Margot Robbie and her international hit movie Barbie have taken home half a dozen gongs at Australia’s screen industry awards night.
Barbie smashed box office records to become the biggest film of 2023 but was overlooked in Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Actress.
Yet the homegrown talent and the film she produced have now won a swag of academy accolades at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards night on the Gold Coast.
Barbie was recognised in the international film category with the Best Film and Best International Actress prizes going to Robbie, and Best Supporting Actor to Ryan Gosling.
A 2024 Trailblazer award also recognised Robbie’s success both in front of the camera and behind it through her production company LuckyChap.
“The real world is forever and irrevocably messed up,” said Barbie, but all those AACTA Awards are a good excuse for a giant blowout party with planned choreography and a bespoke song.
Rebel Wilson hosted the star-studded night at HOTA (Home of the Arts) on Saturday with Cate Blanchett, Simon Baker and Ron Howard walking the red carpet.
Talk to Me, The Newsreader, Deadloch and The New Boy were the big winners among locally made shows, with Talk to Me taking out Best Film and Best Direction in film.
Sophie Wilde won Best Lead Actress in Film for her performance in Talk to Me, and another young talent, Aswan Reid, won Best Lead Actor in Film for his role in The New Boy.
On the small screen, The Newsreader and Deadloch each won five awards, with The Newsreader again winning best drama series and Deadloch comedy duo Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan winning best television screenplay.
Anna Torv won best lead actress in a drama for a second time as Helen Norville in The Newsreader, while Hugo Weaving won two awards for his performances in Love Me and The Rooster.
The late Cal Wilson was honoured with an AACTA Award for Best Comedy Performer.
A record 300,000 people voted in the audience choice categories, with The Matildas winning Australia’s Favourite Sporting Moment for their performance at the 2023 Women’s Football World Cup.
WINNERS AT THE 2024 AACTA AWARDS
- Trailblazer Award: Margot Robbie
FILM
- Best Direction in Film: Talk to Me – Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
- Best Film: Talk to Me
- Best Lead Actor in Film: Aswan Reid – The New Boy
- Best Lead Actress in Film: Sophie Wilde – Talk to Me
TELEVISION
- Best Acting in a Comedy: Kate Box – Deadloch
- Best Children’s Program: Bluey
- Best Comedy Performer: Cal Wilson – The Great Australian Bake Off
- Best Drama Series: The Newsreader
- Best Lead Actor in a Drama: Hugo Weaving – Love Me
- Best Lead Actress in a Drama: Anna Torv – The Newsreader
- Best Reality Program: MasterChef Australia
- Best Documentary: John Farnham: Finding The Voice
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
- Best Actress in a Series: Sarah Snook – Succession
- Best Film: Barbie
- Best Lead Actor in Film: Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
- Best Lead Actress in Film: Margot Robbie – Barbie
- Best Screenplay in Film: Poor Things – Tony McNamara
- Best Supporting Actor in Film: Ryan Gosling – Barbie