The AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama is an accolade given by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television." The award is handed out at the annual AACTA Awards, which rewards achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films. From 2000 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards). When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current prize being a continuum of the AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama.

The award was first presented in 2000 as Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Television Drama Series until 2002, when the title was changed to Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama. In the following year, the title was changed to Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy. By 2006, a separate comedy accolade was established, and the name changed to the current one.

The AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama is given for performances in television drama series, miniseries, telefeature, children's animation or children's drama series. Candidates for this award must be human and male, and cannot be nominated for best lead actor in a television drama in the same year, for the same production. Damon Herriman has received four nominations, more than any other actor, winning one in 2016.

Winners and nominees In the following table, the years listed correspond to the year that the television programme aired on Australian television; the ceremonies are usually held the following year. The actor whose name is emphasised in boldface and highlighted in yellow have won the award. Those that are neither highlighted nor in bold are the nominees. When sorted chronologically, the table always lists the winning actor first and then the other nominees. (User must click on the appropriate decades to access the winners and nominees of each year.)

AFI Awards (2000–2010)AACTA Awards (2011–present)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Television Drama Series Year Actor Program Character(s) Episode/Series Network 2000(42nd) Chris Haywood Stingers A.J. Blackburn Series 2, Episode 18: "Men in the Dark" Nine Network Aaron Blabey Stingers Michael Callum Series 3, Episode 17: "Second Chance" Nine Network Daniel Daperis Stingers Adam Hauser Series 3, Episode 2: "Forced Perspective" Nine Network David Field Grass Roots Daryl Kennedy Series 1, Episode 2: "Late September" ABC 2001(43rd) Gary Day Blue Heelers Commander Reginald Jones Series 8, Episode 29: "The Poisoned Fruit Part 2" Seven Network Steve Adams Something in the Air Father Brian Series 2, Episode 24: "That One Defining Moment" ABC Travis McMahon Stingers Jonah Day Series 4, Episode 2: "Rich Man's World" Nine Network Damian Walshe-Howling The Secret Life of Us Mac Series 1, Episode 10: "State Of Limbo" Network Ten

Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama Year Actor Program Character(s) Episode/Series Network 2002(44th) Clayton Watson Always Greener Mickey Steele Series 1 Seven Network Gary Waddell Bad Cop, Bad Cop Steve McClure Episode 8: "Yesterday's Zero" ABC Tom Long Heroes' Mountain: The Thredbo Story Paul Featherstone Network Ten Angus Grant MDA Dr. Jamie Lawless Series 1, Episode 7: "When it Rains, it Pours" ABC

Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy Year Actor Program Character(s) Episode/Series Network 2003(45th) John Clayton Grass Roots Harry Bond Series 2, Episode 10: "By-Election" ABC Francis Greenslade Welcher & Welcher Peter-Paul Cohen and Claude Buzzo ABC Samuel Johnson After the Deluge Toby Kirby Network Ten Damien Richardson The Secret Life of Us Ken Series 3, Episode 11: "The Day No Trumpets Sounded" Network Ten 2004(46th) Matthew Le Nevez Marking Time Bullet Sheather ABC Ray Barrett All Saints Doc Connelly Series 7, Episode 26: "Falling from Grace" Seven Network Lech Mackiewicz Marking Time Hassan ABC Glenn Robbins Kath & Kim Kel Knight Series 3 ABC

Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television Drama

Year Actor Program Character(s) Episode/Series Network 2005(47th) Max Cullen Love My Way Gerry Jackson Series 1, Episode 8: "A Different Planet" Fox8 Tony Barry Hell Has Harbour Views Frank Flannery ABC Steve Bisley Hell Has Harbour Views Bruce Kent ABC Frank Gallacher MDA Rupert Carr Series 3, Episode 12: "A Human Cost (Part 4)" ABC 2006(48th) Marcus Graham Blue Heelers Pilgrim Bond Series 13, Episode 8: "Moonlighting" Seven Network Luke Carroll RAN: Remote Area Nurse Paul Gaibui SBS Aaron Fa'aoso RAN: Remote Area Nurse Eddie Gaibui SBS John Waters All Saints Dr. Miklos 'Mike' Vlasek Series 9 Seven Network 2007(49th) David Ngoombujarra The Circuit Harry Pope Series 1 SBS Mark Priestley All Saints Nurse Dan Goldman Series 10 Seven Network Justin Smith Bastard Boys Josh Bornstein ABC Jack Thompson Bastard Boys Tony Tully ABC 2008(50th) Damian Walshe-Howling Underbelly Andrew "Benji" Veniamin Episode 7: "Wise Monkeys" Nine Network Vince Colosimo Underbelly Alphonse Gangitano Episode 2: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" Nine Network Gary Files Dogstar Ramon Ridley Episode 26: "Tail's End" Nine Network Taffy Hany East West 101 Rahman Malik Series 1, Episode 1: "The Enemy Within" SBS One 2009(51st) Damian De Montemas Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities Brian Alexander Episode 11: "The Brotherhood" Nine Network Bille Brown 3 Acts of Murder George Ritchie ABC1 Richard Roxburgh False Witness Charles Van Koors "Episode 2" UKTV Jeremy Lindsay Taylor False Witness Mark Wilson "Episode 2" UKTV 2010(52nd) Damien Garvey Underbelly: The Golden Mile Graham "Chook" Fowler Episode 2: "Hurt on Duty" Nine Network Rhys Muldoon Lockie Leonard Sarge Leonard Season 2, Episode 11: "Snake Hide Oil" Nine Network John Waters Offspring Darcy Proudman Series 1 Network Ten Ben Winspear My Place Michaelis Series 1, Episode 5: "1968 Sofia" ABC3 AACTA Awards 2011(1st) Richard Cawthorne Killing Time Dennis Allen "Episode 2" TV1 Aaron Fa'aoso East West 101 Detective Sonny Koa Season 3, Episode 8: "The Price of Salvation" SBS One Jacek Koman Spirited Potter The Man Series 2, Episode 2: "Time After Time" W Todd Lasance Cloudstreet Quick Lamb "Part 3" Showcase 2012(2nd) Aaron Jeffery Underbelly: Badness Frank O'Rourke Episode 3: "The Loaded Dog" Nine Network Luke Carroll Redfern Now Lenny Season 1, Episode 6: "Pretty Boy Blue" ABC1 Abe Forsythe Howzat! Kerry Packer's War John Cornell "Part 1" Nine Network Dan Wyllie Puberty Blues Roger Knight Season 1, "Episode 4" Network Ten 2013(3rd) Luke Ford Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War Kerry Packer "Part 2" Nine Network Alexander England Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War Clyde Packer "Part 1" Nine Network Peter Mullan Top of the Lake Matt Mitcham Episode 5: "The Dark Creator" UKTV David Wenham Better Man Julian McMahon "Part 2" SBS 2014(4th) Eamon Farren Carlotta Danny / Ava ABC Andrew McFarlane Devil's Playground Father Marco Andrassi Episode 1.5: "The Whirlwind and The Storm" Foxtel – Showcase Andy Ryan INXS: Never Tear Us Apart Andrew Farriss "Part 1" Seven Network Daniel Wyllie Rake Mal Series 3, Episode 1 ABC 2015(5th) Ky Baldwin Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door Young Peter Allen Episode 1 Seven Network John Bach Gallipoli Sir Ian Hamilton Episode 6 Nine Network Lachy Hulme The Secret River Thomas Blackwood "Part 1" ABC Rahel Romahn The Principal Tarek Ahmad Episode 2 SBS 2016(6th) Damon Herriman Secret City Kim Gordon Episode 1: "A Donation to the Struggle" Showcase Russell Dykstra Rake Barney Meagher Series 4, Episode 8 ABC Ben Gerrard Molly Caroline "Part 1" Seven Network Hamish Michael Janet King – The Invisible Wound Richard Stirling Episode 8: "The Long Goodbye" ABC 2017(7th)Ewen LeslieTop of the Lake: China Girl Foxtel/BBC FirstAnthony LaPagliaSunshineSBSMatt NableBlue Murder: Killer CopSeven NetworkDavid WenhamWake in FrightTen Network 2018(8th)Wayne BlairMystery RoadDamien GarveyRakeXavier SamuelRiotDan WyllieRomper StomperAshley ZukermanFriday on My Mind 2019(9th)Richard RoxburghThe HuntingNickDamon HerrimanLambs of GodFather BobDamon HerrimanMr InbetweenFreddy Ewen LeslieFighting SeasonCaptain Edward "Ted" Nordenfelt John StantonBloomMax McKinnon 2020(10th)Darren GilshenanStatelessRob CollinsMystery RoadDamon HerrimanThe Commons Callan MulveyMystery RoadEd OxenbouldBloom 2021(11th)William McInnesThe NewsreaderHarry GreenwoodWakefieldMatt NableMr Inbetween Stephen PeacockeThe NewsreaderJustin RosniakMr Inbetween 2022(12th)Thomas WeatherallHeartbreak HighSteve BisleyMystery Road: OriginBrendan CowellThe Twelve Daniel HenshallMystery Road: OriginDamon HerrimanThe Tourist

See also AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama AACTA Awards

References