# 9th AACTA Awards

The 9th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (generally known as the AACTA Awards) is an awards ceremony to celebrate the best of Australian films and television of 2019. The main ceremony was held at The Star in Sydney and was televised on the Seven Network. First awards were presented on 4 December 2019. The recipient of the Longford Lyell Award was actor and filmmaker Sam Neill.

## Feature film

| Best Film The Nightingale — Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Jennifer Kent Hotel Mumbai — Basil Iwanyk, Gary Hamilton, Julie Ryan & Jomon Thomas Judy and Punch — Michele Bennett, Nash Edgerton, Danny Gabai The King — Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Liz Watts, David Michôd, Joel Edgerton Ride Like a Girl — Richard Keddie, Rachel Griffiths, Susie Montague Top End Wedding — Rosemary Blight, Kylie du Fresne, Kate Croser | Best Direction Jennifer Kent — The Nightingale Anthony Maras — Hotel Mumbai Mirrah Foulkes — Judy and Punch David Michôd — The King |
| Best Lead Actor Damon Herriman as Punch — Judy and Punch Timothée Chalamet as King Henry V — The King Baykali Ganambarr as "Billy" Mangana — The Nightingale Dev Patel as Arjun — Hotel Mumbai Hugo Weaving as Dan Fisher — Hearts and Bones | Best Lead Actress Aisling Franciosi as Clare Carroll — The Nightingale Nazanin Boniadi as Zahra — Hotel Mumbai Teresa Palmer as Michelle Payne — Ride Like a Girl Miranda Tapsell as Lauren — Top End Wedding Mia Wasikowska as Judy — Judy and Punch |
| Best Supporting Actor Joel Edgerton as Falstaff — The King Damon Herriman as Ruse — The Nightingale Andrew Luri as Sebastian Ahmed — Hearts and Bones Ben Mendelsohn as King Henry IV — The King Michael Sheasby as Aidan Carroll — The Nightingale | Best Supporting Actress Magnolia Maymuru as Lowanna — The Nightingale Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Sally — Hotel Mumbai Hilary Swank as Woman — I Am Mother Bolude Watson as Anishka Ahmed — Hearts and Bones Ursula Yovich as Daffy Ford — Top End Wedding |
| Best Cinematography Adam Arkapaw — The King Ben Nott — Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan Nick Remy Matthews — Hotel Mumbai Radek Ladczuk — The Nightingale | Best Editing Peter McNulty, Anthony Maras — Hotel Mumbai Dany Cooper — Judy & Punch Peter Sciberras — The King Simon Njoo — The Nightingale |
| Best Original Music Score François Tétaz — Judy and Punch Caitlin Yeo — Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan Volker Bertelmann — Hotel Mumbai David Hirschfelder — Ride Like a Girl | Best Sound Liam Egan — Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan Sam Petty, Pete Smith, Nakul Kamte, James Currie, Peter Ristic — Hotel Mumbai Robert Mackenzie, Sam Petty, Gareth John, Leah Katz, Mario Vacarro, Tara Webb — The King Robert Mackenzie, Dean Ryan, Leah Katz, Pete Smith — The Nightingale |
| Best Production Design Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton — The King Steven Jones-Evans — Hotel Mumbai Jo Ford — Judy and Punch Alex Holmes — The Nightingale | Best Costume Design Jane Petrie — The King Anna Borghesi — Hotel Mumbai Edie Kurzer — Judy and Punch Margot Wilson — The Nightingale |
| Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted Jennifer Kent — The Nightingale John Collee, Anthony Maras — Hotel Mumbai Mirrah Foulkes — Judy & Punch David Michod, Joel Edgerton — The King | Best Visual Effects or Animation Spider-Man: Far From Home — Brendan Seals, Michael Perdew, Andrew Zink, Adam Gailey Aquaman — Kelvin McIlwain, Kimberly Nelson LoCascio, Josh Simmonds, David Nelson Captain Marvel — Chris Townsend, Damien Carr, Paul Butterworth, Greg Jowle Dumbo — Richard Stammers, Hal Couzens, Hayley Williams, Dennis Jones, Corinne Teng I Am Mother — Jonathan Dearing, Chris Spry |
| Best Hair and Makeup Lambs of God — Zeljka Stanin, Paul Pattison, Cheryl Williams The King — Alessandro Bertolazzi Nekrotronic — Angela Conte, Paul Katte, Nick Nicolaou, Rosemary Saffioti The Nightingale — Nikki Gooley, Larry Van Duynhoven, Cassie O'Brien | Best Casting The Nightingale — Nikki Barrett Hotel Mumbai — Ann Fay, Leigh Pickford, Trishaan Sarkar The King — Des Hamilton, Francine Maisler Total Control — Anousha Zarkesh |
| Best Indie Film Buoyancy — Rodd Rathjen, Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton, Rita Walsh Book Week — Heath Davis, Joanne Weatherstone Acute Misfortune — Thomas M. Wright, Virginia Kay, Jamie Houge, Liz Kearney Emu Runner — Imogen Thomas, Victor Evatt, Antonia Barnard, John Fink Sequin in a Blue Room — Samuel Van Grinsven, Sophie Hattch, Linus Gibson |

## Television

| Best Drama Series Total Control — Darren Dale, Miranda Dear, Rachel Griffiths Bloom — David Maher, David Taylor, Glen Dolman, Sue Seeary Mr Inbetween — Michele Bennett Secret City: Under the Eagle — Stephen Corvini, Penny Chapman, Matt Cameron, Penny Win, Carly Heaton Wentworth — Jo Porter, Pino Amenta | Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series Lambs of God — Jason Stephens, Helen Bowden, Sarah Lambert, Elisa Argenzio The Cry — Claire Mundell, Brian Kaczynski, Stuart Menzies Fighting Season — Kylie du Fresne, Blake Ayshford, Elisa Argenzio The Hunting — Sophie Hyde, Lisa Scott, Rebecca Summerton On the Ropes — Helen Bowden, Courtney Wise, Jason Stephens |
| Best Comedy Series The Letdown — Linda Micsko, Julian Morrow, Sarah Scheller, Alison Bell Frayed — Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan, Nicole O'Donohue, Kevin Whyte Rosehaven — Andrew Walker, Kevin Whyte, Celia Pacquola, Luke McGregor Sammy J — Sammy J, Michelle Buxton, Chris McDonald Utopia — Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch, Michael Hirsh | Best Entertainment Program Lego Masters — David McDonald, Eoin Maher, AJ Johnson Australia's Got Talent — Digby Mitchell, David Briegel-Jones, Jonathon Summerhayes Australian Ninja Warrior — Julie Ward, Amelia Fisk, Mark Barlin Hard Quiz — Chris Walker, Kevin Whyte, Tom Gleeson, Charlie Pickering, John Tabbagh The Masked Singer — Janine Cooper, Sean Kneale |
| Best Lifestyle Program Love It or List It Australia — Karen Warner, Geoff Fitzpatrick, Howard Myers Destination Flavour China — Olivia Hoopmann, Joshua Martin Grand Designs Australia — Brooke Bayvel, Michael O'Neill The Great Australian Bake Off — Nicole Rogers, David Briegel-Jones Selling Houses Australia — Sally Joyce, Sonia Harding, Geoff Fitzpatrick | Best Reality Series Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders — Amelia Fisk, Adam Fergusson The Block — Julian Cress, David Barbour Married at First Sight — Tara McWilliams, Emma Lamb, Kate Feely MasterChef Australia — Marty Benson, Adam Fergusson My Kitchen Rules — Joe Herdman, David Dutton, Nicole Anthony, Therese Hegarty, Angus Ross |
| Best Children's Series Bluey — Charlie Aspinwall, Daley Pearson, Sam Moor Drop Dead Weird — Sally Browning, Monica O'Brien, Kylie Mascord Hardball — Catherine Nebauer, Joe Weatherstone, Bernadette O'Mahony, Jan Stradling The InBESTigators — Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope The Unlisted — Angie Fielder, Polly Staniford, Justine Flynn | Best Teleplay The Hunting — Niki Aken, Matthew Cormack – Episode 3 The Cry — Jacquelin Perske – Episode 2 Lambs of God — Sarah Lambert – Episode 1: The Devil into Paradise Utopia — Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch – Episode 2 |
| Best Lead Actor – Drama Scott Ryan as Ray Shoesmith — Mr Inbetween Patrick Brammall as Sgt. James Hayes — Glitch Bryan Brown as Ray Reed — Bloom Ewen Leslie as Alistair Robertson — The Cry Sam Reid as Father Ignatius — Lambs of God | Best Lead Actress – Drama Deborah Mailman as Alex Irving — Total Control Jenna Coleman as Joanna Lindsay — The Cry Essie Davis as Sister Iphigenia — Lambs of God Ann Dowd as Sister Margarita — Lambs of God Anna Torv as Harriet Dunkley — Secret City: Under the Eagle |
| Best Guest or Supporting Actor – Drama Richard Roxburgh as Nick — The Hunting Damon Herriman as Father Bob — Lambs of God Damon Herriman as Freddy — Mr Inbetween Ewen Leslie as Captain Edward "Ted" Nordenfelt — Fighting Season John Stanton as Max McKinnon — Bloom | Best Guest or Supporting Actress – Drama Rachel Griffiths as Rachel Anderson — Total Control Kate Box as Lauren 'Lozza' Johnson — Les Norton Asher Keddie as Alexandra — The Cry Brooke Satchwell as Ally — Mr Inbetween Jacki Weaver as Gwendolyn "Gwen" Reed — Bloom |
| Best Television Direction Jeffrey Walker — Lambs of God – Episode 1: The Devil into Paradise Ana Kokkinos — The Hunting – Episode 3: #shittyboys Sarah Scheller, Alison Bell — The Letdown – Episode 2: The Dilemma Rachel Perkins — Total Control – Episode 3 | Best Non-Fiction Television Direction Olivia Hoopmann — Destination Flavour China – Episode 1: Beijing Richard Franc — Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders – Episode 1 Jeff Siberry — Todd Sampson's Body Hack – Episode 1: Gaza Frontlines Cian O'Clery — Employable Me – Episode 1: Eric, Kathleen & Paul |
| Best Cinematography in Television Lambs of God — Donald McAlpine – Episode 1: The Devil into Paradise The Cry — Sam Chiplin – Episode 2 Destination Flavour China — Gilbert Farkas – Episode 1: Beijing Secret City: Under the Eagle — Mark Wareham – Episode 1: Run Little Rabbit | Best Editing in Television The Cry — Alastair Reid – Episode 2 Lambs of God — Deborah Peart – Episode 1: The Devil into Paradise Total Control — Deborah Peart – Episode 3 The Unlisted — Mat Evans – Episode 1 |
| Best Sound in Television Lambs of God — Nick Emond, Stephen Smith, Paul Devescovi, Mia Stewart – Episode 1: The Devil into Paradise Todd Sampson's Body Hack — Damian Jory – Episode 1: Gaza Frontlines Frayed — Mark Cornish, Ralph Ortner – Episode 1 Total Control — Nick Emond, Dane Cody, Luke Mynott, Wes Chew – Episode 3 | Best Original Music Score in Television Lambs of God — Bryony Marks – Episode 1: The Devil into Paradise The Cry — Lorne Balfe – Episode 2 Frayed — Bryony Marks – Episode 1 The Unlisted — Diego Baldenweg, Nora Baldenweg, Lionel Vincent Baldenweg – Episode 1 |
| Best Production Design in Television Lambs of God — Chris Kennedy – Episode 1: The Devil into Paradise Frayed — Fiona Donovan – Episode 1 The Letdown — Roslyn Durnford – Episode 2: The Dilemma Secret City: Under the Eagle — Elizabeth Mary Moore – Episode 1: Run Little Rabbit | Best Costume Design in Television Lambs of God — Xanthe Heubel – Episode 1: The Devil into Paradise Frayed — Nina Edwards – Episode 1 Les Norton — Jenny Miles – Episode 1: You Wouldn't Be Dead for Quids The Masked Singer — Tim Chappel – Episode 1: Face Off 1 |
| Best Factual Entertainment Program You Can't Ask That — Kirk Docker, Aaron Smith, Frances O'Riordan Gogglebox Australia — David McDonald, Kerrie Kerr Gruen — Nick Murray, Polly Connolly, Wil Anderson, Sarah Douglas Todd Sampson's Body Hack — Chris Hilton, David Alrich, Todd Sampson Who Do You Think You Are — Maxine Gray | Best Performance in a Television Comedy Alison Bell — The Letdown Celia Pacquola — Rosehaven Celia Pacquola — Utopia Rob Sitch — Utopia Miranda Tapsell — Get Krack!n |
| Best Sports Entertainment Program The Front Bar — Adrian Brown, Richard Molloy, Mick Molloy, Greg Sitch, Adam Rowe AFL 360 — Tim Hodges, Tom Dullard Bounce — Bill Cannon On the Couch — Ben Roberts Sunday Night with Matty Johns — Ben Churchill, Matty Johns, John Singleton | Best Sports Coverage Test Cricket Live on Fox — Foxtel: Foxsports Seven's Summer of Cricket — Seven Network AFL — Foxtel: Foxsports The Australian Open — Nine Network State of Origin — Nine Network |
| Subscription Television Award for Best Male Presenter Andrew Winter — Selling Houses Australia & Love It or List It Australia Graeme Blundell — Screen Ron Iddles — Ron Iddles: The Good Cop Matty Johns — Sunday Night with Matty Johns and The Matty Johns Podcast Peter Maddison — Grand Designs Australia | Subscription Television Award for Best Female Presenter Yvonne Sampson — League Life & Fox League Game Day Hosting Maggie Beer — The Great Australian Bake Off Shaynna Blaze — Selling Houses Australia Claire Hooper — The Great Australian Bake Off Margaret Pomeranz — Screen |
| Subscription Television Award for Best Male New Talent Chris Alosio — Fighting Season Frederick du Rietz — Secret City: Under The Eagle Fletcher Kennedy — Secret City: Under The Eagle Diesel La Torraca — Lambs of God | Subscription Television Award for Best Female New Talent Asha Boswarva — Lambs of God Usha Cornish — Bloom Paulene Gibson — Wentworth Emma Lancaster — Lambs of God Yvonne Rae — Lambs of God |

## Documentary

| Best Feature Length Documentary The Australian Dream — Daniel Gordon, Sarah Thomson, Nick Batzias, Virginia Whitwell, John Battsek The Eulogy — Janine Hosking, Katey Grusovin, Trish Lake The Final Quarter — Ian Darling, Mary Macrae In My Blood It Runs — Maya Newell, Sophie Hyde, Rachel Naninaaq Edwardson, Larissa Behrendt Mystify: Michael Hutchence — Richard Lowenstein, Maya Gnyp, John Battsek, Sue Murray, Mark Fennessy, Lynn-Maree Milburn, Andrew de Groot | Best Documentary Television Program Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds — Debbie Cuell, Brooke Hulsman Australia in Colours — Jo-Anne McGowan, Jennifer Peedom Employable Me — Karina Holden, Jenni Wilks Exposed: The Case of Keli Lane — Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Jaya Balendra, Elise Worthington, Sue Spencer Gatwick – The Last Chance Hotel — Jason Byrne |
| Best Editing in a Documentary The Final Quarter — Sally Fryer The Cult of The Family — Bill Murphy – Episode 1: Unseen, Uheard, Unknown Exposed: The Case of Keli Lane — Lile Judickas Mystify: Michael Hutchence — Richard Lowenstein, Lynn-Maree Milburn, Tayler Martin | Best Cinematography in a Documentary Magical Land of Oz — Paul Bell, Dan Proud, Jon Shaw 100 Days To Victory — Torstein Dyrting – Episode 1: The Spring Offensive Finke: There and Back — Dylan River, Shane Mulcahy, Peter Beeh In My Blood It Runs — Maya Newell |
| Best Original Music Score in a Documentary 2040 — Bryony Marks The Cult of The Family — Amanda Brown – Episode 1: Unseen, Uheard, Unknown The Leunig Fragments — Luke Altmann Martha: A Picture Story — Adit Gauchan, Vincent Goodyer | Best Sound in a Documentary 100 Days To Victory – Episode 1: The Spring Offensive – Ric Curtin, Xoe Baird, Laurie Chlanda, Adrian Tucker Defend, Conserve, Protect — Chris Goodes Don't Stop The Music — Ric Curtin, Glenn Martin, Ben Ohayon, Gavin Fernie, Ash Charlton Mystify: Michael Hutchence — Robert Mackenzie, Mick Boraso, Simon Rosenberg, Lynn-Maree Milburn |

## Short form

| Best Short Fiction Film The Egg — Jane Cho, Ilana Lazar Rebooted — Michael Shanks, Nicholas Colla, Chris Hocking Snare — Madeleine Gottlieb, Tom Slater Yulubidyi – Until The End — Curtis Taylor, Nathan Mewett, Glen Stasiuk | Best Short Animation Pinchpot — Greg Holfeld Jasper — Simon Rippingale, Alessandra Grasso Sohrab And Rustum — Lee Whitmore Sole — Yori Narpati, Erika Ju, Quynh Truong |
| Best Online Drama or Comedy Robbie Hood — Dylan River, Tanith Glynn-Maloney, Meg O'Connell, Charlie Aspinwall Aunty Donna: Glennridge Secondary College — Katherine Dale, Rachel Millar, Max Miller Content — Meg O'Connell, Daley Pearson, Jackson Lapsley Scott, Anna Barnes Koala Man — Michael Cusack, Mike Cowap Over and Out — Adele Vuko, Christiaan Van Vuuren, Bridget Callow-Wright, Gemma Knight, Abi Tabone | Best Online Entertainment Wengie Bounce Patrol — Shannon Jones CKN Toys Georgia Productions HowToBasic Ozzy Man Reviews Primitive Technology — John Plant |
| Best Short Documentary Home Front: Facing Australia's Climate Emergency — Luke Taylor Demonic — Pia Borg, Anna Vincent, Bonnie McBride War Mothers: Unbreakable — Stefan Bugryn, Steven Zelko Woven Threads — Michi Marosszeky, Paul Sullivan ||

## Additional awards

* Best Asian Film
* Parasite — Bong Joon-ho, Young-Hwan Jang, Yang-kwon Moon, Kwak Sin-ae
* Andhadhun — Sriram Raghavan, Sanjay Rautray, Keval Garg
* Gully Boy — Zoya Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar
* Hello, Love, Goodbye — Cathy Garcia-Molina, Carlo L. Katigbak
* Ne Zha — Jiao Zi, Wei Yunyun, Liu Wenzhang
* Shadow — Zhang Yimou, Ellen Eliasoph, Zhang Zhao, Pang Liwei, Liu Jun, Wang Xiaozhu
* Super Deluxe — Thiagarajan Kumararaja, S. D. Ezhilmathy
* The Wandering Earth — Frant Gwo, Gong Geer, Wang Hong
* We Are Little Zombies — Taihei Yamanishi, Shinichi Takahashi

## Individual awards

| The Longford Lyell Award Sam Neill | The Byron Kennedy Award P. J. Voeten |