser also won a Gold Tripod in the Feature Films – Budget $3m and over category for Dune 2.
On winning the award Fraser said, “It is a great privilege and a true honour to have won the Milli. It really means so much to me as a cinematographer as the standard of cinematography in Australia is so very high. I am truly humbled to win and would like to also thank the ACS and all of their sponsors for putting on the awards and for everything they do for cinematographers.”
The 2025 55th ACS National Awards was, as ever, in the incredibly capable and professional hands of host and MC for the evening, Ray Martin AM. Martin as usual, charmed and entertained the packed house alongside presenters including ACS national president, Erika Addis and special guest of honour Lawrence Sher ASC.
Addis presented Hall of Fame Awards to Bill Grimmond ACS (posthumous), Warwick Field ACS and Kathy Chambers ACS, the Life Membership Award to John Lanser and Brent Crockett ACS and the John Leake OAM ACS Emerging Cinematographer Award to Sarah Whyte.
Then the Student Cinematography Award went to Tommy Thoms for his short film Bőr (Skin) and other Gold Tripod winners included Aaron Farrugia who won the John Bowring ACS Station Breaks & Promos for Block Island 2024, Michael Lincoln took home the Music Videos award for You Should Run – Missy and Mitch Woolnough who won the Neil Davis International News award for China Philippines.
The Current Affairs award went to Matthew Davis for Surviving in Somalia and Cameron Bauer ACS won in Entertainment & TV Magazine for Spirit of Samarkand, Season 1.
The Ron Taylor AM ACS & Valerie Taylor AM Wildlife & Nature award went to Daniel Hunter & Edward Saltau for Lyrebirds – Earthsounds Episode 1 and Chris Ras took out the gong for Short Films with Sasha’s Game.
The Gold Tripod for Drama Series went to Callan Green ACS NZCS for The Gentlemen, Season 1 / Episode 6.
Then the Feature Films – Budget $3m and Under Gold Tripod award went to Florian Emmerich ACS for Karla.
ACS National President Erika Addis said, “I would like to congratulate Greig on winning the Milli, it truly is a wonderful and amazing achievement. Once again and as I do every year, I would also like to congratulate all the other entrants and award winners for their incredible work. The standard and quality of Australian cinematographers’ work is of the very highest order on the global stage. I would also like to thank our major national sponsor Creamsource and all of our other sponsors for their support of the ACS. It has been another remarkable year for Australian cinematographers and our society and we very much look forward to supporting our craft, our members and our sponsors in the year ahead.”
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Other Gold Tripod and Award Winners included:
Serial TV & Comedy Series – Drew English for Heartbreak High, Season 2 / Episode 8
Corporate – Corporate Branding & Advertising – Wilson Huang for Kenworth – Legacy
Corporate – Branded Content, Education & Events – Matthew Davies for DDST x Weed-It x Croplands x SwarmFarm ‘Eclipse’
Commercials – Local / Regional – Jake Koning for Qld Hydro “Hydro is How”
Commercials – National / International – Ross Metcalf for SASA
Bob Miller ACS Technical and Innovation – Brett Harrison for The BlkBrd Mantis Isolator
Judges Merit award Presented by Sony to Christian Kennedy for No Man’s Land
Ron Windon ACS Contribution award to Kevin Hudson ACS
