# AACTA Award for Best Miniseries or Telefeature

The AACTA Award for Best Miniseries or Telefeature, also known as AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series, is an award that has been handed out to producers annually since 1986 by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), since 2011 the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA).

## History

The award was originally presented by the AFI in two separate categories, for "Best Telefeature" and "Best Mini Series", but in 1990 both categories were merged to form Best Television Mini Series or Telefeature. By 2008 the award name was changed again, to AFI Award for Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series.
From the inaugural AACTA awards in 2011 until 2020, the name was AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series, changing to AACTA Award for Best Miniseries or Telefeature in 2021.

## Best Mini Series

| Year | Winner | Recipient(s) | Network | Other nominees |
| 1986 | The Dunera Boys | Bob Weis | Network Ten | ? |
| 1987 | The Great Bookie Robbery | Ian Bradley | Network Ten | The Harp in the South (Network Ten) Anthony Buckley Vietnam (Network Ten) Doug Mitchell, Terry Hayes, George Miller In Between (SBS) Chris Warner, Kim Dalton |
| 1988 | The True Believers | Sandra Levy & Matt Carroll | ABC TV | The Alien Years (ABC) Ray Alchin Captain James Cook (ABC) Ray Alchin Poor Man's Orange (Network Ten) Anthony Buckley |
| 1989 | Edens Lost | Margaret Fink | ABC TV | Act of Betrayal (ABC) Ray Alchin, Nick Evans Bodysurfer (ABC) Ross Matthews Barlow & Chambers: A Long Way From Home (Nine Network) Matt Carroll, Steve Krantz |

## Best Telefeature

| Year | Winner | Recipient(s) | Network | Other nominees |
| 1986 | The Perfectionist | Pat Lovell | Network Ten | ? |
| 1987 | Two Friends | Jan Chapman | ABC TV | Call Me Mr. Brown (Network Ten) Scott Hicks, Terry Jennings Hunger (ABC) Jan Chapman The Hour Before My Brother Dies (ABC) Noel Price |
| 1988 | A Matter of Convenience | Noel Price | ABC TV | Fragments Of War (Network Ten) Terry Hayes, Doug Mitchell, George Miller Olive (ABC) Richard Brennan Sisterly Love (ABC) Peter Du Cane |
| 1989 | Police State | Rod Allan | Southern Star Sullivan/ABC TV | Prejudice (Nine Network) Pamela Williams Rescue (ABC) John Edwards Malpractice Tristram Miall |

## Best Miniseries or Telefeature (or Short Run Series)

| Year | Winner | Recipient(s) | Network | Other nominees |
| 1990 | Come In Spinner | Jan Chapman | ABC TV | The Girl from Tomorrow (Nine Network) Ron Saunders, Noel Price Police Crop (ABC) Rod Allan The Magistrate (ABC) Kim Dalton, Chris Warner |
| 1991 | The Paper Man | Sue Masters Greg Ricketson | ABC TV | Ratbag Hero (Seven Network) Zelda Rosenbaum, Oscar Whitbread Ring of Scorpio (Nine Network) Errol Sullivan Shadows of the Heart (Network Ten) Jan Marnell |
| 1992 | Brides of Christ | Sue Masters | ABC TV | Clowning Around (ABC) Paul D. Barron, Antonia Barnard Six Pack – 'Piccolo Mondo' (SBS) Bob Weis The Girl from Tomorrow: Tomorrow's End (Nine Network) Noel Price |
| 1993 | The Leaving of Liverpool | Steve Knapman | ABC TV | Seven Deadly Sins – 'Sloth' (ABC) Hannie Rayson Round the Twist, Series 2 – Episode 3, 'Little Squirt' (ABC) Paul Jennings, Esben Storm Police Rescue, Series 3 – Episode 1, 'Lifeline' (ABC) Debra Oswald |
| 1994 | Under the Skin: The Long Ride | Franco di Chiera | SBS | The Battlers (Seven Network) Gus Howard Under the Skin, Episode 'Grandma's Teeth' (SBS) Franco di Chiera Seventh Floor (Network Ten) John Sexton |
| 1995 | Halifax f.p.: The Feeding | Roger Le Mesurier Roger Simpson | | Cody – 'A Family Affair' (Seven Network) Sandra Levy, John Edwards Halifax f.p. – 'Hard Corps' (Nine Network) Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson Halifax f.p. – 'Lies of the Mind' (Nine Network) Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson |
| 1996 | Blue Murder | Rod Allan | ABC TV | Halifax f.p. – 'Cradle and All' (Nine Network) Roger Simpson, Roger Le Mesurier Naked – Episode 'The Fisherman's Wake' (ABC) Jan Chapman State Coroner (Network Ten) – David Taft, John Kearney |
| 1997 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Roger Le Mesurier Roger Simpson Ros Tatarka | Nine Network | Kangaroo Palace – (Seven Network) Ewan Burnett Simone De Beauvoir's Babies (ABC) – Andrew Knight, Denise Patience, Deborah Cox The Last of the Ryans (Nine Network) – Richard Brennan |
| 1998 | Wildside | Steve Knapman | ABC TV | The Violent Earth – Jock Blair, David Rouse, Bruce Gordon Halifax f.p.: Afraid of the Dark –Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson, Terry Jennings Never Tell Me Never – David Elfick, Anne Bruning |
| 1999 | The Day of the Roses | Simone North Tony Cavanaugh | | The Potato Factory – Anthony Buckley, Des Monaghan Aftershocks – Julia Overton Halifax f.p.: Swimming with Sharks – Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson, Robyn Sinclair |
| 2000 | On the Beach | John Edwards Errol Sullivan Jeff Hayes Greg Coote | Southern Star Sullivan ABC TV | Halifax f.p.: A Person of Interest – Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson, John Hugginson The Secret Life of Us – John Edwards, Amanda Higgs Waiting at the Royal – Andrew Wiseman, Richard Keddie |
| 2001 | My Brother Jack | Sue Milliken Andrew Wiseman Richard Keddie | ABC TV | Changi – Bill Hughes Do or Die – John Edwards, Lavinia Warner My Husband, My Killer – David Gould, Des Monaghan, Anthony Buckley |
| 2002 | The Road from Coorain | Penny Chapman | | Halifax f.p.: Takes Two – Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson, Steve Jodrell Heroes' Mountain – Anthony Buckley Secret Bridesmaids' Business – Lynda House |
| 2003 | After the Deluge | Richard Keddie Andrew Knight Andrew Wiseman | | BlackJack – Nick Murray, Sally Ayre-Smith The Postcard Bandit – Matt Carroll The Shark Net – Sue Taylor |
| 2004 | Marking Time | John Edwards | ABC TV | Go Big – Ellie Beaumont, Rosemary Blight, Michael Miller Small Claims – Rosemary Blight, Kylie Du Fresne, Ben Grant The Brush-Off – Huntaway Films & Ruby Entertainment |
| 2005 | The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant | Andrew Benson Greg Haddrick | Network Ten | Little Oberon – Susan Bower Hell Has Harbour Views – Ian Collie Through My Eyes – Simone North, Tony Cavanaugh |
| 2006 | RAN | Penny Chapman | SBS TV | Answered by Fire – Roger Le Mesurier & Andrew Walker The Silence – Jan Chapman The Surgeon – John Edwards & Judi McCrossin |
| 2007 | The King | Jason Stephens | TV1 / Nine Network | Bastard Boys – Brett Popplewell & Ray Quint The Circuit – Ross Hutchens & Colin South |
| 2008 | East West 101 | Steve Knapman Kris Wyld | SBS TV | Bed of Roses – Stephen Luby & Mark Ruse Rain Shadow – Gus Howard Valentine's Day – Tony Wright |
| 2009 | False Witness | Greg Haddrick Peter Andrikidis | UKTV | 3 Acts of Murder – Sue Taylor The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce – Nial Fulton Saved – Michael McMahon, Tony Ayres |
| 2010 | Hawke | Richard Keddie | Network Ten | A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne – Karl Zwicky (Network Ten) |
| 2011 | The Slap | Tony Ayres, Helen Bowden, Michael McMahon | ABC1 | Cloudstreet – Greg Haddrick and Brenda Pam (Showcase) Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo – John Edwards and Karen Radzyner (ABC1) Sisters of War – Andrew Wiseman (ABC1) |
| 2012 | Howzat! Kerry Packer's War | John Edwards, Mimi Butler | Nine Network | Beaconsfield – John Edwards, Jane Liscombe (Nine Network) Devil's Dust – Antonia Barnard, Stephen Corvini (ABC1) Underground: The Julian Assange Story – Helen Bowden (Network Ten) |
| 2013 | Top of the Lake | Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jane Campion, Philippa Campbell | BBC UKTV | An Accidental Soldier – Kylie du Fresne, Sue Taylor (ABC1) Mrs Biggs – Kwadjo Dajan, Tony Wright (Seven Network) Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War – John Edwards, Jodi Matterson (Nine Network) |
| 2014 | Devil's Playground | Helen Bowden, Penny Chapman, and Blake Ayshford | Foxtel-Showcase | Carlotta – Riccardo Pellizzeri and Lara Radulovich (ABC) INXS: Never Tear Us Apart – Mark Fennessy, Rory Callaghan, Kerrie Mainwaring, and Andrew Prowse (Seven Network) Secrets & Lies – Tracey Robertson, Leigh McGrath, and Nathan Mayfield (Network Ten) |
| 2015 | Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door | Kerrie Mainwaring, Rory Callaghan | Seven Network | Banished – Sita Williams, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jamie Laurenson, Brett Popplewell (BBC First) The Principal – Ian Collie (SBS) The Secret River – Stephen Luby (ABC) |
| 2016 | The Kettering Incident | Vincent Sheehan, Victoria Madden, Andrew Walker | Foxtel-Showcase | Barracuda – Tony Ayres, Amanda Higgs (ABC) The Beautiful Lie – John Edwards S.P.A, Imogen Banks S.P.A (ABC) Molly – John Molloy (Seven Network) |
| 2017 | Sunshine | Ian Collie, Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw | SBS TV | Blue Murder: Killer Cop – Carol Hughes, Michael Jenkins (Seven Network) Seven Types of Ambiguity – Amanda Higgs, Tony Ayres, Jacqueline Perske (ABC) Wake in Fright – Helen Bowden, Kristian Moliere (Network Ten) |
| 2018 | Riot | Joanna Werner, Louise Smith | ABC1 | Dead Lucky – Ellie Beaumont, Drew Proffitt, Diane Haddon (SBS) Friday On My Mind – David Taylor, David Maher, Diane Haddon, Christopher Lee (ABC) Picnic At Hanging Rock – Jo Porter, Brett Popplewell (Foxtel) Safe Harbour – Stephen Corvini, Debbie Lee (SBS) |
| 2019 | Lambs of God | Jason Stephens, Helen Bowden, Sarah Lambert, Elisa Argenzio | Foxtel-Showcase | The Cry – Claire Mundell, Brian Kaczynski, Stuart Menzies (ABC) Fighting Season – Kylie du Fresne, Blake Ayshford, Elisa Argenzio (Foxtel) The Hunting – Sophie Hyde, Lisa Scott, Rebecca Summerton (SBS) On the Ropes – Helen Bowden, Courtney Wise, Jason Stephens (SBS) |
| 2020 | Stateless | Cate Blanchett, Elise McCredie, Tony Ayres, Sheila Jayadev, Paul Ranford, Liz Watts, Andrew Upton | ABC | The Gloaming – Victoria Madden, John Molloy, Fiona McConaghy (Stan) Hungry Ghosts – Stephen Corvini, Timothy Hobart, Debbie Lee, Sue Masters (SBS) Operation Buffalo – Vincent Sheehan, Tanya Phegan, Peter Duncan (ABC) The Secrets She Keeps – Helen Bowden, Jason Stephens, Paul Watters (Network Ten) |