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South Australia’s screen sector shines in 2026 AACTA Award nominations

09 December 2025

South Australian screen productions, creatives and talent have shone in the nominations for the 2026 AACTA Awards, receiving 33 nominations across 24 categories, with Danny and Michael Philippou‘s sophomore horror Bring Her Back leading the film nominations with a huge 16 nods.

Supported by the SAFC, Bring Her Back scored nominations across almost every eligible category including Best Film for producers Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton of Adelaide Studios-based Rackaway Productions, Best Direction for SA’s Danny and Michael Philippou, Best Screenplay for Danny Philippou and SA’s Bill Hinzman, Best Sound for a team including SA’s Nick Steele, Hamish Keen and Pete Smith, Best Hair and Makeup for a team including SA’s Rebecca Buratto and Karen Gower, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Casting and Best Soundtrack. Sally Hawkins was nominated for Best Lead Actress, newcomer Jonah Wren Phillips for Best Supporting Actor and Sally-Anne Upton and Sora Wong both nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Animated hit Lesbian Space Princess nabbed seven nominations including Best Film and Best Indie Film. The debut feature film of all-SA creative team Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese and producer Tom Phillips of We Made A Thing Studios, Lesbian Space Princess was developed and produced through the Film Lab: New Voices initiative, co-funded by the SAFC, Screen Australia and Adelaide Film Festival (AFF). The film has been nominated for Best Direction and Best Screenplay for Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese, Best Production Design for Emma Hough Hobbs, Best Original Score for SA’s Michael Darren and Best Original Song for a team including SA’s Leela Varghese and Michael Darren.

SA writer/director Kelly Schilling’s debut feature With or Without You, produced by Su Armstrong and SA’s Carolyn Johnson also picked up two nominations for Best Indie Film and Best Supporting Actress for Marta Dusseldorp.

SAFC and AFF Investment Fund supported documentary Songs Inside from SA director/producer Shalom Almond and SA producers Katrina Lucas and Lauren Drewery received three nominations for Best Documentary, Best Original Score and Best Sound for SA’s Tom Heuzenroeder.

SA editor Sean Lahiff received a nomination for Best Editing on Michael Shanks’ horror Together and late SA screen icon David Gulpilil was celebrated in Best Documentary nominee Journey Home, David Gulpilil. Additionally, SA actor Teresa Palmer also got a nod for Best Lead Actress in a Drama for Mix Tape.

In the television categories, SA made and SAFC supported Prime Video series Top End Bub, co-created by Miranda Tapsell and SA’s Joshua Tyler, received nominations for Best Narrative Comedy Series and Best Acting in a Comedy for Miranda Tapsell.

And Leela Varghese’s short film I’m The Most Racist Person I Know, produced by SA’s Suriyna Sivashanker through The Mercury’s SAFC-supported Quicksilver Production Fund has been nominated for Best Short Film.

The SAFC congratulates the entire creative teams on all nominated productions, with special congratulations to all nominated South Australian practitioners.

Winners will be announced at the 2026 AACTA Awards, which will be presented across two ceremonies on the Gold Coast on 4 February and 6 February.

View all the nominees at aacta.org/aacta-awards/winners-and-nominees