The 5th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (generally known as AACTA Awards) are a series of awards which includes the 5th AACTA Awards Luncheon, the 5th AACTA Awards ceremony and the 5th AACTA International Awards. The former two events were held at The Star Event Centre, in Sydney, New South Wales in late 2015. Presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), the awards celebrate the best in Australian feature film, television, documentary and short film productions of 2015. The AACTA Awards ceremony televised on Seven Network for the fourth year running. The 5th AACTA Awards are a continuum of the Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards), established in 1958 and presented until 2010 after which it was rebranded the AACTA Awards when the Australian Film Institute (AFI) established AACTA in 2011.
The nominees were announced during a press conference on 31 October 2015 at The Star hôtel in Sydney. The Dressmaker received the most feature-film nominations with thirteen, earning a nomination in most of the categories.
Nominees and winners The nominees for feature-films and Television were announced during a press conference on 29 October 2015 in Sydney. Of the nominees, Jocelyn Moorhouse's revenge drama The Dressmaker received the most feature-film nominations with thirteen, including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The winners were announced on 9 December 2015.
Feature film Best Film Best DirectionMad Max: Fury Road – Doug Mitchell, George Miller, and P. J. VoetenThe Dressmaker – Sue Maslin Holding the Man – Kylie Du Fresne Last Cab to Darwin – Greg Duffy, Lisa Duff, and Jeremy Sims Paper Planes – Robert Connolly, Maggie Miles, and Liz Kearney | valign="top" |George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road Jocelyn Moorhouse – The Dressmaker Neil Armfield – Holding the Man Jeremy Sims – Last Cab to Darwin Best Original Screenplay Best Adapted ScreenplayPaper Planes – Robert Connolly, and Steve Worland Cut Snake – Blake Ayshford Kill Me Three Times – James McFarland Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico LathourisLast Cab to Darwin – Reg Cribb and Jeremy Sims, based on the play of the same name by Reg Cribb Holding the Man – Tommy Murphy, based on the memoir of the same name by Timothy Conigrave Ruben Guthrie – Brendan Cowell, based on the play of the same name by Brendan Cowell Best Lead Actor Best Lead ActressMichael Caton – Last Cab to Darwin as Rex Patrick Brammall – Ruben Guthrie as Ruben Guthrie Ryan Corr – Holding the Man as Timothy Conigrave Sullivan Stapleton – Cut Snake as JamesKate Winslet – The Dressmaker as Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage Robyn Butler – Now Add Honey as Caroline Morgan Ningali Lawford – Last Cab to Darwin as Polly Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road as Imperator Furiosa Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting ActressHugo Weaving – The Dressmaker as Sergeant Farrat Mark Coles Smith – Last Cab to Darwin as Tilly Alex Dimitriades – Ruben Guthrie as Damian Anthony LaPaglia – Holding the Man as Bob CaleoJudy Davis – The Dressmaker as Molly Dunnage Emma Hamilton – Last Cab to Darwin as Julie Deborah Mailman – Paper Planes as Maureen Sarah Snook – The Dressmaker as Gertrude "Trudy" Pratt Best Cinematography Best EditingMad Max: Fury Road – John Seale ASC ACS The Dressmaker – Donald McAlpine ACS ASC Last Cab to Darwin – Steve Arnold ACS Oddball – Damian Wyvill ACSMad Max: Fury Road – Margaret Sixel Cut Snake – Andy Canny The Dressmaker – Jill Bilcock ACE ASE Holding the Man – Dany Cooper ASE Best Original Music Score Best SoundMad Max: Fury Road – Junkie XL The Dressmaker – David Hirschfelder Paper Planes – Nigel Westlake Partisan – Daniel LopatinMad Max: Fury Road – Ben Osmo, David White, Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff, Wayne Pashley, and Mark Mangini The Dressmaker – Andrew Ramage, Glenn Newnham, Chris Goodes CAS, David Williams, Mario Vaccaro, and Alex Francis Paper Planes – Chris Goodes CAS, James Ashton, Emma Bortignon, and Trevor Hope Partisan – Robert Mackenzie, and Dane Cody Best Production Design Best Costume DesignMad Max: Fury Road – Colin Gibson Cut Snake – Josephine Ford The Dressmaker – Roger Ford Partisan – Steven Jones-Evans APDG, and Sarah Cyngler The Dressmaker – Marion Boyce, and Margot Wilson Cut Snake – Cappi Ireland Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan Partisan – Sarah Cyngler
Television Best Drama Series Best Comedy SeriesGlitch – Tony Ayres, Louise Fox and Ewan Burnett (ABC) Love Child (Season 2) – Tom Hoffie (Nine Network) Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Season 3) – Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox (ABC) Wentworth (Season 3) – Jo Porter and Amanda Crittenden (FOXTEL)Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell – Shaun Micallef, Peter Beck (ABC) Danger 5 – Kate Croser, Dario Russo (SBS) Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane – Laura Waters, Andrea Denholm, Paul Walton, and Peter Helliar (ABC) Utopia – Michael Hirsh, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch (ABC) Best Children's Series Best Light Entertainment SeriesReady for This – Darren Dale, Miranda Dear and Joanna Werner (ABC3) Little Lunch – Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope (ABC3) The New Adventures of Figaro Pho – Daniel Fill, Frank Verheggen and Luke Jurevicius (ABC3) Nowhere Boys Series 2 – Beth Frey (ABC3)The Weekly with Charlie Pickering – Charlie Pickering, Kevin Whyte, Chris Walker and Frank Bruzzese (ABC) Dirty Laundry Live – Tarni James, Peter Lawler, Rachel Millar and Richard Kelly (ABC) Judith Lucy is All Woman – Anna Bateman, Judith Lucy (ABC) Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery – Damian Davis, Polly Connolly and Nick Murray (ABC) Best Reality Series Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run SeriesMasterChef Australia – Margaret Bashfield, Marty Benson, Tim Toni and Rob Wallace (Network Ten)My Kitchen Rules (Season 6) – Rikkie Proost, Evan Wilkes and Matt Apps (Seven Network) The Real Housewives of Melbourne (Season 2) – Kylie Washington, Lisa Potasz, Virginia Hodgson (FOXTEL) The Voice – Richard Rietveld (Nine Network) The X Factor – Digby Mitchell (Seven Network) | valign="top" |Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door – Kerrie Mainwaring and Rory Callaghan (Seven Network)Banished – Sita Williams, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jamie Laurenson and Brett Popplewell (FOXTEL) The Principal – Ian Collie (SBS) The Secret River – Stephen Luby (ABC) |- ! style="background:#DBD090;" ! style="width="50%" | Best Direction in a Drama or Comedy ! style="background:#DBD090;" ! style="width="50%" | Best Direction in a Television Light Entertainment or Reality Series |- | valign="top" |Shawn Seet – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Épisode 2) (Seven Network)Jeffrey Walker – Banished (Épisode 7) (FOXTEL) Michael Rymer – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Kriv Stenders – The Principal (Épisode 1) (SBS) | valign="top" |Seth Larney – Hipsters (Épisode 1) (SBS2) Anna Bateman – Judith Lucy is All Woman (Épisode 2) (ABC) Damian Davis – Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery (Épisode 7) (ABC) Stamatia Maroupas – Kitchen Cabinet (Épisode 7) (ABC) Best Lead Actor – Drama Best Lead Actress – DramaJoel Jackson – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Seven Network) Wayne Blair – Redfern Now (ABC) Joel Jackson – Deadline Gallipoli (FOXTEL) Oliver Jackson-Cohen – The Secret River (ABC)Pamela Rabe – Wentworth (Season 3) (FOXTEL) Deborah Mailman – Redfern Now (ABC) Peta Sergeant – House of Hancock (Nine Network) Sarah Snook – The Secret River (ABC) Best Guest or Supporting Actor – Drama Best Guest or Supporting Actress – DramaKy Baldwin – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Episode 1) (Seven Network) John Bach – Gallipoli (Episode 6) (Nine Network) Lachy Hulme – The Secret River (Part 1) (ABC) Rahel Romahn – The Principal (Episode 2) (SBS)Sigrid Thornton – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Épisode 1) (Seven Network) Harriet Dyer – Love Child (Season 2) (Episode 3) (Nine Network) Rarriwuy Hick – Redfern Now (ABC) Hannah Monson – Glitch (Episode 4) (ABC) Best Comedy Performance Best Screenplay in TelevisionCelia Pacquola – Utopia (ABC) Nathan Lovejoy – Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane (ABC) Randy – Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane (ABC) Emily Taheny – Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell (ABC2)Michael Miller – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Épisode 2) (Seven Network) Jacquelin Perske and Shaun Grant – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Kristen Dunphy – The Principal (Épisode 1) (SBS) Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch – Utopia (Épisode 1) (ABC) Best Cinematography in Television Best Editing in TelevisionGeoffrey Hall – Deadline Gallipoli (FOXTEL) Martin McGrath – Banished (Épisode 6) (FOXTEL) Mark Wareham – Redfern Now (ABC) Bruce Young – The Secret River (Épisode 1) (ABC)Nicholas Holmes – Redfern Now (ABC) Dany Cooper and Martin Connor – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Annabelle Johnson – Little Lunch (Épisode 5) (ABC3) Deborah Peart – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Épisode 1) (Seven Network) Best Sound in Television Best Original Music Score in TelevisionDes Kenneally, Robert Mackenzie, Liam Price, Jed Dodge, Justine Angus and John Simpson – Deadline Gallipoli (Par 1) (FOXTEL) Paul 'Salty' Brincat, Gary Desmond and Dan Johnson – Banished (Épisode 6) (FOXTEL) Grant Shepherd, Ashley Irwin, Ian Neilson, Ben Anderson, Nigel Croydon, Robert Sullivan – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Épisode 1) (Seven Network) Rainier Davenport, Ian McLoughlin CAS, Wes Chew, Tom Herdman, Annie Breslin and Blair Slater – Redfern Now (ABC)Cornel Wilczek – Glitch (ABC) David Bridie – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Antony Partos – Redfern Now (ABC) Burkhard Dallwitz – The Secret River (Part 1) (ABC) Best Production Design in Television Best Costume Design in TelevisionHerbert Pinter – The Secret River (Part 1) (ABC) Claire Kenny – Banished (Épisode 6) (FOXTEL) Pete Baxter – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Tim Ferrier – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Épisode 1) (Seven Network)Jenny Miles – Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door (Épisode 1) (Seven Network) Shareen Beringer – House of Hancock (Part 1) (Nine Network) Marion Boyce – Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Épisode 1) (ABC) Edie Kurzer – The Secret River (ABC)
Documentary Best Feature Length Documentary Best Documentary Television ProgramThat Sugar Film – Nick Batzias and Damon Gameau Gayby Baby – Charlotte Mars Only the Dead – Patrick McDonald and Michael Ware Sherpa – Bridget Ikin and John Smithson Women He's Undressed - Damien Parer and Gillian ArmstrongDeborah Masters, Sarah Ferguson – The Killing Season (ABC) Jo-anne McGowan – Between a Frock and a Hard Place (ABC) Richard Kuipers – The Cambodian Space Project (ABC) Harry Bardwell, Kelrick Martin – Prison Songs (SBS) Best Direction in a Documentary Best Cinematography in a DocumentaryOnly the Dead – Bill Guttentag, Michael Ware The Killing Season (ABC) – Deborah Masters Prison Songs (SBS) – Kelrick Martin Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail – Wain Fimeri, Steve WesthLife on the Reef (Épisode 1) (ABC) – Nick Robinson, Luke Peterson and Jon Shaw The Killing Season – Louie Eroglu Prison Songs – Torstein Dyrting Sherpa – Renan Ozturk, Hugh Miller and Ken Sauls Best Editing in a Documentary Best Sound in a DocumentaryOnly the Dead – Jane Moran The Cambodian Space Project – Andrea Lang The Killing Season (Épisode 2) (ABC) – Lile Judickas Sherpa – Christian GazalOnly the Dead – Steve Burgess, Leah Katz, Andy Wright and Chris Goodes The Cambodian Space Project – Keith Thomas Life on the Reef (Épisode 1) – Caspar Mazzotti, Craig Beckett, Dan Miau and Terry Meehan Prison Songs – Glenn Martin and Kim Lord Best Original Music Score in a DocumentarySherpa – Antony Partos Only the Dead – Michael Yezerski Prison Songs (SBS) – Shellie Morris, Casey Bennetto and Tim Cole Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail – Dale Cornelius
Short film Best Short Animation Best Short Fiction Film Ernie Biscuit – Adam Elliot The Meek – Laura DiMaio and Joe Brumm