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Harris and Butler were the only international actors to win at the awards despite nominations for Tom Hanks (Elvis), Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba (both in Three Thousand Years Of Longing) and Jackie van Beek and Jemaine Clement (both in Nude Tuesday).

Accepting the Longford Lyell Award, Martin said her work had been “indivisible from my creative partnership with Baz Luhrmann, who has been my husband for 25 years; yes, I know, I need an award for that too”.

After praising the “the many, many talented and dedicated women” she worked alongside, Martin called for better childcare for working mothers who were not as fortunate as her. “Improving access to, and affordability of, childcare is so important, helping women throughout society fulfil their dreams and their potential inside and outside the home,” she said.

Accepting best director from London, Luhrmann said it was especially touching to be acknowledged by his home team. “All of us held this movie is our hands like a precious child through COVID with one goal in our mind ... to bring audiences back into the theatre, old and young, and it’s gratifying that we did it,” he said.

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The jury duty drama The Twelve (Foxtel/Binge) won best mini-series and the latest incarnation of the ABC’s Mystery Road, which took Indigenous detective Jay Swan back to his younger days in his home town, won best drama series.

The first two seasons of the series won the same award, which means the television spin-off of Ivan Sen’s 2013 outback western Mystery Road has triumphed three times in five years.

Mark Coles Smith, who took over the lead role from Aaron Pedersen, won best lead actor in a television drama; and screen newcomer Tuuli Narkle, who played local woman Mary Allen, won best lead actress. Brooke Satchwell, who played emotionally abused Georgina Merrick in The Twelve, won best supporting actress in a TV drama.

Heartbreak High, a revival of a popular 1990s high school series that has become a breakout hit on Netflix, had already won best costume design at the Industry Awards. Creator Hannah Carroll Chapman added to that by winning best screenplay in television for the first episode that featured an infamous “incest map”, and Thomas Weatherall, who plays Malakai, boosted the Indigenous success at the AACTAs by winning best supporting actor in a TV drama.

In the audience choice awards, Elvis won best film and Heartbreak High won best TV show. Bryn Chapman Parish, who plays Spider in the series, won best actor; and Chloe Hayden, who plays Quinni, won best actress.

Thor star Chris Hemsworth won the Trailblazer Award for his outstanding career and contribution to the screen industry.

“I feel incredibly lucky to able to do what I do - to tell stories, to act, to be able to take on many different adventures across the globe,” he said. “My parents instilled in me a belief that anything was possible. When I said I wanted to be an actor, they said ‘absolutely, go for it, the couch will be here if it ever fails’.”

Tom Gleeson, host of the ABC’s Hard Quiz, won best comedy performer, with stablemate Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell winning best comedy program.

Nine’s Lego Masters Australia won best entertainment program, the ABC’s Old People’s Home for Teenagers claimed best factual entertainment program and Ten’s MasterChef Australia took out best reality program.

AACTA chief executive Damian Trewhella called it “a phenomenal year” for the Australian screen industry.

“These awards recognise the monumental effort and skill that goes into making a production and honour the hard-working creatives and artists who keep us entertained,” he said.

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