Clean Sweep For ‘The Sapphires’ At Australian Academy Awards
Don Groves is a Deadline contributor based in Sydney
Nominated for 12 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, The Sapphires won six gongs at a ceremony hosted by Russell Crowe in Sydney on Wednesday night. The musical drama about four Aboriginal girls who formed a singing group in the 1960s won best director (Wayne Blair), lead actress (Deborah Mailman), lead actor (Chris O’Dowd), supporting actress (Jessica Mauboy) and adapted screenplay (Keith Thompson, Tony Briggs). That’s in addition to five craft awards presented on Monday. The Weinstein Co. will release the film in the U.S. on March 22. Thriller Wish You Were Here took the AACTA original screenplay award for husband-and-wife creative team Kieran Darcy-Smith and Felicity Price, and supporting actor for Antony Starr. German actress Saskia Rosendahl received the best young actor trophy for Cate Shortland’s Lore, which was Australia’s entry for the foreign language Oscar. The Byron Kennedy Award, named for George Miller’s late producing partner, went to director/animator Sarah Watt (Look Both Ways, My Year Without Sex), who died of cancer in 2011. John Edwards’ Puberty Blues, which was inspired by Bruce Beresford’s 1981 film, was named best TV drama series. Presenters included AACTA president Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters leads Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton. It was the second annual ACTAA awards, the successor to the Australian Film Institute’s awards. The complete list of winners follows:
FILM
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST FILM
The Sapphires, Rosemary Blight, Kylie du Fresne
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION
The Sapphires, Wayne Blair
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Wish You Were Here, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Felicity Price
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Sapphires, Keith Thompson, Tony Briggs
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR
Chris O’Dowd, The Sapphires
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS
Deborah Mailman, The Sapphires
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Antony Starr, Wish You Were Here
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Mauboy, The Sapphires
NEWS.COM.AU AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD FOR MOST MEMORABLE SCREEN MOMENT
The Sapphires
BYRON KENNEDY AWARD
Sarah Watt
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG ACTOR
Saskia Rosendahl, Lore
TELEVISION
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION DRAMA SERIES
Puberty Blues John Edwards, Imogen Banks, Network Ten, SBS
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST TELEFEATURE OR MINI SERIES
Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War, John Edwards, Mimi Butler, Nine Network
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN TELEVISION
Jack Irish: Bad Debts, Jeffrey Walker, ABC1
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY IN TELEVISION
Redfern Now – Episode 6 ‘Pretty Boy Blue’, Steven McGregor, ABC1
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Richard Roxburgh, Rake – Season 2, ABC1
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Leah Purcell, Redfern Now, ABC1
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Aaron Jeffery, Underbelly Badness – Episode 3 ‘The Loaded Dog’, Nine Network
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Mandy McElhinney, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War – Part 2, Nine Network
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST REALITY TELEVISION SERIES
The Amazing Race Australia, Michael McKay, Trent Chapman, David Gardner, Matt Kowald, Seven Network
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