“Better Man,” the Australian-made biopic inspired by the life of British pop star Robbie Williams, received a leading six nominations for the 2025 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) International Awards on Tuesday. That reinforced the Oz academy’s love affair with writer-director Michael Gracey‘s (“The Greatest Showman”) musical spectacular, in which Williams is transformed into a chimpanzee, after it garnered a record-breaking 16 nominations at AACTA’s local awards earlier this month. “Better Man” is nominated for Best Film alongside “The Brutalist,” which tied with six noms, as well as Denis Villeneuve‘s epic sequel “Dune: Part Two” and critical darlings “Anora” and “Emilia Pérez.”
This is the fourth year that the Aussie kudos have included categories for television, with FX’s “Shōgun” and “The Bear” leading with three nominations each.
This year’s AACTA International Awards also marked a historic moment with the inclusion of motion-capture and voice performances in the acting categories, recognizing “the innovative ways in which technology and performance intersect to create compelling storytelling.” Jonno Davies broke through with the nomination for his motion-capture portrayal of the simian-ized Williams in “Better Man.” Other “outside the square” choices from the land down under this year include Kirtsen Dunst‘s Best Actress bid for “Civil War” and the New Zealand program “After the Party” being nominated for Best Drama Series.
SEE Interview: ‘Better Man’ director Michael Gracey
AACTA introduced its international film awards 14 years ago to give Australian filmmakers and artists a voice in the lead-up to the Oscars. While the Aussie academy is somewhat prescient about spotlighting which films and performers will find favor with the Oscars, voters here tend to favor home grown talent, with local stars Cate Blanchett (for Aussie drama “The New Boy”), Margot Robbie (“Barbie”), Jacob Elordi (“Saltburn”), Sarah Snook (“Succession”) and Best Screenplay nominee Tony McNamara (“Poor Things”) making the cut last year. Receiving love this year are homegrown heroes Gracey and “Better Man” stars Davies, Damon Herriman, and Alison Steadman, as well as Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”), George Miller (“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”), Toni Collette (“Juror #2”), Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”), and Aussie series “Boy Swallows Universe” and “Colin from Accounts.”
Winners are slated to be unveiled in a ceremony held on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia on Feb. 7, 2025. Recipients will be decided by AACTA members, screen professionals and filmmakers, with many of the same voters also casting Oscar, BAFTA, SAG Award, and Golden Globes ballots over the next few weeks.
Here is the full list of AACTA International Awards nominations:
FILM
Best Film
“Anora”
“Better Man”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“The Brutalist”
Best Lead Actor in Film
Adrien Brody – “The Brutalist”
Daniel Craig – “Queer”
Jonno Davies – “Better Man”
Colman Domingo – “Sing Sing”
Ralph Fiennes – “Conclave”
Best Lead Actress in Film
Kirsten Dunst – “Civil War”
Karla Sofia Gascón – “Emilia Pérez”
Nicole Kidman – “Babygirl”
Mikey Madison – “Anora”
Kate Winslet – “Lee”
Best Supporting Actor in Film
Kieran Culkin – “A Real Pain”
Damon Herriman – “Better Man”
Guy Pearce – “The Brutalist”
Stanley Tucci – “Conclave”
Denzel Washington – “Gladiator II”
Best Supporting Actress in Film
Toni Collette – “Juror #2”
Ariana Grande – “Wicked”
Felicity Jones – “The Brutalist”
Zoe Saldaña – “Emilia Pérez”
Alison Steadman – “Better Man”
Best Direction in Film
Jacques Audiard – “Emilia Pérez”
Brady Corbet – “The Brutalist”
Michael Gracey – “Better Man”
George Miller – “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
Denis Villeneuve – “Dune: Part Two”
Best Screenplay in Film
Sean Baker – “Anora”
Michael Gracey, Oliver Cole, Simon Gleeson – “Better Man”
Peter Straughan – “Conclave”
Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold – “The Brutalist”
Jesse Eisenberg – “A Real Pain”
TELEVISION
Best Drama Series
“After the Party”
“Boy Swallows Universe”
“Shōgun”
“Slow Horses”
“The Diplomat”
Best Comedy Series
“Colin from Accounts”
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Hacks”
“Only Murders in the Building”
“The Bear”
Best Actor in a Series
Larry David – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Idris Elba – “Hijack”
Gary Oldman – “Slow Horses”
Hiroyuki Sanada – “Shōgun”
Jeremy Allen White – “The Bear”
Best Actress in a Series
Elizabeth Debicki – “The Crown”
Ayo Edebiri – “The Bear”
Jessica Gunning – “Baby Reindeer”
Anna Sawai – “Shōgun”
Jean Smart – “Hacks”
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