AACTA Announces Final Nominees for the 2022 AACTA Awards

ELVIS AND MYSTERY ROAD: ORIGIN LEAD THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2022 AACTA AWARD PRESENTED BY FOXTEL GROUP

Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis leads the charge for the 2022 AACTA Award film categories, picking up fifteen nominations. Prequel series Mystery Road: Origin dominates the television award categories, with fifteen nominations including all acting Awards.

The Australian Academy of Cinema Television Arts (AACTA) today revealed the illustrious nominees for the 2022 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group, which will be presented across two ceremonies at The Hordern in Sydney’s iconic Entertainment Quarter, on Monday, 5 December and Wednesday, 7 December.

Six of the year’s most compelling and exhilarating films are competing for the 2022 AACTA Award for Best Film, including Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis featuring Tom Hanks, George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, Leah Purcell’s The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, The Stranger starring Joel Edgerton, anthology film Here Out West, and horror comedy Sissy, starring Aisha Dee.

With the inclusion of Technical Craft nominees, announced on Thursday 20 October, Elvis has garnered 15 nominations, leading the ranks for film awards this year. Elvis is nominated for Best Film, with director Baz Luhrmann, stars Olivia DeJonge, Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, and costumer and production designer Catherine Martin all vying for accolades. Elvis’ position on top of the nominee leader board is closely followed by Leah Purcell’s The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson and George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing, both of which have 13 nominations.

Matching Elvis in number of accolades is ABC’s Mystery Road: Origin, also boasting 15 nominations and dominating the television category. Mystery Road: Origin is nominated for Best Drama Series and has received five nominations across the four acting Awards, with Mark Coles Smith, Tuuli Narkle, Daniel Henshall, Steve Bisley and Hayley McElhinney all vying for a statuette. Foxtel drama series Love Me and The Twelve closely trail, receiving 10 nominations each.

Comedy-drama’s Bump, Heartbreak High and Wolf Like Me are also competing for the Award for Best Drama Series this year, as well as Stan’s The Tourist, starring Jamie Dornan. Heartbreak High’s James Majoos received a nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama presented by Foxtel for their breakout role in the series, bringing the production’s tally to nine.

Actor Damon Herriman received acknowledgement for work in both television and film, with a nomination for Best Lead Actor in Film for Nude Tuesday and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for The Tourist.

Nominated for the second year in a row, programs Amazing Race Australia, Australian Survivor: Blood V Water, Luxe Listing Sydney and MasterChef Australia are joined by I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! and new format The Bridge in the race for the 2022 AACTA Award for Best Reality Program. The Dog House Australia, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under and Eurovision - Australia Decides - Gold Coast 2022 are coming up against perennial contenders LEGO® Masters Australia, The Voice Australia and Mastermind for the 2022 AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program.

Charlie Pickering is nominated for Best Comedy Performer alongside Wayne Blair, Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer, Tom Gleeson and Doris Younane for their roles in Aftertaste, Summer Love, Hard Quiz and Five Bedrooms – which are also nominated for the 2022 AACTA Award for Best Comedy Program. Spicks and Specks and Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell make up the remaining productions contending for Best Comedy Program.

The reinvented Digital Awards have seen A Beginner's Guide to Grief, Black As, Iggy & Ace, It's Fine I'm Fine, Jimmy Rees POV and Ozzy Man Reviews nominated for the Best Digital Series or Channel Award. Also included in this category is the Best Digital Short Video, which includes entertaining content from creators Millie Ford, Tanya Hennessy, Kirstin Banks, Ryan Cauchi, Ozzy Man Reviews and Dr Karl.

AACTA CEO, Damian Trewhella said “The Australian Academy proudly celebrates achievements in all screen mediums and craft and it is a privilege to announce the nominees vying for an AACTA Award. These nominees represent the freshest and most captivating works that have entertained us from the past year, as determined by Australia’s largest screen community. The broad range of content that has been nominated reflects the vastness of the Australian screen landscape, and the depth of our talent. We look forward to celebrating at both AACTA Awards events this December, in Sydney.”

Brian Walsh, Executive Director of Drama & Senior Content Consultant for the Foxtel Group said: “The Foxtel Group – through our multi-year sponsorship with AACTA – is committed to supporting the Australian film and television industry and recognize the truly remarkable performances and talent that have graced our screens this year. From established artists and filmmakers to emerging talent, these Awards underpin the strength and capability of the local industry. Foxtel congratulates all nominees and look forward to celebrating the 2022 winners at this year’s Awards.”

AACTA members can see all 116 nominated films, TV shows, documentaries, short films, and digital content on AACTA TV. Round 2 voting opens, Monday 24 October and closes at 5pm AEDT Monday, 7 November.  These votes will determine the winners of the 2022 AACTA Awards Presented by Foxtel Group. 

Wednesday’s ceremony will be broadcast on 10, part of Paramount ANZ, at 7.30pm, and will be encored on Fox Docos, Saturday, December 10 at 7:30pm. The broadcast will also be available to stream on demand via Foxtel, Binge and AACTA TV.

The nominees for Short Film, Documentary, and the Technical Craft awards were announced earlier this year, click here to view the nominees. For information, including nominations by Broadcaster, Production, and Production Company, as well as nominee assets, click here.

NSW Minister for Tourism and the Arts Ben Franklin said the AACTA Awards highlighted the importance of the film industry to the NSW economy.

“NSW is home to the nation’s best filming locations, so we are delighted to roll out the red carpet in Sydney for this year’s AACTA Awards and I would like to congratulate all nominees for their contribution to the ongoing success of Australia’s screen industry. The AACTA Awards underscore the important economic benefits provided by the screen industry, which supports thousands of jobs in our creative, hospitality and tourism industries and drives visitation to NSW by showcasing the variety of unique destinations we have across our State to a global audience.”

Daniel Monaghan, Senior Vice President, Content and Programming at Paramount Australia and New Zealand said, “The Australian screen sector is truly world-class and this list of nominees demonstrates the high-quality content we create locally but are known for around the globe.

“Not only are the nominees outstanding screen content but many were produced in the shadow of COVID. So the return of the in-person and televised AACTA awards also marks a positive turning point for our industry recognising we’ve made it through incredibly challenging times and continued to create compelling screen stories.”