AACTA Awards 2026: Industry Winners | Television tonight

Prime Video Drama The narrow road to the deep north won the AACTA Industry Awards last night, sprayed by Ed Kavalee, at HOTA on the Gold Coast.

The Jacob Elordi-led drama from Curio Pictures has won no fewer than seven industry awards, including Best Direction in Drama or Comedy, Best Cinematography on Television, Best Production Design on Television and Best Editing on Television.

SBS documentary The people versus the robodebt from CJZ, also collected two gongs.

Other victories went to Apple cider vinegar, sales houses Australia, The Kimberley.

The AACTA Reg Grundy Award was presented to Craig Smith, which Kate Armon played Brains on tap!

TV and related winners, in bold:

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Episode 5 – Jeffrey Walker
• Mixtape – Episode 1 – Lucy Gaffy
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Episode 1 – Justin Kurzel
• The Newsreader – Episode 3 – Emma Freeman
• The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer – Episode 1 – Madeleine Gottlieb

AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special
• Aunt Donna: The Magic Dead Cat – Jessica Galea, Georgia Mappin, Tom Downey
• Celia Pacquola: I’m as surprised as you are – Kevin Whyte, Celia Pacquola
• Claire Hooper: So proud – Kyran Nicholson, Claire Hooper
• Geraldine Hickey: Don’t tease me with my gloves – Kevin Whyte, Geraldine Hickey
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival – The Allstars Supershow – Rowdie Walden, Susan Provan
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival – The Gala – Rowdie Walden, Susan Provan

AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program
• Endgame with Tony Armstrong – Steve Bibb, Dan Brown – Barking Mad Productions, Smashing Films, Allstory Pictures and Barking Mad Productions, Smashing Films, Allstory Pictures (ABC)
• I Was Actually There – Loni Cooper, Josh Schmidt, Julie Hanna – Docker Media (ABC)
• The Meeting – Melissa Maclean, Mark Fennessy, Therese Hegarty, Julie Hanna – Helium Pictures (ABC)
• The Kimberley – Electra Manikakis, Nick Robinson, Peta Ayers, Mark Coles Smith – Wild Pacific Media (ABC)
• The People vs. Robodebt – Paula Bycroft, Michael Cordell, Andrew Farrell – CJZ (SBS)
• Who do you think you are? – Maxine Gray, Carolyn Kung – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia Pty Ltd (SBS)

AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program
• Gardening Australia – Gill Lomas – ABC (ABC)
• Grand Designs Australia – Brooke Bayvel, Michael Collett – Eureka Productions (ABC)
• Love It or Mention It Australia – Karen Warner, Geoff Fitzpatrick, John Luscombe, Howard Myers-Rifai – Beyond Productions (Binge, Foxtel)
• Restoration Australia – Brooke Bayvel, Michael Collett – Eureka Productions (ABC)
• Selling houses in Australia – Caroline Swift, Kam Vurlow, Monique Bushby – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia Pty Ltd (Binge, Foxtel)
• Cooking with Adam Liaw – Emily Griggs, Gavin Jarrett – SBS (SBS)

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television
• Aunt Donna: The Magical Dead Cat – Max Miller, Sam Lingham
• Australian Survivor: Australia vs. the World – Episode 1 – Richard Franc, Mark McEvilly
• I Was Actually There – Episode 4 – Kirk Docker
• The Kimberley – Episode 1 – Nick Robinson
• The People vs. Robodebt – Episode 2 – Ben Lawrence

AACTA Award for Best Cinematography on Television
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Episode 5 – Toby Oliver
• Mystery Road Origins – Episode 5 – Sky Davies
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Episode 1 – Sam Chiplin
• The Newscaster – Episode 3 – Earle Dresner
• The Survivors – Episode 3 – Mark Wareham

AACTA Award for Best Television Editing
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Episode 5 – Mat Evans, Annette Davey
• Invisible Boys – Episode 9 – Peter Pritchard
• Mystery Road Origins – Episode 5 – Nicholas Holmes
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Episode 1 – Alexandre de Franceschi
• The Newsreader – Episode 6 – Julie-Anne De Ruvo

AACTA Award for Best Original Soundtrack on Television
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Episode 5 – Cornel Wilczek
• Mixtape – Episode 1 – Chiara Costanza
• Mystery Road Origins – Episode 5 – Vincent Goodyer
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Episode 1 – Jed Kurzel
• The Survivors – Episode 3 – Thomas Rouch, Cornel Wilczek

AACTA Award for Best Television Production Design
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Episode 5 – Melinda Doring
• Mystery Road Origins – Episode 5 – Herbert Pinter
• Ten Pounds of Poms – Episode 1 – Scott Bird
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Episode 1 – Alice Babidge, Bev Dunn, Paul Sarpi
• The Newsreader – Episode 3 – Paddy Reardon

AACTA Award for Best Costume Design on Television
• Apple cider vinegar – Cappi Ireland
• Mixtape – Joanna Mae Park, Suzanne Keogh
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Alice Babidge
• The Newscaster – Gypsy Taylor
• The Survivors – Lien See Leon

AACTA Award for Best Sound on Television
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Episode 5 – Luke Mynott, Tania Vlassova, Cihan Saral, Michael Newton, Nick Godkin, Evan McHugh
• Mixtape – Episode 1 – Stuart Morton, Jonathan Mendolicchio, Lara Cross, Daniel Birch
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Episode 1 – Andy Wright, Mick Boraso, Nick Emond, Glenn Newnham
• The Survivors – Episode 6 – Emma Bortignon, Stephen Witherow, Tobi Armbruster
• The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer – Episode 1 – Trevor Hope, Dino Giacomin, Rob Sullivan, James Andrews

AACTA Award for Best Casting on Television
• Apple cider vinegar – Kirsty McGregor
• Mystery Road Origin – Anousha Zarkesh
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Nikki Barrett, Kelly Graham
• The Newsreader – Nathan Lloyd
• The Survivors – Jane Norris

AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup
• Bring Her Back – Rebecca Buratto, Larry Van Duynhoven, Paul Katte, Nick Nicolaou, Karen Gower, Mariel McClorey
• It Will Find You – Amber Adams, Adam Johansen, Damian Martin
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Angela Conte
• Together – Larry Van Duynhoven, Ellie Daniel, Brydie Stone, Julian Dimase
• We Bury the Dead – Hayley Atherton, Jason Baird, Sean Genders

AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary
• Ellis Park – Germain McMicking
• Journey Home, David Gulpilil – Allan Collins, Anna Cadden, Maggie Miles
• The Kimberley – Episode 1 – Jack Riley, Nick Robinson, Caspar Mazzotti, Paul Bell
• The wolves always come at night – Michael Latham
• Yurlu | Country – Tom Bannigan

AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary
• Ellis Park – Nick Fenton
• Not just Fred Dagg, but also John Clarke – Aleck Morton
• The People vs. Robodebt – Episode 2 – Gretchen Peterson
• The wolves always come at night – Katharina Fiedler
• Unbreakable – The Jelena Dokic Story – Peter Crombie

AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary
• Journey Home, David Gulpilil – David Bridie
• Revealed: Death Cap Murders – Simon Walbrook
• Numbers in – Amanda Brown
• Unbreakable – The Jelena Dokic Story – Helena Czajka
• Yurlu | Country – Helena Czajka

AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary
• Cold Chisel: The Big 5-0 – Travis Handley, Stephen Hopes
• Journey Home, David Gulpilil – David Williams, Josh Williams
• Songs Inside – Tom Heuzenroeder
• Unbreakable – The Jelena Dokic Story – Nigel Christensen, Michael Ackroyd, James Andrews
• Yurlu | Country – Sam Hayward

AACTA Reg Grundy Award
Brains on tap!: – Craig Smith, Kate Armon
Brains on tap! is a traveling trivia show that sets out to find Australia’s sharpest minds and most interesting locals. Each week the hosts arrive in a new city where teams face off in a battle of brains, banter and bragging rights, all for a place in the spectacular Grand Final. Part quiz, part travel adventure and full of heart: Brains on Tap! is smart, feel-good entertainment for the whole family.

The most important prizes will be awarded during the AACTA Awards Ceremony on Friday, screening at 7:30 PM at 10.