Looks like a new addition for this year’s telecast is host Shane Jacobson talking to award winners and guests in the green room, but the time spent on the chitchat could have been better spent in airing more award presentations on TV. I hope the missed categories will be shown on YouTube or on Foxtel’s replay.
There were two technical hitches during Seven’s broadcast: the Acknowledgment to Country statement at the start, and the video presentation for the Longford Lyell Award. Unfortunately, the hitches had not been fixed by the time the broadcast made it to 7plus.
ABC drama Total Control claims trifecta of AACTA Awards
Compelling new ABC series Total Control has claimed a trifecta of the nation’s top screen prizes, winning the AACTA Awards for Best Drama, Best Lead Actress for Deborah Mailman and Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Griffiths.
The ABC won many of this year’s major AACTA Awards for outstanding Australian television content, including Best Factual Entertainment Program for ABC original format You Can’t Ask That , Best Documentary for The Australian Dream , Best Factual Program for Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds and Best Children’s Program for Bluey .
ABC comedy The Letdown won two of the biggest gongs at the 2019 AACTA Awards ceremony on Wednesday night, for Best Comedy Program and Best Performance in a Television Comedy for Alison Bell.
Michael Carrington, ABC Director of Entertainment & Specialist, said: “ Total Control has proven that people want to see Indigenous-led talent, craft and creativity in prime time, showcasing the depth and diversity of Australian stories and landscapes, from the Top End to the political centre in Canberra.
“Congratulations to all the AACTA Award-winning ABC programs and partners. Making audiences laugh, cry and think about the world around them is what we do, bringing the best of Australia to Australians every day.”
The ABC led the way for free-to-air broadcasters by winning 11 AACTA Awards in total, honouring the nation’s best screen talent, craft and technical achievement.
THE ABC OF AACTA AWARDS
Best Drama Series: Total Control (Blackfella Films)
Best Comedy Program: The Letdown (Giant Dwarf)
Best Factual Entertainment Program: You Can’t Ask That (ABC)
Best Documentary: The Australian Dream
Best Documentary or Factual Program: Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds (Endemol Shine Australia)
Best Children’s Program: Bluey (Ludo Studio)
Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama: Deborah Mailman ( Total Control )
Best Performance in a Television Comedy: Alison Bell ( The Letdown )
Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama: Rachel Griffiths ( Total Control )
Best Editing in Television: The Cry – Episode 2 (Synchronicity Films in association with December Media)
Best Cinematography in a Documentary: Magical Land of Oz – Episode 1: Oceans (Northern Pictures)
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Last night’s awards recorded their lowest audience ever on just 269,000. Key demo performance was also poor,
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| AACTA 2018 | 291000 | |
| AACTA 2017 | 306,000 | |
| AACTA 2016 | 405,000 | |
| AACTA 2015 | 417,000 | |
| AACTA 2014 on TEN | 400,000 |
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I don’t think AACTA will be happy with the declining ratings. I am not sure when Seven’s contract with AACTA expires, but will it be time to move the awards to another network? Also AACTA will have to reconsider the start time of awards ceremony to allow it to be broadcast live either on FTA or pay TV. Yesterday’s ceremony began at around 5.30pm AEDT.
Also ridiculous that the entire list of winners is made available at the start of the telecast.
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That’s the fault of the academy. The winners list is meant to be embargoed so it can be published in the first edition of today’s papers.
Maybe people simply don’t care for the awards and don’t want to watch them.
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No one should know except whoever has counted the votes.
The awards have very little meaning to anyone outside the industry and need other huge overall, including a new name.
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Then why people care about the Golden Globes, the Oscars and (to a lesser degree) the BAFTAs?
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Putting aside the terrible production of the show itself, the Australian film industry is so tiny, there are barely enough films to go around the award categories. There just isn’t enough competition. Each year it seems that one or two walk away with the majority of the awards.
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Because they are seen as the industry’s best awards and there’s the touch of Hollywood glamour to it, the Australian movie (and TV) industry doesn’t have the same resonance
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There were over 30 films in contention for Best Film this year. But sadly, many of them were not shown at the cinemas for that long, and given next to no promotion.
And for the coverage to cut out some tv awards from telecast is a joke. Best Drama was not shown. Perhaps cause none were from Commercial Television?
Too many segments from the green room too,. And little to no clips of nominees for the major awards.
Foxtel congratulates its 2019 AACTA winners
Foxtel has congratulated its 2019 AACTA winners after a haul of 15 Awards were received at this week’s ceremonies, held in Sydney. The wins for the company were spread across Drama, Lifestyle and Sports.
“This huge line-up of wins for Foxtel is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved both on and off screen,” said Brian Walsh, Foxtel’s Executive Director of Television.
“As a proud Australian company, Foxtel is committed to showcasing local content and to supporting our gifted storytellers with a diverse and rich slate of programming across a number of genres. We are honoured to be recognised by the Academy and the voters,” he said.
Foxtel’s landmark drama series Lambs of God led the 2019 AACTA Awards season, receiving a record 8 Awards including Best Tele-feature or Mini Series, Best Direction in a Television Drama for Jeffrey Walker and Best Cinematography in Television, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Production Design in Television, Best Original Score in Television, Best Sound in Television and Best Costume Design in Television.
Scott Ryan , the creator, writer and star of hit series Mr Inbetween took out the AACTA for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama. This follows on from his 2019 TV Week Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor.
Foxtel also had a major win in the lifestyle category with fan favourite series Love It or List It Australia securing the nod for Best Lifestyle Programme. The realty/renovation series hosted by Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker has just concluded its third season.
Andrew Winter also won the AACTA Subscription Television Award for Best Male Presenter for his work on Love It or List It Australia and Selling Houses Australia on Foxtel’s LifeStyle Channel.
Highly regarded sports presenter Yvonne Sampson went home with AACTA Subscription Television Award for Best Female Presenter for her hosting role on Fox League.
Fox Sports secured the AACTA Award for Best Sports Coverage for its Test Cricket Live of Fox. With cricket season well underway, the Award-winning team is back for a huge summer of cricket on Fox Cricket.
Foxtel programs also swept the Best New Talent category, with Marco Aloisi winning AACTA Subscription Television Award for Best Male New Talent for his incredible debut performance in Fighting Season. Asha Boswarva was awarded Best Female New Talent for her work on Lambs of God.
Foxtel has also announced an extension of its major sponsorship of AACTA until 2022.
Brian Walsh said, “As a proud partner of AACTA we are grateful for the opportunity to honour Australian content during the award season and all year long. I am delighted Foxtel is extending our partnership, with a new multi-year agreement to continue as the major sponsor of AACTA”
An extended edition of Wednesday’s ceremony, including categories not aired on Seven, will be shown on Foxtel Arts tonight at 7.30pm AEDT.
wish an extended edition was shown on Seven (or 7two) also…
This was a mess. Who thought this was a good way to do it, throughout the whole show? Lots of inane chatter which is hard to hear in a noisy room.
Meanwhile, so many awards for high profile shows and movies are just mentioned, not shown. Ridiculous.
If you all want to watch what the mess was about, it will be replayed on 7two in one hours time (12.30pm). Well, in Sydney anyway. Why not show the full replay in that slot, instead of the 90 minute version?
The point of the host is to engage the viewers in the room, and those at the auditorium. Prices weren’t cheap to be there. To see the host for 1 minute (30 seconds at the beginning and 30 seconds at the end), and see one musical act is ridiculous.
And people wonder why Australian movies aren’t doing that well. They aren’t even represented that well at the AACTA Awards ceremony. And arent these awards sponsored by Foxtel? So pay more in the sponsorship, and air the whole thing on Seven 
And you can get Best Drama shown on Seven, where most the shows are on Foxtel…
I’m glad someone is saying something about how bad the AACTAs were.
Is it correct to say that Seven won no award at the AACTAs of Logies this year?
Does The Front Bar count?
It is made by Mick Molloy’s Front Bar Productions for Seven.