10th AACTA Awards

Date

30 November 2020

Location

The Star, Sydney, Australia

Hosted by

Highlights

Most awards

Film: Babyteeth
TV: Stateless

Most nominations

Stateless

Best Film

Babyteeth

Best Drama Series

Mystery Road

Best Comedy Series

Upright

Television/radio coverage

Networks

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The 10th 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 2020. The main ceremony was held at The Star in Sydney and televised on Foxtel Arts and the Seven Network.^[1]^[2]

Feature film

^[3]^[4]

Best Film Babyteeth — Alex White H Is For Happiness — Julie Ryan, Tenille Kennedy, Lisa Hoppe I Am Woman — Rosemary Blight, Unjoo Moon The Invisible Man — Kylie du Fresne, Jason Blum True History of the Kelly Gang — Hal Vogel, Liz Watts, Justin Kurzel, Paul Ranford Relic — Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw	Best Indie Film Standing Up for Sunny — Steve Vidler (Dir), Jamie Hilton, Michael Pontin, Drew Bailey A Boy Called Sailboat — Cameron Nugent, Andrew Curry, Nick Farnell, Sullivan Stapleton Hot Mess — Lucy Coleman, Sheila Jayadev, Lyn Norfor, Martin Thorne Koko: A Red Dog Story — Dominic Pearce, Aaron McCann, Nelson Woss, Lauren Brunswick A Lion Returns — Serhat Caradee, Liz Burton Unsound — Ian Watson, Tsu Shan Chambers
Best Direction Shannon Murphy — Babyteeth John Sheedy — H Is For Happiness Leigh Whannell — The Invisible Man Natalie Erika James — Relic Justin Kurzel — True History of the Kelly Gang	Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted Rita Kalnejais — Babyteeth Abe Forsythe — Little Monsters Leigh Whannell — The Invisible Man Natalie Erika James, Christian White — Relic Shaun Grant — True History of the Kelly Gang
Best Lead Actor Toby Wallace — Babyteeth George MacKay — True History of the Kelly Gang Sam Neill — Rams Richard Roxburgh — H is for Happiness Hugo Weaving — Measure for Measure	Best Lead Actress Eliza Scanlen — Babyteeth Tilda Cobham-Hervey — I Am Woman Laura Gordon — Undertow Elisabeth Moss — The Invisible Man Lupita Nyong'o — Little Monsters
Best Supporting Actor Ben Mendelsohn — Babyteeth Fayssal Bazzi — Measure for Measure Russell Crowe — True History of the Kelly Gang Aaron Jeffery — The Flood Wesley Patten — H is for Happiness	Best Supporting Actress Essie Davis — Babyteeth Emma Booth — H is for Happiness Bella Heathcote — Relic Deborah Mailman — H is for Happiness Doris Younane — Measure for Measure
Best Cinematography Stefan Duscio — The Invisible Man Andrew Commis — Babyteeth Brad Shield — Bloody Hell Geoffrey Hall — Escape from Pretoria Bonnie Elliott — H is for Happiness	Best Editing Andy Canny — The Invisible Man Steve Evans — Babyteeth Dany Cooper — I Am Woman Nick Fenton — True History of the Kelly Gang Julie-Anne De Ruvo, Nick Meyers — Undertow
Best Original Music Score Amanda Brown — Babyteeth Craig Armstrong — Dirt Music Nerida Tyson-Chew — H is for Happiness Rafael May — I Am Woman Jed Kurzel — True History of the Kelly Gang	Best Sound P.K Hooker, Will Files, Paul “Salty” Brincat — The Invisible Man Sam Hayward, Angus Robertson, Rick Lisle, Nick Emond — Babyteeth Robert Mackenzie, Ben Osmo, Pete Smith, Tara Webb — I Am Woman Robert Mackenzie, John Wilkinson, Steve Burgess, Glenn Newnham — Relic Frank Lipson, Steve Single, Andrew Neil, Andrew Ramage — True History of the Kelly Gang
Best Production Design Karen Murphy, Rebecca Cohen — True History of the Kelly Gang Sherree Philips — Babyteeth Michael Turner, Richie Dehne — I Am Woman Alex Holmes, Katie Sharrock — The Invisible Man Robert Perkins — Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears	Best Costume Design Alice Babidge — True History of the Kelly Gang Terri Lamera — H is for Happiness Emily Seresin — I Am Woman Zohie Castellano, Olivia Simpson — Measure for Measure Nina Edwards — Standing up for Sunny
Best Visual Effects or Animation Tim Crosbie, Joy Wu, Jason Troughton, Tom Wood, Julian Hutchens — The Eight Hundred Olivier Dumont, Kathy Siegel, Malte Sarnes, Mark Byers, Matt Grieg — Ford V Ferrari Jonathan Dearing, Marcus Bolton, Matt Ebb, Aevar Bjarnason — The Invisible Man Jimmy Uddo, Nicholas Brooks, Josh Simmonds, Ineke Majoor — It Chapter Two Thomas Elder-Groebe, Mark Breakspear, Glenn Melenhorst, Ineke Majoor — Jumanji: The Next Level	Best Hair and Makeup Kirsten Veysey — True History of the Kelly Gang Nikki Gooley, Wendy de Waal, Cassie O’Brien — I Am Woman Sheldon Wade, Kerryn Flewell-Smith, Cheryl Williams — Operation Buffalo Chiara Tripodi, Larry Van Duynhoven, Toni Ffrench — Preacher: Episode 8: Fear of the Lord Angela Conte, Larry Van Duynhoven, Bec Taylor — Relic
Best Casting Kirsty McGregor, Stevie Ray — Babyteeth Jane Norris — H is for Happiness Nikki Barrett — I Am Woman Allison Meadows — Stateless Nikki Barrett — True History of the Kelly Gang

Television

Best Drama Series Mystery Road — David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin (ABC) Bloom — David Maher, David Taylor, Glen Dolman, Sue Seeary (Stan) Doctor Doctor — Ian Collie, Ally Henville, Keith Thompson, Rodger Corser (Nine Network) Halifax: Retribution — Roger Simpson, Louisa Kors (Nine Network) The Heights — Warren Clarke, Peta Astbury-Bulsara, Debbie Lee, Que Minh Luu (ABC) Wentworth — Jo Porter, Pino Amenta (Foxtel)	Best Telefeature or Mini Series 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)
Best Comedy Series Upright — Jason Stephens, Helen Bowden, Melissa Kelly, Chris Taylor, Tim Minchin (Foxtel) At Home Alone Together — Nick Hayden, Janet Gaeta, Nikita Agzarian, Dan Ilic (ABC) Black Comedy — Kath Shelper, Mark O’Toole, Nakkiah Lui, David Woodhead (ABC) The Other Guy — Angie Fielder, Polly Staniford, Jude Troy, Alice Willison (Stan) Rosehaven — Andrew Walker, Kevin Whyte, Celia Pacquola, Luke McGregor (ABC)	Best Entertainment Program Have You Been Paying Attention? — Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Michael Hirsh, Rob Sitch (Network Ten) Eurovision – Australia Decides – Gold Coast 2020 — Paul Clarke, Stephanie Werrett, Josh Martin (SBS) Hard Quiz — Chris Walker, Kevin Whyte, Charlie Pickering, Tom Gleeson, John Tabbagh (ABC) LEGO Masters Australia — David McDonald, AJ Johnson, Mark Barlin (Nine Network) The Voice — Leigh Aramberri, Chloe Baker, Jaala Webster, Beth Hart (Nine Network) The Weekly — Kevin Whyte, Chris Walker, Charlie Pickering, Jo Long (ABC)
Best Comedy Entertainment Program Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell — Shaun Micallef, Peter Beck, Gary McCaffrie (ABC) Australian Amazon Original Stand-up Specials — Todd Abbott, Frank Bruzzese, Kevin Whyte, Kathleen McCarthy (Amazon Prime Video Australia) Australian Lockdown Comedy Festival — Kevin Whyte, Jon Casimir, Todd Abbott (Stan) Drunk History Australia — Paul Franklin, Chris Culvenor, Sophia Mogford, Ashley Davies (Network Ten) LOL: Last One Laughing Australia — David McDonald, Marty Benson (Amazon Prime Video Australia)	Best Factual Entertainment Program Gogglebox Australia — Howard Myers, David McDonald, Kerrie Kerr (Foxtel / Network Ten) Hamish & Andy’s “Perfect” Holiday — Tim Bartley, Hamish Blake, Andy Lee, Ryan Shelton (Nine Network) Love on the Spectrum — Cian O’Clery, Karina Holden, Jenni Wilks (ABC) The Project — Craig Campbell, Christopher Bendall, Sarah Ashley (Network Ten) Who Do You Think You Are? — Maxine Gray, Michael Wilton (SBS) You Can't Ask That — Kirk Docker, Frances O’Riordan, Ali Russell (ABC)
Best Lifestyle Program The Living Room — Sarah Thornton, Ciaran Flannery (Network Ten) Better Homes and Gardens — Russel Palmer, Rani Eaton (Seven Network) Jimmy Shu's Taste of the Territory — Naina Sen, Sally Ingleton, Josh Martin (SBS) Luke Nguyen's Railway Vietnam — Michael Donnelly, Josh Martin, John Hatcher, Clara O’Sullivan (SBS) Restoration Australia — Brooke Bayvel (ABC)	Best Reality Series Masterchef Australia — Marty Benson, Adam Fergusson (Network Ten) The Amazing Race Australia — Paul Franklin, Chris Culvenor, Sophia Mogford, Stephen Tate (Network Ten) Australian Survivor: All Stars — Amelia Fisk, Keely Sonntag, Adam Fergusson (Network Ten) The Block — David Barbour, Julian Cress (Nine Network) I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! — Ben Ulm, Clare Bath, Alex Mavroidakis, Riima Daher (Network Ten) The Real Dirty Dancing — Paul Franklin, Chris Culvenor, Sophia Mogford, Sonya Wilkes (Seven Network)
Best Children's Series Bluey — Joe Brumm, Charlie Aspinwall, Sam Moor, Daley Pearson (ABC) Are You Tougher Than Your Ancestors? — Vanna Morosini, Stu Connolly, Donna Andrews (ABC) First Day — Julie Kalceff, Kirsty Stark, Kate Croser (ABC) The Inbestigators — Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope (ABC) Little J & Big Cuz — Tony Thorne, Ned Lander, Colin South, Alicia Rackett (NITV) Mustangs FC — Amanda Higgs, Rachel Davis, Debbie Lee (ABC)	Best Screenplay Stateless Elise McCredie — Episode 1: The Circumstances in Which They Come The Commons - Shelley Birse — Episode 1 First Day - Julie Kalceff — Episode 1 Mystery Road – "Broken" Kodie Bedford — Episode 4 Operation Buffalo - Peter Duncan — Episode 4
Best Lead Actor – Drama Fayssal Bazzi — Stateless Bryan Brown — Bloom Jai Courtney — Stateless Ewen Leslie — Operation Buffalo Aaron Pedersen — Mystery Road	Best Lead Actress – Drama Yvonne Strahovski — Stateless Jada Alberts — Mystery Road Rebecca Gibney — Halifax: Retribution Asher Keddie — Stateless Pamela Rabe — Wentworth
Best Guest or Supporting Actor – Drama Darren Gilshenan — Stateless Rob Collins — Mystery Road Damon Herriman — The Commons Callan Mulvey — Mystery Road Ed Oxenbould — Bloom	Best Guest or Supporting Actress – Drama Cate Blanchett — Stateless Jacqueline McKenzie — Bloom Ngaire Pigram — Mystery Road Tasma Walton — Mystery Road Jacki Weaver — Bloom
Best Comedy Performer Tim Minchin — Upright Milly Alcock — Upright Anne Edmonds — At Home Alone Together Luke McGregor — Rosehaven Celia Pacquola — Rosehaven	Best Subscription Television Presenter Rebel Wilson - Lol: Last One Laughing Australia Shaynna Blaze Selling Houses Australia Deborah Hutton Find Me a Beach House Tyson Mayr Bear - Koala Hero Andrew Winter Selling Houses Australia / Love it or List it Australia
Best Direction in a Television Drama or Comedy Emma Freeman — Stateless Simon Francis — Australian Amazon Original Stand-up Specials Wayne Blair — Mystery Road Warwick Thornton — Mystery Road Jocelyn Moorehouse — Stateless	Best Non-Fiction Television Direction Larissa Behrendt — Maralinga Tjarutja Nick Robinson — Australia's Ocean Odyssey: A Journey Down the East Australian Current Mark Joffe — Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story Cian O’Clery — Love on the Spectrum Adrian Brown — The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team
Best Cinematography in Television Stateless — Bonnie Elliott – Episode 1: The Circumstances in Which They Come The Commons — Earle Dresner — Episode 1 The Gloaming — Marden Dean — Episode 4: Black Winged Angels Mystery Road — Warwick Thorton — Episode 4: Broken Operation Buffalo — Martin McGrath — Episode 4	Best Editing in Television Stateless — Mark Atkin — Episode 1: The Circumstances in Which They Come Mystery Road — Nicholas Holmes — Episode 6: What You Do Now Operation Buffalo — Mark Perry — Episode 4 Stateless — Martin Connor — Episode 6: The Seventh
Best Sound in Television Stateless — Tom Heuzenroeder, Pete Smith, Michael Darren, Des Kenneally — Episode 1: The Circumstances in Which They Come The Gloaming — Dean Ryan, Andrew Neil, Ralph Ortner, Lee Yee — Episode 4: Black Winged Angels Halifax: Retribution — Paul Pirola, Brendan Croxon, James Harvey, Andrew Ramage — Episode 3 Mystery Road — Wes Chew, Luke Mynott, Michael Newton, Trevor Hope — Episode 4: Broken Operation Buffalo — Luke Mynott, Wes Chew, Guntis Sics — Episode 4	Best Original Music Score in Television Stateless — Cornel Wilczek — Episode 6: The Seventh Bluey — Joff Bush — Episode 24: Flatpack Itch — Diego Baldenweg with Nora Baldenweg and Lionel Baldenweg — Episode 10: 376 Down Operation Buffalo — Antony Partos — Episode 4 Rosehaven — Kit Warhurst — Episode 8
Best Production Design in Television Stateless — Melinda Doring — Episode 1: The Circumstances in Which They Come The Commons — Tim Ferrier — Episode 1 Mystery Road — Herbert Pinter — Episode 6: What You Do Now The New Legends of Monkey — Nick Williams — Episode 10: Shadow Boxing Operation Buffalo — Colin Gibson — Episode 4	Best Costume Design in Television Stateless — Mariot Kerr — Episode 1: The Circumstances in Which They Come The Commons — Xanthe Heubei — Episode 1 The Masked Singer — Tim Chappel — Episode 4 The New Legends of Monkey — Liz McGregor — Episode 10: Shadow Boxing Operation Buffalo — Wendy Cork — Episode 4

Documentary

Best Documentary Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra — Nel Minchin, Wayne Blair, Ivan O’Mahoney Brazen Hussies — Catherine Dwyer, Andrea Foxworthy, Philippa Campey Brock: Over the Top — Kriv Stenders, Veronica Fury, Alan Erson, Ruby Schmidt Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky — Steven McGregor, Danielle MacLean, Anna Grieve, Steven Thomas Slim & I — Kriv Stenders, Chris Brown, Aline Jacques, James Arneman Suzi Q — Liam Firmager, Tait Brady	Best Documentary or Factual Program Murder in the Outback: The Falconio and Lees Mystery — Andrew Farrell, Matt Campbell, Bethan Arwel-Lewis, Sophie Meyrick (Seven Network) Ambulance Australia — Margaret Bashfield, Debbie Cuell, Matthew Tomszewski (Network Ten) Fight for Planet A: Our Climate Challenge — Jodi Boylan, David Galloway (ABC) Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story — Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, Francine Finnane, Mark Joffe (Network Ten) Maralinga Tjarutja — Darren Dale, Jacob Hickey (ABC) Shaun Micallef's On The Sauce — Andrew Farrell, Shaun Micallef, Paula Bycroft, Matt Campbell (ABC)
Best Editing in a Documentary Can Art Stop a Bullet: William Kelly's Big Picture — Daniela Raulli Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra — Nick Meyers, Karen Johnson Maralinga Tjarutja — Jane Usher Revelation — Philippa Rowlands — Episode 3: Goliath The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team — Adam Wright — Episode 7: Under Siege	Best Cinematography in a Documentary Australia's Ocean Odyssey: A Journey Down the East Australian Current — Nick Robinson, Jon Shaw, Caspar Mazzotti, Cam Batten Revelation — Aaron Smith, Andy Taylor, Martin McGrath — Episode 1: The Children Have Been Used by the Devil Sea Lions: Life by a Whisker — Jon Shaw, Cam Batten, Tim Nagle, David Gross The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team — Andre Mauger, Oliver West — Episode 7: Under Siege Viva the Underdogs — Allan Hardy, Cam Pianta
Best Original Music Score in a Documentary Brazen Hussies — Amanda Brown Australia's Ocean Odyssey: A Journey Down the East Australian Current — Hylton Mowday Guy Sebastian: The Man The Music — Guy Sebastian Machine — Matteo Zingales Quilty – Painting the Shadows — Amanda Brown, Damien Lane	Best Sound in a Documentary Suzi Q — Emma Bortignon, Paul Shanahan, David Williams, Gemma Stack Brazen Hussies — Emma Bortignon, Simon Rosenberg, Jed Palmer, Guy Blackman Can Art Stop A Bullet: William Kelly's Big Picture — David Muir, Mark Street, Doron Kipen Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra — Angus Robertson, Tara Webb, Leah Katz, Nick Meyers Wild Things — Michael Gissing, Steven Robinson

Short film and online

Best Short Film The Mirror — Joel Kohn, Mike Horvath, Tom Davies Chicken — Alana Hicks) Chlorine — Melissa Anastasi, Jessica Carrera I Want to Make a Film About Women — Karen Pearlman, Richard James Allen, Meg White, Caitlin Yeo Idol — Alex Wu The Moogai — Jon Bell, Samantha Jennings, Taylor Goddard, Mitchell Stanley, Kristina Ceyton	Best Short Animation
Best Online Drama or Comedy Love in Lockdown — Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope, Lucy Durack, Eddie Perfect Ding Dong I'm Gay — Joshua Longhurst, Tim Spencer, Rosie Braye, Sarah Bishop Girl, Interpreted — Grace Feng Fang Juan, Nikki Tran Halal Gurls — Vonne Patiag, Petra Lovrencic KGB — Dan Riches, Luke Riches, Taryne Laffar, Lauren Elliott Patricia Moore — Chris Thompson, Blake Fraser	Best Online Entertainment The Norris Nuts — Sabre Norris, Sockie Norris, Biggy Norris, Naz Norris Bounce Patrol — Shannon Jones Chloe Ting — Chloe Ting Do Go On — Dave Warneke, Matt Stewart, Jess Perkins, Evan Munro-Smith, Emma Sharp Fairbairn Films — Lachlan Fairbairn, Jaxon Fairbairn, Darcy Ahrns Mighty Car Mods — Marty Mulholland, Blair Joscelyne

Additional awards

Best Asian Film Better Days — Derek Tsang and Xu Yuezhen Beasts Clawing at Straws — Kim Yong-hoon, Billy Acumen Chhapaak — Meghna Gulzar, Deepika Padukone The Eight Hundred — Guan Hu, Wang Zhonglei, Liang Jing First Love — Takashi Miike, Muneyuki Kii, Misakoi Saka, Jeremy Thomas Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan — Hitesh Kewalya, Aanand L. Rai, Bhushan Kumar, Himanshu Sharma, Krishan Kumar Thappad — Anubhav Sinha, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vinod Bhanushali Peninsula — Sang-ho Yeon, Dong-Ha Lee The Wild Goose Lake — Yi’nan Diao, Yang Shen, Michel Merkt

Feature film

Television

Documentary

Short film and online

Additional awards

References

Further reading