Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix’s acclaimed miniseries about the Australian wellness scammer Belle Gibson, has scored 20 nominations at the 2026 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) awards, while the horror movie Bring Her Back leads the film categories with 16 nominations.
Apple Cider Vinegar stars the US actor Kaitlyn Dever as Gibson, who built an empire on false claims that she beat terminal brain cancer through her diet and alternative medicine. Dever is nominated for best lead actress for her performance, alongside her co-star Alycia Debnam-Carey, who plays fellow influencer Milla Blake.
The miniseries has also swept the supporting actor nominations, with Essie Davis, Aisha Dee, Susie Porter, Mark Coles Smith, Matt Nable and Ashley Zukerman all nominated. It is also nominated for best miniseries, writing, directing, casting, soundtrack, score, sound, costume and editing.
Apple Cider Vinegar’s 20 nominations comes close to the all-time record set last year by Boy Swallows Universe, which landed 22 nominations and ended up winning 12 categories.
Leading the film categories with 16 nominations is Bring Her Back, a horror film about two children who realise something is not quite right with their new foster mother. It is the second feature film directed by the Adelaide brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, whose debut Talk to Me swept the Aactas in 2024.
Bring Her Back’s nominations include best film, best direction, best lead actress for the British actor Sally Hawkins and supporting acting nominations for 12-year-old Jonah Wren Phillips, 14-year-old Sora Wong and Sally-Anne Upton.
Another Australian horror film, Together, about a co-dependent couple who begin literally sticking together, landed eight nominations including best lead actress for the US star Alison Brie and best supporting actor for Damon Herriman.
The best film category pits Bring Her Back against The Correspondent, a drama about the imprisoned Australian journalist Peter Greste; family comedy Kangaroo; animated film Lesbian Space Princess; Nicolas Cage-led drama The Surfer; and Bruce Beresford’s drama The Travellers.
The television categories are dominated by two acclaimed mainstays: the final season of The Newsreader, which has 12 nominations, and season two of Mystery Road: Origin, which has 11 nominations. Respectively, each show has landed 56 and 43 total nominations since it began.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a miniseries adaptation of Richard Flanagan’s novel, landed 12 nominations including best actor for Jacob Elordi and best supporting actress for Heather Mitchell. Also highly nominated are Mix Tape (eight nominations), The Survivors (six nominations) and The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer (five nominations).
The actors Aisha Dee, Mark Coles Smith and Daniel Henshall all landed two acting nominations this year: Dee for Apple Cider Vinegar and Watching You, Coles Smith for Mystery Road: Origin and Apple Cider Vinegar, and Henshall for The Family Next Door and The Newsreader.
Nominated in the best comedy category are Austin, Bump, Ghosts, Mother and Son, Strife and Top End Bub. The award for best acting in a comedy returns for a third year, with Claudia Karvan, Asher Keddie, Ben Miller, Sally Phillips, Angus Sampson, Denise Scott, Miranda Tapsell and Michael Theo all nominated.
The Aactas, formerly known as the AFI awards, span film and television, entertainment, lifestyle and factual programming. The ceremony will take place on 6 February on the Gold Coast and will air on both Channel 10 and Binge.
2026 Aacta awards nominees
Television
Best miniseries
Apple Cider Vinegar
Invisible Boys
Mix Tape
The Last Anniversary
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
The Survivors
Best drama series
Bay of Fires
Black Snow Jack of Clubs
Mystery Road: Origin
The Family Next Door
The Newsreader
The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer
Best narrative comedy series
Austin
Bump
Ghosts
Mother and Son
Strife
Top End Bub
Best lead actress in a drama
Alycia Debnam-Carey – Apple Cider Vinegar
Aisha Dee – Watching You
Kaitlyn Dever – Apple Cider Vinegar
Tuuli Narkle – Mystery Road: Origin
Teresa Palmer – Mix Tape
Anna Torv – The Newsreader
Best lead actor in a drama
Mark Coles Smith – Mystery Road: Origin
Jacob Elordi – The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Travis Fimmel – Black Snow Jack of Clubs
Sam Neill – The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer
Hunter Page-Lochard – Reckless
Sam Reid – The Newsreader
Best acting in a comedy
Claudia Karvan – Bump
Asher Keddie – Strife
Ben Miller – Austin
Sally Phillips – Austin
Angus Sampson – Bump
Denise Scott – Mother and Son
Miranda Tapsell – Top End Bub
Michael Theo – Austin
Best comedy performer
Hamish Blake – Lego Masters Australia: Grand Masters of the Galaxy
Melanie Bracewell – The Cheap Seats
Aaron Chen – Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee
Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz
Luke McGregor – Portrait Artist of the Year
Guy Montgomery – Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee
Sam Pang – Sam Pang Tonight
Julia Zemiro – Crime Night!
Best entertainment program
Dancing with the Stars
Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Grand Final: Access All Areas
I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! Australia
Lego Masters Australia: Grand Masters of the Galaxy
Portrait Artist of the Year
That Blackfella Show
Best comedy entertainment program
Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee
Hard Quiz
Sam Pang Tonight
Spicks and Specks
Taskmaster Australia
The Weekly with Charlie Pickering
Best factual entertainment program
Alone Australia
Gogglebox Australia
Muster Dogs Collies and Kelpies
Take 5 with Zan Rowe
The Piano
The Secret DNA of Us
Film
Best Film
Bring Her Back
Kangaroo
Lesbian Space Princess
The Correspondent
The Surfer
The Travellers
Best lead actress in film
Alison Brie – Together
Emily Browning – One More Shot
Sally Hawkins – Bring Her Back
Susie Porter – The Travellers
Daisy Ridley – We Bury The Dead
Lily Whiteley – Kangaroo
Best lead actor in film
Bryan Brown – The Travellers
Ryan Corr – Kangaroo
Jai Courtney – Dangerous Animals
Guy Pearce – Inside
Richard Roxburgh – The Correspondent
David Wenham – Spit
Best supporting actor in film
Damon Herriman – Together
Cosmo Jarvis – Inside
Julian Maroun – The Correspondent
Julian McMahon – The Surfer
Rahel Romahn – The Correspondent
Jonah Wren Phillips – Bring Her Back
Best supporting actress in film
Marta Dusseldorp – With or Without You
Deborah Mailman – Kangaroo
Brooke Satchwell – Kangaroo
Yael Stone – The Correspondent
Sally-Anne Upton – Bring Her Back
Sora Wong – Bring Her Back
Best documentary
Ellis Park
Journey Home, David Gulpilil
But Also John Clarke
Songs Inside
Unbreakable – The Jelena Dokic Story
Yurlu | Country
Best indie film
Carmen & Bolude
Fwends
It Will Find You
Lesbian Space Princess
Magic Beach
With or Without You
Best direction in film
Bring Her Back – Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Kangaroo – Kate Woods
Lesbian Space Princess – Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese
The Correspondent – Kriv Stenders
The Travellers – Bruce Beresford
