Boy Swallows Universe sweeps AACTA Industry Awards in star-studded ceremony on the Gold Coast

Netflix hit Boy Swallows Universe has swept the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards Industry awards (AACTAs).

The imaginative drama scored an impressive six prizes in the TV category including best direction, best cinematography, best production design, and best sound.

The glamorous ceremony was hosted by funnyman Stephen Curry at the Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night

‘I’ve hosted the AACTAs a few times now, and honestly, I love it. I’m so proud to be part of the industry. It’s kind of so better, so much better than doing a real job,’ The Castle star joked during the show.

‘Gold Coast is hotter than it was in Sydney and Melbourne, I shouldn’t have worn a tie.’

The AACTA Industry awards celebrate the best of the behind-the-scenes talent in Australian TV and film ahead of the AACTA awards, which will be presented on Friday.

Netflix hit Boy Swallows Universe has swept the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards Industry awards (AACTAs). The imaginative drama scored an impressive six prizes in the TV category including best direction, best cinematography, best production design, and best sound. (Pictured)

Netflix hit Boy Swallows Universe has swept the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards Industry awards (AACTAs). The imaginative drama scored an impressive six prizes in the TV category including best direction, best cinematography, best production design, and best sound. (Pictured)

The glamorous ceremony was hosted by funnyman Stephen Curry at the Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night. (Pictured)

The glamorous ceremony was hosted by funnyman Stephen Curry at the Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night. (Pictured)

Among the evening’s highlight’s was comedian Tom Gleeson’s prize for AACTA’s award for best comedy performer.

Also among the top winners was global TV hit Bluey which won a music prize for best original score.

Meanwhile, the film category was dominated by the blockbusters Better Man and George Miller’s Mad Max prequel Furiosa.

The spectacular action-packed film starring Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy won prizes for best cinematography, best sound, production design, and best hair and costume design.

Better Man, the eccentric special effects filled Robbie Williams biopic, meanwhile, scored prizes for best screenplay, best original score, best editing and best casting.

The Sydney-based team behind the controversial low-budget drama Birdeater went home with the AACTA award for best indie film.

And the long in the making film about legendary Aussie rockers Midnight Oil, The Hardest Line, also scored a major prize for best editing in the documentary category.

It comes after Boy Swallows Universe, based on Trent Dalton’s 2018 novel, nabbed a jaw-dropping 22 nominations – the most ever for a single production in AACTA history.

Tom Gleeson took home an AACTA award for best comedy performer. (Pictured)

Tom Gleeson took home an AACTA award for best comedy performer. (Pictured)

Furisoa starring Chris Hemsworth (pictured) and Anya Taylor-Joy won prizes for best cinematography, best sound, production design, and best hair and costume design

Furisoa starring Chris Hemsworth (pictured) and Anya Taylor-Joy won prizes for best cinematography, best sound, production design, and best hair and costume design

Better Man, the eccentric special effects filled Robbie Williams biopic, meanwhile, scored prizes for best screenplay, best original score, best editing and best casting. The film charts the true story of Robbie's stratospheric rise to global fame, but has a unique touch as the singer is portrayed on screen by a CGI monkey. (Pictured)

Better Man, the eccentric special effects filled Robbie Williams biopic, meanwhile, scored prizes for best screenplay, best original score, best editing and best casting. The film charts the true story of Robbie’s stratospheric rise to global fame, but has a unique touch as the singer is portrayed on screen by a CGI monkey. (Pictured)

The globally popular show is up for Best Miniseries while its leading stars Felix Cameron and Zac Burgess – who both play Eli Bell at different ages – are in the running for Best Lead Actor in a Drama.

Phoebe Tonkin also nabbed a nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Drama, where she is up against the likes of Fake’s Asher Keddie and Thou Shalt Not Steal’s Sherry-Lee Watson and High Country’s Leah Purcell, among others.

The series has also dominated the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama category, scooping up four out of the six nominations, with Simon Baker, Bryan Brown, Travis Fimmel and Lee Tiger Halley all in the running.

Boy Swallows Universe has also been recognised for its costume design, cinematography, editing and production design, among many other categories in its record-breaking clean-up.

It could mark another huge awards season success for the smash hit series after it took home a notable five awards at the 2024 TV Week Logie Awards from eight nominations.

At the ceremony, 15-year-old Felix took home his first ever award as he was handed the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent in a landslide victory. 

The AACTA Awards Gala is set to take place on the Gold Coast on Friday.

THE 2025 AACTA AWARDS: ALL THE MAIN NOMINATIONS

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

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

Best factual entertainment program

Alone Australia

Gogglebox Australia

Muster Dogs

Stuff the British Stole

Take 5 with Zan Rowe

The Assembly

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 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

 

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