Boy Swallows Universe, the Netflix adaptation of Trent Dalton’s bestselling novel, has scored a record-breaking 22 nominations at the 2025 Aacta awards – the most nominations for any production in the history of Australia’s screen industry awards – while the upcoming Robbie Williams biopic Better Man leads the film categories with 16 nominations. Better Man charts Williams’ stratospheric rise from a working-class upbringing to global superstardom, and sees the pop singer portrayed by a CGI monkey. It was filmed mostly in Melbourne and features a predominantly Australian creative team, including director Michael Gracey, who directed The Greatest Showman. It will hit cinemas in Australia and the UK on Boxing Day. Better Man review – Robbie Williams chimpanzee biopic is a bananas gamble that pays off Read more George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Binge’s feature film debut How to Make Gravy, inspired by the Paul Kelly song, followed closely behind, scoring 15 nominations each, while indie horror hit Late Night with the Devil, by Australian brothers Colin and Cameron Cairnes, secured 14 nominations. It marks the second strong year for low-budget Australian horror at the Aactas, after the Philippou brothers’ Talk To Me swept last year’s film categories. Rounding out the best film category are Adam Elliot’s tragicomic claymation Memoir of a Snail, which landed 11 nominations, and feelgood family film Runt, adapted from Australian author Craig Silvey’s children’s book of the same name, which received four. (L to R) Lee Halley, Bryan Brown and Felix Cameron in Boy Swallows Universe. View image in fullscreen (L to R) Lee Tiger Halley, Bryan Brown and Felix Cameron in Boy Swallows Universe. Photograph: Kane Skennar/Netflix/Courtesy of Netflix In the television categories, Boy Swallows Universe landed a whopping eight acting nominations. Breakout stars Felix Cameron and Zac Burgess are both up for best lead actor in a drama, competing against veterans Sam Neill (The Twelve) and Noah Taylor (Thou Shalt Not Steal), as well as Rob Collins (Total Control) and Brendan Cowell (Plum). Boy Swallows Universe actors also dominated the best supporting actor category, with Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker, Bryan Brown and Lee Tiger Halley taking four of the six spots, alongside Wayne Blair for Total Control and Ewen Leslie for Prosper. Boy Swallows Universe’s female actors Phoebe Tonkin and Deborah Mailman are up for best lead actress and best supporting actress, respectively. Mailman is also nominated for best lead actress for Total Control. Stan’s 80s-set outback road trip caper Thou Shalt Not Steal, co-created by director Dylan River and executive producer Tanith Glynn-Maloney, landed nine nominations, including best drama series, while Binge’s hit romantic comedy Colin from Accounts and Disney’s rollicking Dickensian period drama The Artful Dodger received eight nominations each, including best narrative comedy series and best drama series respectively. Fake, starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham. View image in fullscreen The Paramount+ drama Fake, starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham. Photograph: Sarah Enticknap/Paramount+ Australia Stan miniseries Exposure, about a young photographer who returns to her hometown following the death of her best friend to uncover what really happened, scored seven nominations, and Paramount+ series Fake, a conman relationship drama based on a real-life story, starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham, received six. For the first time, voice and motion-capture performance are recognised in the acting categories, with Succession star Sarah Snook and Disclaimer star Kodi Smit-McPhee nominated for their work in Memoir Of A Snail, while British actor Jonno Davies earned a nomination for playing Robbie Williams as a CGI monkey in Better Man. In film, Snook will compete for the best lead actress against Anya Taylor-Joy (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Anna Torv (Force Of Nature: The Dry 2), Phoebe Tonkin (Kid Snow), Jackie van Beek (Audrey) and Laura Gordon (Late Night with the Devil). In the best lead actor category, Davies and Smit-McPhee are up against Guy Pearce (The Convert), Eric Bana (Force Of Nature: The Dry 2), Daniel Henshall (How to Make Gravy) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil). This year two actors are competing against themselves: Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvany, who are both nominated twice in the best supporting actor and actress in a film categories respectively, for their performances in Better Man and How to Make Gravy. Margot Robbie arrives at the Aacta awards Aacta awards 2024 red carpet: Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, Rebel Wilson – in pictures Read more In TV, the award for best acting in a comedy returns for its second year, with Colin from Accounts dominating the nominations with nods for Harriet Dyer, Patrick Brammall and Genevieve Hegney. Also nominated are Aaron Chen and Kitty Flanagan for ABC’s Fisk, Asher Keddie for Stan series Strife, Felicity Ward for Prime Video’s Australian version of The Office, and Love on the Spectrum star Michael Theo for ABC’s Austin. The Aactas, formerly known as the AFI awards, span film and television, entertainment, lifestyle and factual programming. The industry awards ceremony will be held on 5 February, while the major ceremony will take place on 7 February on the Gold Coast, during the five-day Aacta festival. 2025 Aacta awards nominees For the full list, head here Film Best film Better Man Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga How to Make Gravy Late Night with the Devil Memoir of a Snail Runt Best lead actress in film Laura Gordon – Late Night with the Devil Sarah Snook – Memoir of s 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 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 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 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 Timothée Chalamet in Dune, Maika Monroe in Longlegs, Lee Jung-jae in Squid Game season 2 and Agathe Rousselle in How to Make Gravy Squid Game returns, Skeleton Crew and Longlegs: what’s new to streaming in Australia in December Read more Best documentary A Horse Named Winx Every Little Thing Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line Otto by Otto Porcelain War The Musical Mind: A Portrait In Process Best indie film Before Dawn Birdeater Christmess Just a Farmer The Emu War You’ll Never Find Me 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 Television Best drama series Fake Heartbreak High The Artful Dodger The Twelve Thou Shalt Not Steal Total Control Best narrative comedy series Austin Bump Colin from Accounts Fisk Strife The Office Best miniseries Boy Swallows Universe Exposure Four Years Later House of Gods Human Error Last Days of the Space Age Best lead actress in a drama Asher Keddie – Fake Deborah Mailman – Total Control Leah Purcell – High Country Anna Torv – Territory Phoebe Tonkin – Boy Swallows Universe Sherry-Lee Watson – Thou Shalt Not Steal Best lead actor in a drama Zac Burgess – Boy Swallows Universe Felix Cameron – Boy Swallows Universe Rob Collins – Total Control Brendan Cowell – Plum Sam Neill – The Twelve Noah Taylor – Thou Shalt Not Steal Best acting in a comedy Patrick Brammall – Colin from Accounts Aaron Chen – Fisk Harriet Dyer – Colin from Accounts Kitty Flanagan – Fisk Genevieve Hegney – Colin from Accounts Asher Keddie – Strife Michael Theo – Austin Felicity Ward – The Office Best supporting actress in a drama Essie Davis – Exposure Rachel Griffiths – Total Control Heather Mitchell – Fake Deborah Mailman – Boy Swallows Universe Sophie Wilde – Boy Swallows Universe Asher Yasbincek – Heartbreak High Best supporting actor in a drama Simon Baker – Boy Swallows Universe Wayne Blair – Total Control Bryan Brown – Boy Swallows Universe Travis Fimmel – Boy Swallows Universe Lee Tiger Halley – Boy Swallows Universe Ewen Leslie – Prosper Best comedy performer Wil Anderson – Taskmaster Australia Aaron Chen – Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee Anne Edmonds – Taskmaster Australia Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz Guy Montgomery – Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee Charlie Pickering – The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Best children’s program Bluey Eddie’s Lil‘ Homies Hard Quiz Kids Little J & Big Cuz Play School: Big Ted’s Time Machine Spooky Files Best comedy entertainment program Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee Hard Quiz Have You Been Paying Attention? Thank God You’re Here The Cheap Seats The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Best factual entertainment program Alone Australia Gogglebox Australia Muster Dogs Stuff the British Stole Take 5 with Zan Rowe The Assembly