The cast members of two landmark ABC dramas have been celebrated at the annual Equity Ensemble Awards, which honour outstanding performances by Australian actors.
The cast of ABC gay and lesbian rights drama Riot , produced by Werner Film Productions, received the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Mini-Series/Telemovie at a ceremony in Sydney on Monday night.
The cast of the ABC’s compelling crime drama Mystery Road , produced by Bunya Productions, won the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Award. Series 2 of Mystery Road, which sees the return of Aaron Pedersen as Indigenous detective Jay Swan, is in production.
The Ensemble Awards follow wins for key cast members at the 2018 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, with Riot ’s Kate Box and Damon Herriman winning best lead acting awards and Mystery Road’ s Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair winning awards for their supporting roles.
Sally Riley, ABC Head of Drama, Comedy & Indigenous, said:
“Congratulations to the outstanding cast ensembles in Mystery Road and Riot for bringing these distinctively Australian stories to life for ABC audiences. The ABC has a proud history of supporting great Australian actors and we are proud to play a role in delivering their world-class performances to viewers.”
ABC programs Back In Very Small Business, Sando, Squinters, Pine Gap and Rake were also nominated for Ensemble Awards, which are chosen by members of Actors Equity, part of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance.
SBS program Homecoming Queens received the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Award, proudly sponsored by the ABC.
