AACTA announce the winners for the 2021 AACTA Industry Awards

New Gold Mountain, The Newsreader and Fires have become the biggest winners at this year’s AACTA Industry Awards presented by Foxtel Group, taking home half the categories at the virtual ceremony hosted by comedian Claire Hooper.

Honouring the work of Australia’s best screen craft practitioners, 31 awards were presented by stars such as Luke McGregor, Nakkiah Lui, Tanya Hennessy, Tom Ballard, Pia Miranda, Lehmo, and Melissa Leong.

Bluey was once again crowned Best Children’s Program, while Fisk starring Kitty Flanagan won Best Narrative Comedy Series and Hannah Gadsby’s Douglas took out Best Stand-Up Special.

The first film awards were also presented, with The Dry, Nitram and High Ground all receiving two awards each. Queer romance film Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) starring Zoe Terakes took out Best Indie Film.

Composer Caitlin Yeo took out the most individual awards for the evening winning Best Original Score in Television for New Gold Mountain and Best Original Score in a Documentary for Playing with Sharks.

AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella said: “On behalf of the Australian Academy, I congratulate all of the AACTA Award nominees and winners recognised at the AACTA Industry Awards ceremony this evening. We are proud to be an organisation that can recognise the outstanding achievement of screen practitioners behind the best films, television productions and online content.”

The 2021 broadcast of the AACTA Industry Awards presented by Foxtel Group is available to stream through ScreenFest.

Made up of 40+ FREE screen events, click here to view the 2021 program and create your free account. Explore the epic world of the screen!

The remainder of this year’s Award winners will be announced at the 2021 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group Ceremony on Wednesday 8 December at The Sydney Opera House. The Ceremony will be broadcast on Channel 10 at 7:30pm, and encored in the days following on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and AACTA TV.

See the list of 2021 AACTA Industry Award Winners below

Television

• AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program: Bluey – Charlie Aspinwall, Joe Brumm, Daley Pearson, Sam Moor – Ludo Studio (ABC)
• AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television: Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Bonnie Elliott
• AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television: New Gold Mountain (Episode 1: Propriety) – Cappi Ireland
• AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Emma Freeman
• AACTA Award for Best Direction in Non-Fiction Television: Love on the Spectrum (Episode 4) – Cian O’Clery
• AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program: Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds – Debbie Cuell, Bethan Arwel-Lewis – Endemol Shine Australia (ABC)
• AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television: Clickbait (Episode 1: Five Million Hits) – Rodrigo Balart
• AACTA Award for Best Narrative Comedy Series: Fisk – Vincent Sheehan – Porchlight Films (ABC)
• AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television: The Newsreader (Episode 1: Three, Two, One…) – Melinda Doring
• AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television: New Gold Mountain (Episode 1: Propriety) – Caitlin Yeo
• AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television: Fires (Episode 2: Everything’s Gone) – Emma Bortignon, Paul Pirola, Roger Van Wensveen, Brendan Croxon
• AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special: Hannah Gadsby – Douglas – Hannah Gadsby, Kevin Whyte, Kathleen McCarthy, John Irwin – Irwin Entertainment & Token Events (Netflix)

Film

• AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in Film: The Dry – Rob Connolly, Harry Cripps
• AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film: The Dry – Stefan Duscio
• AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film: High Ground – Erin Roche
• AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film: Nitram – Nick Fenton
• AACTA Award for Best Indie Film: Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) – Monica Zanetti (Dir.), MahVeen Shahraki, Patrick James – Brazen Lot formerly Cobbstar Productions
• AACTA Award for Best Original Screenplay in Film: Nitram – Shaun Grant
• AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film: Mortal Kombat – Naaman Marshall
• AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film: June Again – Christopher Gordon
• AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film: Mortal Kombat –Robert McKenzie, James Ashton, Des Kenneally, Adrian Medhurst, Jed Dodge, Phil Heywood

Short Form

• AACTA Award for Best Short Form Comedy Presented by Facebook: All My Friends Are Racist – Enoch Mailangi, Kodie Bedford, Bjorn Stewart, Liliana Munoz – Maximo Entertainment & Hoodlum Entertainment
• AACTA Award for Best Short Form Drama: The Tailings – Good Lark Pty Ltd, Liz Doran, Richard Kelly, Stephen Thomas, Stevie Cruz-Martin, Caitlin Richardson – The Two Jons & Roar Film
• AACTA Award for Best Short Form Entertainment: Strong Women – Corinne Innes, Alexandra Gaulupeau, Ann Megalla, Patrick McCabe – Strong Women Documentary Pty. Ltd. & AM Media

Documentary

• AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary: The Beach (Episode 1: Too Mad Too Shy) – Dylan River
• AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary: My Name is Gulpilil – Tania M. Nehme
• AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary: Playing With Sharks – Caitlin Yeo
• AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary: Life in Colour with David Attenborough (Episode 1: Seeing in Colour) – Wayne Pashley

Other

• AACTA Award for Best Casting Presented by Casting Networks: High Ground – Anousha Zarkesh
• AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK: Australian Gangster – Sheldon Wade, Helen Magelaki, Mariel McClorey, Donna Kennedy
• AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation: Peter Rabbit 2 – Will Reichelt, Simon Pickard, Simon Whiteley, Fiona Chilton, Jason Bath, Matt Middleton – Animal Logic