Australia has always been Baz Luhrmann’s greatest muse. No honour speaks to that bond more perfectly than his new AACTA ambassadorship, alongside his wife and creative partner, Catherine Martin.
The visionary director, whose films have long defined Australia on the world stage, is elated by the announcement, made as part of AACTA’s 2026 Festival and Awards program launch.
“It just has a special meaning, it really does,” he tells Variety Australia at the launch on the Gold Coast. “It holds a different place in your heart, because it’s your home acknowledgment. Nothing comes close to being acknowledged by your own country, in your own country, by the people that are your home.”




