Award-winning Australian films
In 2011, the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, which had been considered the premiere Australian film awards (the ‘Australian Oscars’) from their inception in 1971 until 2011, were re-branded as the Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts (AACTA) Awards.
The format of the listings below is:
Year – Best Film
Best Actor (film)
Best Actress (film)
AACTA Award Winners
2011 – Red Dog
Daniel Henshall (Snowtown)
Judy Davis (The Eye of the Storm)
AFI Award Winners
2010 – Animal Kingdom
Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom)
Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
2009 – Samson & Delilah
Anthony LaPaglia (Balibo)
Frances O’Connor (Blessed)
2008 – Black Baloon
William McInnes (Unfinished Sky)
Monic Hendrickx (Unfinished Sky)
2007 – Romulus, My Father
Eric Bana (Romulus, My Father)
Joan Chen (The Home Song Stories)
2006 – Ten Canoes
Emily Barclay (Suburban Mayhem)
Shane Jacobson (Kenny)
2005 – Look Both Ways
Hugo Weaving (Little Fish)
Cate Blanchett (Little Fish)
2004 – Somersault
Sam Wothington (Somersault)
Abbie Cornish (Somersault)
2003 – Japanese Story
David Wenham (Gettin’ Square)
Toni Collette (Japanese Story)
2002 – Rabbit Proof Fence
David Gullpilil (The Tracker)
Maria Theodorakis (Walking on Water)
2001 – Lantana
Anthony LaPaglia (Lantana)
Kerry Armstrong (Lantana)
2000 – Looking For Alibrandi
Eric Bana (Chopper)
Pia Miranda (Looking For Alibrandi)
1999 – Two Hands
Russell Dykstra (Soft Fruit)
Sacha Horler (Praise)
1998 – The Interview
Hugo Weaving (The Interview)
Deborah Mailman (Radiance)
1997 – Kiss or Kill
Richard Roxburgh (Doing Time For Patsy Cline)
Pamela Rabe (The Well)
1996 – Shine
Geoffrey Rush (Shine)
Judy Davis (Children of the Revolution)
1995 – Angel Baby
John Lynch (Angel Baby)
Jacqueline McKenzie (Angel Baby)
1994 – Muriel’s Wedding
Nicholas Hope (Bad Boy Bubby)
Toni Collette (Muriel’s Wedding)
1993 – The Piano
Harvey Keitel (The Piano)
Holly Hunter (The Piano)
1992 – Strictly Ballroom
Russell Crowe (Romper Stomper)
Lisa Harrow (The Last Days of Chez Nous)
1991 – Proof
Hugo Weaving (Proof)
Sheila Florance (A Woman’s Tale)
1990 – Flirting
Max Von Sydow (Father)
Catherine McClements (Weekend With Kate)
1989 – Evil Angels
Sam Neil (Evil Angels)
Meryl Streep (Evil Angels)
1988 – The Navigator
Joh Waters (Boulevard of Broken Dreams)
Nadine Garner (Mullaway)
1987 – The Year My Voice Broke
Leo McKern (Travelling North)
Judy Davis (High Tide)
1986 – Malcolm
Colin Friels (Malcolm)
Judy Davis (Kangaroo)
1985 – Bliss
Chris Haywood (A Street To Die)
Noni Hazelhurst (Fran)
1984 – Annie’s Coming Out
John Heargreaves (My First Wife)
Angela Punch-McGregor (Annie’s Coming Out)
1983 – Careful, He Might Hear You
Norman Kaye (Man of Flowers)
Wendy Hughes (Careful, He Might Hear You)
1982 – Lonely Hearts
Ray Barrett (Goodbye Paradise)
Noni Hazelhurst (Monkey Grip)
1981 – Gallipoli
Mel Gibson (Gallipoli)
Judy Davis (Winter of Our Dreams)
1980 – Breaker Morant
Jack Thompson (Breaker Morant)
Tracy Mann (Hard Knocks)
1979 – My Brilliant Career
Mel Gibson (Tim)
Michelle Fawdon (Cathy’s Child)
1978 – Newsfront
Bill Hunter (Newsfront)
Angela Punch-McGregor (Chant of Jimmie B…)
1977 – Storm Boy
John Mellion (The Fourth Wish)
Pat Bishop (Don’s Party)
1976 – Devil’s Playground
Simon Burke & Nick Tate (Devil’s Playground)
Helen Morse (Caddie)
1974/5 – Sunday Too Far Away
Jack Thompson & Martin Vaughan (Bill & Percy)
Julie Dawson (Who Killed Jenny Langby?)
1973 – Libido:The Child & 27A
Robert McDarra (27A)
Judy Morris (Libido:The Child)
1972 – Stork
Bruce Spence (Stork)
Jacki Weaver (Stork)
1971 – Homesdale
none given
Monica Maughan (A City’s Tale)
Australians at the Academy Awards
Since at least 1942, Aussies have been winning Oscars! Here’s all the ones we could find.
2011
Emile Sherman
Best Film – The King’s Speech
2008
Eva Orner
Best Documentary – Taxi to the Dark Side
2006
George Miller
Best Animated Film – Happy Feet
Dion Beebe
Best Cinematography – Memoirs of a Geisha
2004
Cate Blanchett
Best Supporting Actress – The Aviator
Russel Boyd
Best Cinematography – Master and Commander
Adam Elliot
Best Animated Short Film – Harvey Crumpet
2003
Nicole Kidman
Best Actress – The Hours
2002
Catherine Martin
Best Art Direction & Costume Design – Moulin Rouge
Angus Strathie
Best Costume Design – Moulin Rouge
Andrew Lesnie
Best Cinematography – LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring
2001
Russel Crowe
Best Actor – Gladiator
Fairlight
Technical/Scientific Award for the design and development of the DaD digital audio dubber
2000
David Lee
Best Sound – The Matrix
Steve Courtley
Best Visual Effects – The Matrix
1999
Gary Tregaskis
Technical/Scientific Award for the primary design of the Flame and Inferno software
1998
Jim Frazier
Technical/Scientific Award for the concept of the Panavision/Frazier Lens System
1997
Geoffrey Rush
Best Actor – Shine
John Seale
Best Cinematography – The English Patient
1996
Mel Gibson
Best Director & Best Film – Braveheart
Peter Frampton, Paul Pattison
Best Makeup – Braveheart
John Cox
Best Visual Effects – Babe
1994
Lizzy Gardiner & Tim Chappel
Best Costume Design – Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Jane Campion
Best Original Screenplay – The Piano
1993
Luciana Arrighi
Best Art Direction – Howard’s End
1991
Dean Semler
Best Cinematography – Dances With Wolves
1984
Linda Hunt
Best Supporting Actress – The Year of Living Dangerously
1982
Peter Allen
Best Song – Arthur
1977
Suzanne Baker
Best Animated Short Film – Leisure
Peter Finch (posthumous)
Best Actor – Network
1969
Ken Muggleston
Best Art Direction – Oliver!
1968
John Truscott
Best Costume Design & Art Direction – Camelot
1960
Orry-Kelly
Best Costume Design – Some Like It Hot
1958
Orry-Kelly
Best Costume Design – Les Girls
1957
John Farrow
Best Adapted Screenplay – Around the World In Eighty Days
1952
Orry-Kelly
Best Costume Design – An American In Paris
1951
Robert Krasker
Best Cinematography (B&W) – The Third Man
1942
Damien Parer
Best Documentary – Kokoda Front Line!