Nominees announced for 12th Australian Academy International Awards

Australia’s premier film and television organisation – the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) –  has announced the nominees for its 12th International Awards.

The Awards honour and celebrate the most outstanding film and television productions made worldwide in 2022, as determined by Australia’s leading filmmakers and content creators.

15 feature films are nominated in the seven film categories, with The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All at Once leading the race with six nominations apiece. Both are nominated for the coveted Best Film award and are joined in the race for the top prize by Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water and the Australian film Elvis.

As well as Best Film, Elvis is nominated for Best Direction for Baz Luhrmann, Lead Actor for Austin Butler and Best Supporting Actress for Olivia DeJonge.

Actors Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris have been acknowledged for their performances in the Australian thriller The Stranger, with Australians Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie and Hugh Jackman nominated for their lead performances in Tár, Babylon and The Son respectively.

Babylon received two further nominations – one for Brad Pitt for Best Supporting Actor, and actress Jean Smart who is acknowledged for her work in both film and television; she receives a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Babylon, and Best Actress in a Series for Hacks.

In the small screen categories, Australian productions Heartbreak High and Mystery Road: Origin are both up for Best Drama Series, with Australians Thomas Weatherall and Mark Coles Smith vying for Best Actor in a Series for their performances in the respective dramas. Hit programs Severance, Stranger Things and The Bear also received nominations for Best Drama.

The White Lotus: Sicily is up for Best Comedy Series, with Season 1 having won Best Comedy Series at the AACTA International Awards last year. Also competing for Best Comedy is the recent online sensation Wednesday, along with Only Murders in the Building, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Hacks.

AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella said: “It has been an incredibly strong year internationally for film and television and the Australian Academy is proud to acknowledge such brilliant work by screen practitioners on the global stage. It is also gratifying to see Australian productions and talent in the mix. I extend my congratulations to all the nominees.”

Round two is open now and closes at 12 noon on Thursday 22 Dec. AEDT / 5 p.m. Wednesday 21 Dec. PST.

To see the full list of winners and nominees, visit AACTA’s website.