2026 AACTA International Award Nominees Announced – The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) today announced the nominees for the 2026 AACTA International Awards, recognising the year’s most outstanding achievements in film and television from across the global screen industry.
Spanning prestige cinema, culturally defining series and some of the most talked-about performances of the year, the 2026 AACTA International Awards spotlight an exceptional slate of nominees including Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jean Smart, alongside internationally acclaimed filmmakers, performers and creators shaping contemporary screen storytelling.
Australian screen talent is also strongly represented among this year’s International Award nominees, underscoring the country’s continued impact on the global stage.
Nominees include Russell Crowe (Nuremberg), Hugh Jackman (Song Sung Blue), Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams), Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), AACTA Festival Ambassador Dacre Montgomery (Dead Man’s Wire), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), and Sarah Snook (All Her Fault), reinforcing the breadth of Australian creative influence across both film and television.
The film categories reflect a year dominated by incredible storytelling and major star performances. Hamnet leads with nominations across Best Film, acting, direction and screenplay, alongside strong showings for One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme and Sinners.
Performances from Chalamet, DiCaprio, Crowe and Jackman headline a fiercely competitive Best Lead Actor field, while filmmakers including Paul Thomas Anderson, Guillermo del Toro, Ryan Coogler, Josh Safdie and Chloé Zhao are recognised for directing some of the year’s most ambitious and distinctive works.
Television nominees showcase the continued dominance of drama and character-driven comedy, with Adolescence earning multiple acting nominations, Slow Horses and The Diplomat reaffirming their global appeal, and Severance returning as a major awards contender.
Comedy remains equally competitive, with Hacks, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building and Shrinking recognised alongside newcomer The Studio. Performances from Jean Smart, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell and Sarah Snook underscore a year defined by standout acting across the small screen.
Fans of nominated series Severance can catch Dichen Lachman as part of AACTA Festival 2026, as she opens up her role in the global hit series.
Winners for the 2026 AACTA International Awards will be announced alongside the AACTA Awards Ceremony on Friday 6th February 2026 at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast, Australia.
The 2026 AACTA Awards ceremonies are part of AACTA Festival which will run for 5 days from February 4 – 8th offering a vast range of activities celebrating film, television, and pop culture.
Festival goers can enjoy in-depth movie deconstructions, interactive workshops, meet-and-greets, music showcases, masterclasses with renowned filmmakers, outdoor screenings, and a variety of family-friendly activities and, for those looking to break into the industry, an expanded Screen Careers Expo presented by Essential Screen Skills makes its return on Saturday the 7th of February.
Nominees for the 2026 AACTA International Awards:
FILM
AACTA International Award for Best Film:
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- Nuremberg
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actor in Film:
- Timothée Chalamet (as Marty Mauser) – Marty Supreme
- Russell Crowe (as Hermann Goring) – Nuremberg
- Leonardo DiCaprio (as Bob) – One Battle After Another
- Joel Edgerton (as Robert Grainier) – Train Dreams
- Hugh Jackman (as Mike) – Song Sung Blue
AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actress in Film:
- Jessie Buckley (as Agnes) – Hamnet
- Rose Byrne (as Linda) – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Kate Hudson (as Claire) – Song Sung Blue
- Chase Infiniti (as Willa Ferguson) – One Battle After Another
- Renate Reinsve (as Nora Borg) – Sentimental Value
AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film:
- Benicio del Toro (as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos) – One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi (as The Creature) – Frankenstein
- Paul Mescal (as Will) – Hamnet
- Dacre Montgomery (as Richard ‘Dick’ Hall) – Dead Man’s Wire
- Sean Penn (as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw) – One Battle After Another
AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film:
- Glenn Close (as Martha Delacroix) – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
- Elle Fanning (as Rachel Kemp) – Sentimental Value
- Mia Goth (as Elizabeth) – Frankenstein
- Amy Madigan (as Aunt Gladys) – Weapons
- Emily Watson (as Mary) – Hamnet
AACTA International Award for Best Direction in Film:
- Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
- Ryan Coogler – Sinners
- Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
- Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
- Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay in Film:
- A House of Dynamite – Noah Oppenheim
- Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell, Chloé Zhao
- Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
- One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
- Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt
SERIES
AACTA International Award for Best Drama Series
- Adolescence – Season 1
- Severance – Season 2
- Slow Horses – Season 4
- The Diplomat – Season 3
- The Pitt – Season 1
AACTA International Award for Best Comedy Series
- Hacks – Season 4
- Only Murders in the Building – Season 5
- Shrinking – Season 3
- The Bear – Season 4
- The Studio – Season 1
AACTA International Award for Best Actor in a Series
- Owen Cooper (as Jamie Miller) – Adolescence
- Stephen Graham (as Eddie Miller) – Adolescence
- Gary Oldman (as Jackson Lamb) – Slow Horses
- Seth Rogen (as Matt Remick) – The Studio
- Noah Wyle (as Dr Michael Robinavitch) – The Pitt
AACTA International Award for Best Actress in a Series
- Erin Doherty (as Briony Ariston) – Adolescence
- Keri Russell (as Kate Wyler) – The Diplomat
- Jean Smart (as Deborah Vance) – Hacks
- Sarah Snook (as Marissa Irvine) – All Her Fault
- Michelle Williams (as Molly Kochan) – Dying for Sex
Key Dates
Location: HOTA, Home of the Arts – Gold Coast, Queensland
- AACTA Festival: Wednesday 4 February – Sunday 8 February 2026
- AACTA Awards Industry Gala: Wednesday 4 February 2026
- AACTA Festival Industry Conference Day: Thursday 5 February 2026
- AACTA Awards Ceremony & Official After Party: Friday 6 February 2026
- AACTA Screen Careers Expo:Saturday 7 February 2026
- For information on the AACTA Festival, click here.
Tickets & Information Tickets to AACTA Festival events and the AACTA Awards, including Live! by the Lake, are available now at aactafestival.com.
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2026 AACTA International Award Nominees Announced
