Entries for the 2027 AACTA Awards have opened, with the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) confirming the ceremony will return to the Gold Coast for a fourth consecutive year in February 2027.
The announcement, made on 6 July 2026, confirms the awards will again be presented by Foxtel Group. Finalists for the 2027 edition will be named in the lead-up to the ceremony.
Previous AACTA finalists and winners include Cate Blanchett, Chris Hemsworth, David Gulpilil, Sam Neill and Deborah Mailman, underscoring the awards’ role in recognising leading names across Australia’s screen industry.
At the 2026 AACTA Awards, Bring Her Back was the night’s biggest winner, taking out ten awards from 16 nominations.
The 2027 AACTA Awards will include updates to several TV categories, including clearer recognition for comedy acting and changes to how reality, entertainment and factual entertainment programs are considered. The film awards, however, remain unchanged for 2027.
The Best Comedy Performer category has been retired and replaced with two dedicated comedy acting categories: Best Lead Acting in a Comedy and Best Supporting Acting in a Comedy.
“The changes better recognise the breadth and depth of Australian comedic acting talent while aligning these categories with the Academy’s broader acting categories,” a spokesperson said.
The Best Reality Competition Program category “recognises the evolution of competition-based reality television into one of Australia’s most ambitious production genres.”
Content previously eligible for Best Reality Television Series will now be considered, where appropriate, within the Best Reality Competition Program or Best Factual Entertainment Program categories.
The AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program, meanwhile, has evolved into the home for Australia’s most engaging non-fiction entertainment, bringing together the best in lifestyle and factual programming under a single, broader category.
“The award now celebrates programs that entertain audiences through real people, real places and real experiences and reflects the diversity and competitiveness of the Australian factual entertainment space,” the press release states.
And the Best Comedy Entertainment Program category has also been incorporated into Best Entertainment Program, “ensuring programs are assessed within the most relevant contemporary category.”
More announcements about the 2027 AACTA Awards are set to arrive in the coming months.
Find out more about the 2027 AACTA Awards here.