Cate Blanchett stole the show at this year’s Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards on the Gold Coast.
The actress came out on stage dressed in a bright pink gown and large Sia-style bow on her head, claiming to be “Middle-Aged Barbie” as she handed out the Trailblazer Award to Margot Robbie.
Giggling in the crowd at the ensemble, Robbie then took to the stage after a star-studded congratulatory video message played out for her.
READ MORE: Sophie Monk bags coveted AACTA Award
“If you asked me growing up who my favourite actor was, my answer was always, and will always be, Cate Blanchett,” Robbie said after accepting the gold statuette.
“I have been adoring you from afar for as long as I can remember. To be adoring you now at such close proximity is truly overwhelming.”
IN PHOTOS: All the best celebrity looks from the AACTA Awards red carpet 2024
Blanchett fixed her bow and pouted at the star to more laughs from the audience inside HOTA (Home of the Arts) in Surfers Paradise.
Robbie, who grew up on the Gold Coast, said receiving the award on the same stage where she performed “a vaguely inappropriate dance routine in our interschool dance eisteddfod” 20 years ago was “a very full circle moment”.
Her mum and husband, Tom Ackerley, looked on proudly from the audience as she gave a heart-warming speech about the value of dreaming big.
”I did have big, big dreams as a kid and big dreams can carry you pretty far but the love and support of your family and friends will carry you much further,” she said.
READ MORE: All the stadium rules for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour explained
While Robbie didn’t give an individual shout out to Ackerley while accepting her Trailblazer Award, she touched on their big year as producers – with hits like Barbie and Saltburn – as their Lucky Chap production company marks it’s tenth year.
“It is fair to say that we’ve just had the most surreal year of our lives,” she said.
Later, when returning to the stage to collect the trophy for International Award for Best Lead Actress in Film for Barbie, she gave a rare and sweet shout out to her husband.
“I’d like to thank the biggest Ken of them all – and I know Ryan [Gosling] wouldn’t mind me saying this – Tom Ackerley,” Robbie said.
READ MORE: ‘Truly embarrassing’: Inside the 2004 Super Bowl controversy
“Aside from producing this film and running two successful companies with me, he happens to be my husband and he’s good at that as well.”
The notoriously private couple even posed for photos together backstage.
While Robbie has been parading real Barbie looks along the red carpets since before the movie came out, this time it looks like she opted for pure ‘Movie Star Margot’ – wearing the swarovski crystal-covered Vivienne Westwood ‘pirate bride’ gown from the late British designer’s 1998 collection.
Barbie also took home International Award for Best Film and International Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film for Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of Ken.
The biggest winner of the night, during the ceremony hosted by Rebel Wilson, was Aussie horror movie Talk to Me, which took out three gongs on the night including Best Film and Best Lead Actress in Film for Sophie Wilde.
The production also took out five technical awards earlier in the week, giving them a total of eight AACTA Awards.
In the TV stakes, The Newsreader won Best Drama Series and Best Lead Actress in a Drama for Anna Torv, while Best Children’s Program went to local production Bluey.
Real life couple, actors Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, took to the stage to accept Best Narrative Comedy Series for their production Colin From Accounts.
While in touching moments on stage, Cal Wilson’s husband and Jock Zonfrillo’s wife accepted awards on their late spouses’ behalf.
You can see all of the night’s biggest winners here.
