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Sarah Snook to Headline AACTA Festival 2026, Receive Trailblazer Award

Snook will headline a special ‘In Conversation’ event at the festival this year, where she will also be honoured with the prestigious AACTA Trailblazer Award

Sarah Snook wins at the Tony Awards

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Internationally acclaimed Australian actor Sarah Snook is heading to AACTA Festival 2026.

Snook will headline a special ‘In Conversation’ event at the festival this year, where she will also be honoured with the prestigious AACTA Trailblazer Award.

Recognising Australians who are forging unique and influential pathways in the global industry, the AACTA Trailblazer Award will celebrate Snook’s extraordinary impact and continued influence on the Australian screen industry.

“I’m so honored to receive the AACTA Trailblazer Award. Australia is where I learned to love storytelling, and every opportunity I’ve had began with the support of this community,” she said of the honour.

“I’m grateful to the filmmakers, co-stars, crews and audiences who have lifted me up along the way. It’s a privilege to represent Australian talent on the world stage, and I hope to keep contributing to the vibrant, world-class industry we’re building together.”

On Saturday, February 7th, Snook will be joined by Australian actor Shane Jacobson to present an exclusive ‘In Conversation’ where she will offer the audience insights and recollections about her career, which has led to her being one of Australia’s most celebrated talents.

Snook has been nominated for six AACTA Awards and has won three, including her first AACTA Award at the inaugural ceremony in 2012 for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama (Sisters of War). She went on to win Best Lead Actress in a Film in 2014 for her performance opposite Ethan Hawke in Predestination, and most recently received an AACTA Award for her voice performance in the animated feature Memoir of a Snail.

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Previously awarded to Margot Robbie, Chris Hemsworth, Rose Byrne, Simon Baker, and Isla Fisher, the AACTA Trailblazer Award recognises the achievements of an Australian screen practitioner whose body of work has served as an inspiration to others. The discretionary award, which is determined by the AFI/AACTA Board, acknowledges the recipient’s valuable contribution to promoting Australian screen culture and excellence at home and abroad.

Tickets for AACTA Festival events and the AACTA Awards Ceremonies, are available now here