Michael Gracey’s Better Man leads the way at the nominations for the 2024 AACTA Awards with a record-breaking 16 nods including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and Best Lead Actress for Jonno Davies. This is the most nominations ever received by a single film in the awards’ 66-year history.
For the first time in AACTA history, motion capture performances and voice acting have been included in the Acting categories. Jonno Davies earns a nod for his portrayal of a motion-capture monkey in Better Man, while performances by Jacki Weaver, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Sarah Snook in Memoir of a Snail highlight the skill and artform of voice acting.
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney says, “The AACTA Awards nominees highlight the depth of talent and diversity of storytelling right across Australia’s screen sector. It’s been a remarkable year for homegrown stories and Screen Queensland looks forward to welcoming the industry to the sunshine state for the second AACTA Awards and Festival in February.”
Presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts whose membership contains professionals from a cross-section of the screen industry, the awards are considered the highest honour in Australian film.
The winners of the 2025 AACTA Awards will be announced across two ceremonies – the AACTA Awards Industry Gala will be held on Wednesday, February 5 and the AACTA Award Ceremony will be held on Friday, February 7.
Full list of nominations below.
AACTA Award for Best Film
- Better Man – Paul Currie, Michael Gracey, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Craig McMahon – Better Man Productions Pty Ltd
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Doug Mitchell, George Miller – Kennedy Miller Mitchell and Warner Bros
- How To Make Gravy – Schuyler Weiss, Hamish Lewis, Nick Waterman, Meg Washington, Michael Brooks – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia Pty Ltd
- Late Night with the Devil – Mathew Govoni, Adam White – Future Pictures PTY LTD
- Memoir Of A Snail – Liz Kearney, Adam Elliot – Arenamedia
- Runt – Jamie Hilton, Craig Silvey – See Pictures Pty Ltd
AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film
- Better Man – Michael Gracey
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – George Miller
- How To Make Gravy – Nick Waterman
- Late Night with the Devil – Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes
- Memoir Of A Snail – Adam Elliot
AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Film
- Better Man – Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – George Miller, Nico Lathouris
- How To Make Gravy –Meg Washington, Nick Waterman
- Late Night with the Devil – Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes
- Memoir Of A Snail – Adam Elliot
AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film
- Laura Gordon – Late Night with the Devil
- Sarah Snook – Memoir Of A Snail
- Jackie van Beek – Audrey
- Anya Taylor-Joy – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- Anna Torv – Force Of Nature: The Dry 2
- Phoebe Tonkin – Kid Snow
AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in Film
- Eric Bana – Force Of Nature: The Dry 2
- David Dastmalchian – Late Night with the Devil
- Jonno Davies – Better Man
- Daniel Henshall – How To Make Gravy
- Guy Pearce – The Convert
- Kodi Smit-McPhee – Memoir Of A Snail
AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film
- Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- Hannah Diviney – Audrey
- Kate Mulvany – Better Man
- Kate Mulvany – How To Make Gravy
- Ingrid Torelli – Late Night with the Devil
- Jacki Weaver – Memoir Of A Snail
AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film
- Fayssal Bazzi – Late Night with the Devil
- Chris Hemsworth – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- Damon Herriman – Better Man
- Damon Herriman – How To Make Gravy
- Richard Roxburgh – Force Of Nature: The Dry 2
- Hugo Weaving – How To Make Gravy
AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film
- Better Man – Erik A. Wilson, Matt Toll, Ashley Wallen
- Force Of Nature: The Dry 2 – Andrew Commis
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Simon Duggan
- Late Night with the Devil – Matthew Temple
- Memoir Of A Snail – Gerald Thompson
AACTA Award for Best Original Song
- Dream On (Meg Washington, Electric Fields & The Prison Choir) – How To Make Gravy
- Fine (Meg Washington, Brendan Maclean & The Prison Choir) – How To Make Gravy
- Forbidden Road (Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, Sacha Skarbek) – Better Man
- Side By Side (Paul Kelly) – Runt
- Streetlights (Jacob Harvey) – Under Streetlights
AACTA Award for Best Documentary
- A Horse Named Winx – Janine Hosking (Dir.) – iKandy Films
- Every Little Thing – Sally Aitken (Dir.), Bettina Dalton – WildBear Entertainment and Dogwoof & HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
- Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line – Paul Clarke (Dir.), Carolina Sorensen, Mikael Borglund, Martin Fabinyi – Beyond Entertainment Pty Limited and Blink TV Production Pty Limited
- Otto by Otto – Gracie Otto (Dir.), Cody Greenwood, Nicole O’Donohue, – Rush Films & Wildflower Films
- Porcelain War – Brendan Bellomo (Dir.), Slava Leontyev (Dir.), Camilla Mazzaferro, Aniela Sidorska, Paula Du Pré Pesmen, Olivia Ahnemann – Finch No Worries and Imaginary Lane
- The Musical Mind: A Portrait In Process – Scott Hicks (Dir.), Kerry Heysen, Jett Heysen-Hicks, David Chiem – Beyond May30 Entertainment Pty Ltd
AACTA Award for Best Indie Film
- Before Dawn – Jordon Prince-Wright (Dir.), Ian Hale – Prince-Wright Productions
- Birdeater – Jack Clark (Dir.), Jim Weir (Dir.), Ulysses Oliver, Stephanie Troost – Breathless Films and Fax Machine
- Christmess – Heath Davis (Dir.), Daniel Fenech, Cindy Pritchard, Rick Beecroft, Jonathan Page – Crash House Productions Pty Ltd and Brick Studios
- Just A Farmer – Simon Lyndon (Dir.), Leila McDougall, Sean McDougall – VAM Paddock Productions
- The Emu War – John Campbell (Dir.), Lisa Fineberg (Dir.), Jay Morrissey (Dir.) – Hot Dad Productions Pty Ltd
- You’ll Never Find Me – Indianna Bell (Dir.), Josiah Allen (Dir.), Christine Williams, Jordan Cowan – Stakeout Films, Someone Like U
AACTA Award for Best Soundtrack
- Better Man – Jordan Carroll
- Boy Swallows Universe – Jemma Burns
- Heartbreak High – Jemma Burns
- How To Make Gravy – Meg Washington
- Last Days of the Space Age – Allegra Caldwell
AACTA Award for Best Short Film
- And The Ocean Agreed – Tanya Modini (Dir.), Luisa Martiri, Stephanie Dower – Screaming Birds
- Before We Sleep – Josh Lacy (Dir.), Michelle Walker, Mason Jay Lewis, Joshua Walsh – Top Tier Entertainment and Eastmount studios
- Die Bully Die – Nathan Lacey (Dir.), Nick Lacey (Dir.), Matthew Backer, Drew Weston – Based Film
- Favourites – Nick Russell (Dir.), Nick Musgrove – Tandem Media
- Gorgo – Veniamin Gialouris (Dir.), Katie Amos, Danielle Stamoulos – Australian Film, Television and Radio School
- Why We Fight – Danielle Cormack (Dir.), Nicole da Silva – Four One One Productions
AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation
- Alien: Romulus – Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Jhon Alvarado, Alé Melendez, Sebastian Ravagnani, Nicolas Caillier – Industrial Light & Magic
- Better Man – Luke Millar, Andy Taylor, Craig Young, Tim Walker – Better Man Productions Pty Ltd
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Andrew Jackson, Jason Bath, Guido Wolter, Rachel Copp, Andy Williams – Rising Sun Pictures
- The Fall Guy – Matt Sloan, Chris McClintock, Matt Greig, Rachel Copp, Dan Oliver – Rising Sun Pictures
- Transformers One – Frazer Churchill, Fiona Chilton, Stephen King, Feargal Stewart, Alex Popescu – Industrial Light & Magic
AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films
- Better Man – Martin Connor, Lee Smith, Spencer Susser, Jeff Groth, Patrick Correll
- Force Of Nature: The Dry 2 – Alexandre de Franceschi, Maria Papoutsis
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Eliot Knapman, Margaret Sixel
- Late Night with the Devil – Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
- Memoir Of A Snail – Bill Murphy
AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film
- Better Man – Batu Sener
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Tom Holkenborg
- How To Make Gravy – Sam Dixon
- Late Night with the Devil – Roscoe James Irwin, Glenn Richards
- Memoir Of A Snail – Elena Kats-Chernin
AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film
- Better Man – Joel Chang
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Colin Gibson, Katie Sharrock
- How To Make Gravy – Benjamin Fountain, Peter Kodicek
- Late Night with the Devil – Otello Stolfo
- Memoir Of A Snail – Adam Elliot
AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film
- Better Man – Cappi Ireland
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Jenny Beavan
- How To Make Gravy – Christina Validakis
- Late Night with the Devil – Steph Hooke
- Runt – Terri Lamera
AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film
- Better Man – Paul Pirola, Guntis Sics, Greg P. Russell, Tom Marks, Andy Nelson
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Rob Mackenzie, Ben Osmo, James Ashton, Yulia Akerholt, Jessica Meier, Tom Holkenborg
- How To Make Gravy – Craig Walmsley, Stuart Morton, Diego Ruiz, Sam Hayward
- Late Night with the Devil – Emma Bortignon, Manel Lopez, Pete Smith, Cameron Grant
- Memoir Of A Snail – David Williams, Andy Wright, Lee Yee, Dylan Burgess
AACTA Award for Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks
- Better Man – Alison Telford, Kate Leonard, Kate Dowd
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Nikki Barrett
- How To Make Gravy – Nikki Barrett
- Late Night with the Devil – Leigh Pickford
- Runt – Kirsty McGregor, Annie Murtagh-Monks
AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup
- Boy Swallows Universe – Angela Conte
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Lesley Vanderwalt, Larry Van Duynhoven, Matteo Silvi, Luca Vannella
- Ladies in Black – John Logue
- The Artful Dodger – Lynne O’Brien
- The Moogai – Nick Nicolaou, Paul Katte, Carol Cameron
AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary
- Megafauna: What Killed Australia’s Giants? – Episode 1 – Jeff Siberry
- Skategoat – Dan Freene, Jordan Ritz
- The Mission – Episode 3 – Dean Brosche
- The Musical Mind: A Portrait In Process – Geoffrey Hall, Emerson Hoskin
- The Speedway Murders – Maxx Corkindale
AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary
- Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line – Gretchen Peterson
- ONEFOUR: Against All Odds – Johanna Scott
- Revealed: Ben Roberts Smith Truth on Trial – Orly Danon
- The Speedway Murders – Sean Lahiff
- Welcome To Babel – Karen Johnson
AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary
- Aquarius – Damien Lane
- Brand Bollywood Downunder – Dmitri Golovko, Burkhard Dallwitz, Brett Applin
- Mozart’s Sister – Jessica Wells
- Otto by Otto – Stefan Gregory
- The Speedway Murders – Antony Partos, Jackson Milas, Josh Pearson, Josie Mann
AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary
- A Horse Named Winx – Abigail Sie
- Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line – Wayne Pashley, Travis Handley, Stephen Hopes, Jason King
- Mozart’s Sister – Damian Jory
- The Musical Mind: A Portrait In Process – Pete Smith, Tom Heuzenroeder
- The Speedway Murders – Michael Darren, Pete Smith, Des Kenneally, Hamish Keen