‘Bring Her Back’ Leads 2026 Australian Academy Awards; Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Sarah Snook Among Winners

Supernatural folk horror film “Bring Her Back” was the major winner at this year’s Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, where Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, and Sarah Snook were also recognized. The AACTA awards celebrate achievements across the film, television, documentary, online and short form categories.

“Bring Her Back” nabbed awards for ten of its sixteen nominations, including Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Lead Actress in Film for star Sally Hawkins.

The miniseries, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” followed closely behind with nine AACTA Award wins, including a Best Lead Actor win for Elordi, while the drama series “The Newsreader” continued its award-winning legacy with four wins, and Netflix’s “Apple Cider Vinegar” won the Award for Best Miniseries.

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Home-grown talents Robbie, Elordi, and Robert Irwin took home the AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favorite Australian Actress, Favorite Australian Actor, and Favorite Media Personality, respectively. Snook received the 2026 AACTA Trailblazer Award for her outstanding individual contributions to the screen industry.

In addition to Snook, the Academy recognized individuals for their achievements, awarding Bruce Beresford the AACTA Longford Lyell Award, and Kristina Ceyton and Samantha Jennings the AACTA Byron Kennedy Award, while Kate Armon and Craig Smith received the AACTA Reg Grundy Award, and Clare Hughes took home the AACTA Brian Walsh Award.

Pop-culture podcast “Shameless” took home the inaugural Audience Choice Award for Best Podcast, while “Stranger Things (Season 5)” won Favorite TV Show and “Wicked: For Good” took nabbed Favorite Film.  

Presented by the Foxtel Group, the 2026 AACTA Awards Ceremony took place Feb. 6 and was broadcasted at 7:30 p.m. AEDT. An extended AACTA Awards broadcast will be available on Binge and Foxtel on Feb. 7, starting at 7:30 p.m.

The 2026 AACTA Awards ceremony is part of the AACTA Festival, taking place Feb. 4-8, offering a range of activities celebrating film, television and pop culture.

See the full list of winners below:

FILM

Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks: “Bring Her Back”

Best Cinematography in Film: “Bring Her Back”

Best Costume Design in Film: “Bring Her Back”

Best Direction in Film: “Bring Her Back”

Best Editing in Film: “Bring Her Back”

Best Film: “Bring Her Back”

Best Indie Film: “Lesbian Space Princess”

Best Lead Actor in Film: Richard Roxburgh (“The Correspondent”)

Best Lead Actress in Film: Sally Hawkins (“Bring Her Back”)

Best Original Score in Film: “Bring Her Back”

Best Production Design in Film: “The Correspondent”

Best Screenplay in Film: “The Correspondent”

Best Sound in Film: “Bring Her Back”

Best Supporting Actor in Film: Julian McMahon (“The Surfer”)

Best Supporting Actress in Film: Deborah Mailman (“Kangaroo”)

TELEVISION

Best Acting in a Comedy: Miranda Tapsell (“Top End Bub”)

Best Casting in Television: “Apple Cider Vinegar”

Best Children’s Program: “Play School: All Together”

Best Cinematography in Television: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”

Best Comedy Entertainment Program: “Hard Quiz”

Best Comedy Performer: Tom Gleeson (“Hard Quiz”)

Best Costume Design in Television: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”

Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”

Best Direction in Nonfiction Television: “The People vs Robodebt”

Best Documentary or Factual Program: “The People vs Robodebt”

Best Drama Series: “The Newsreader”

Best Editing in Television: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”

Best Entertainment Program: “Portrait Artist of the Year”

Best Factual Entertainment Program: “Alone Australia”

Best Lead Actor in a Drama: Jacob Elordi (“The Narrow Road to the Deep North”)

Best Lead Actress in a Drama: Anna Torv (“The Newsreader”)

Best Lifestyle Program: “Grand Designs Australia”

Best Miniseries: “Apple Cider Vinegar”

Best Narrative Comedy Series: “Bump”

Best Original Score in Television: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”

Best Production Design in Television: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”

Best Reality Program: “The Great Australian Bake Off”

Best Screenplay in Television: “The Newsreader”

Best Sound in Television: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”

Best Stand-Up Special: Celia Pacquola (“I’m As Surprised As You Are”)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Daniel Henshall (“The Newsreader”)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Heather Mitchell (“The Narrow Road to the Deep North”)

DOCUMENTARY

Best Cinematography in a Documentary: “The Kimberley”

Best Documentary: “Journey Home, David Gulpilil”

Best Editing in a Documentary: “Unbreakable – The Jelena Dokic Story”

Best Original Score in a Documentary: “Journey Home, David Gulpilil”

Best Sound in a Documentary: “Yurlu | Country”

SHORT FILM

Best Short Film: “I’m The Most Racist Person I Know”

ONLINE

Best Online Drama or Comedy: “A Series of Unfortunate Dates”

OTHER

Best Hair and Makeup: “Bring Her Back”

Best Original Song: “Here I Go” from “Lesbian Space Princess”

Best Soundtrack: “Mix Tape”

Best Visual Effects or Animation: “Tron: Ares”

INDIVIDUAL

2026 AACTA Longford Lyell Award Recipient: Bruce Beresford

2026 AACTA Byron Kennedy Award Recipients: Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings

2026 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Recipient: Kate Armon, Craig Smith

2026 AACTA Trailblazer Award Recipient: Sarah Snook

2026 AACTA Brian Walsh Award Recipient: Clare Hughes

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

Favourite TV Show: “Stranger Things “(Season 5)

Favourite Film: “Wicked: For Good”

Favourite Australian Actress: Margot Robbie

Favourite Australian Actor: Jacob Elordi

Favourite Media Personality: Robert Irwin

Favourite Australian Podcast: Shameless

Favourite Australian Music Video: The Kid LAROI – A Cold Play

Favourite Online Channel: Norris Nuts @norrisnuts

Favourite Digital Creator: Bridey Drake @brideydrake

Rabanne Breakthrough Artist: Mekonnen Knife

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS – FILM

AACTA International Award for Best Direction in Film – “One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson”

AACTA International Award for Best Film – “One Battle After Another”

AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actor in Film – Timothée Chalamet (as Marty Mauser) – “Marty Supreme”

AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actress in Film – Rose Byrne (as Linda) – “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”

“AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay in Film” – “Sentimental Value” – Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt

AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film – Jacob Elordi (as The Creature) – Frankenstein

AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film – Amy Madigan (as Aunt Gladys) – “Weapons”

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS – TELEVISION

AACTA International Award for Best Actor in a Series – Gary Oldman (as Jackson Lamb) – “Slow Horses”

AACTA International Award for Best Actress in a Series – Sarah Snook (as Marissa Irvine) – “All Her Fault”

AACTA International Award for Best Comedy Series – “The Studio” – Season 1

AACTA International Award for Best Drama Series – “Adolescence” – Season 1