# AACTA Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy

The AACTA Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy is an accolade given by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television." The award is handed out at the annual AACTA Awards, which rewards achievements in Australian feature film, television, documentaries and short films. From 1986 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards). When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current prize being a continuum of the AFI Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy.
From 2003 to 2005, the award was given as a joint award with drama performances under the category Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy. However, comedy performances was separated from the drama categories in 2006, when the award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy was created. Chris Lilley and Phil Lloyd have won the award the most times with two wins each.

## Winners and nominees

In the following table, winners are listed first, in boldface and highlighted in gold; those listed below the winner that are not in boldface or highlighted are the nominees.

### AFI Awards

| Year | Nominee | Program | Character(s) | Series | Network |
| 2006 (48th) | Andrew Hansen | The Chaser's War on Everything | Himself | Series 1 | ABC |
| 2006 (48th) | Paul McCarthy | Comedy Inc: The Late Shift | Various | Series 4 | Nine Network |
| 2006 (48th) | Genevieve Morris | Comedy Inc: The Late Shift | Various | Series 4 | Nine Network |
| 2006 (48th) | Kris McQuade | Supernova | Professor Pip Cartwright | Series 2 | UKTV |
| 2007 (49th) | Adam Zwar | Wilfred | Adam | Series 1 | SBS One |
| 2007 (49th) | Drew Forsythe | David Tench Tonight | David Tench | Series 1 | Network Ten |
| 2007 (49th) | Jason Gann | Wilfred | Wilfred | Series 1 | SBS One |
| 2007 (49th) | Peter Kowitz | Supernova | Max Talbot | Series 2 | UKTV |
| 2008 (50th) | Chris Lilley | Summer Heights High | Various | – | ABC |
| 2008 (50th) | Rob Carlton | Chandon Pictures | Tom Chandon | Series 1 | Movie Extra |
| 2008 (50th) | Robyn Butler | The Librarians | Frances O'Brien | Series 1 | ABC |
| 2008 (50th) | Rob Sitch | The Hollowmen | Tony | Series 1 | ABC |
| 2009 (51st) | Phil Lloyd | Review with Myles Barlow | Myles Barlow | Series 1 | ABC |
| 2009 (51st) | Robyn Butler | The Librarians | Frances O'Brien | Series 2 | ABC |
| 2009 (51st) | Kim Gyngell | Very Small Business | Ray Leonard Leonard | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2009 (51st) | Wayne Hope | Very Small Business | Don Angel | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2010 (52nd) | Phil Lloyd | Review with Myles Barlow | Myles Barlow | Series 2 | ABC |
| 2010 (52nd) | Paul Denny | Lowdown | Bob Geraghty | Series 1 | SBS One |
| 2010 (52nd) | Jason Gann | Wilfred | Wilfred | Series 2 | SBS One |

### AACTA Awards

| Year | Nominee | Program | Character(s) | Series | Network |
| 2011 (1st) | Chris Lilley | Angry Boys | Various | – | ABC1 |
| 2011 (1st) | Alison Bell | Laid | Roo McVie | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2011 (1st) | Jess Harris | Twentysomething | Jess | Series 1 | ABC2 |
| 2011 (1st) | Celia Pacquola | Laid | EJ | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2012 (2nd) | Patrick Brammall | A Moody Christmas | Sean Moody | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2012 (2nd) | Barry Crocker | The Strange Calls | Gregor | Series 1 | ABC2 |
| 2012 (2nd) | Damon Herriman | Laid | Marcus Dwyer | Series 2 | ABC2 |
| 2012 (2nd) | Frank Woodley | Woodley | Woodley | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2013 (3rd) | Shaun Micallef | Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell | Himself | Series 2 | ABC1 |
| 2013 (3rd) | Lisa McCune | It's a Date | Em | – | ABC1 |
| 2013 (3rd) | Robyn Nevin | Upper Middle Bogan | Margaret Denyer | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2013 (3rd) | Josh Thomas | Please Like Me | Josh | Series 1 | ABC2 |
| 2014 (4th) | Debra Lawrance | Please Like Me | Rose | Series 2 | ABC2 |
| 2014 (4th) | Patrick Brammall | The Moodys | Sean Moody | Series 1 | ABC |
| 2014 (4th) | Celia Pacquola | Utopia | Nat | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2014 (4th) | Josh Thomas | Please Like Me | Josh | Series 2 | ABC2 |
| 2015 (5th) | Celia Pacquola | Utopia | Nat | Series 2 | ABC1 |
| 2015 (5th) | Nathan Lovejoy | Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane | Borkman | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2015 (5th) | Randy | Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane | Randy | Series 1 | ABC1 |
| 2015 (5th) | Emily Taheny | Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell | various | Series 5 | ABC2 |
| 2016 (6th) | Patrick Brammall | No Activity | Detective Hendy | Series 1 | Stan |
| 2016 (6th) | Alison Bell | ABC Comedy Showroom – The Letdown | Audrey | - | ABC1 |
| 2016 (6th) | Fiona Choi | The Family Law | Jenny Law | Series 1 | SBS |
| 2016 (6th) | Leah Purcell | Black Comedy | various | Series 2 | ABC1 |