Today’s announcement of nominations for the 50th annual TV Week Logie Awards came with some interesting names. As well as the usual parade of soap stars and, ahem, Bindi Irwin, there were some surprises in the Gold Logie nominations list.

The national broadcaster ABC, who usually deny having any interest in popularity contests such as ratings and publicly-voted Logies, have received three nominations for the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television:

Andrew Denton (Enough Rope)

Adam Hills (Spicks And Specks)

Chris Lilley (Summer Heights High)

The rest of the Gold Logie nominations list comprises Rove McManus (Rove), Kate Ritchie (Home And Away and It Takes Two), John Howard (All Saints), Natalie Blair (Neighbours) and Lisa McCune (Sea Patrol). McManus already has three of the golden statuettes to his name, McCune has four, and Ritchie won her first Gold Logie last year.

While it is difficult to trace back to previous Gold Logie nominations (because, we only really ever want to remember the winner, not the runners-up), it appears that this year is the first time that ABC has had this many contenders for the top award, especially as it is only in recent times that the nominations list has been extended to eight. And if Denton, Hills or Lilley can walk away with the Gold Logie, they will be the first ABC personality to do so since Norman Gunston (Garry McDonald) won it back in 1976 – and only the fourth ever, the others being Lorrae Desmond (1962) and Michael Charlton (1963).

ABC also scored nominations for The Chaser’s War On Everything, The Choir Of Hard Knocks, Four Corners, Foreign Correspondent, Curtin, Enough Rope, Spicks And Specks, Summer Heights High, Rain Shadow and Australian Story’s tribute to Belinda Emmett.

The eight TV Week Gold Logie nominees now enter the ‘Race for Gold’ with the final vote now open to the public via SMS. Voting closes on the night of the 50th annual TV Week Logie Awards, Sunday 4 May.

The full nominations list follows.

TV Week Gold Logie Most Popular Personality

Natalie Blair
Andrew Denton
Adam Hills
John Howard
Chris Lilley
Lisa McCune
Rove McManus
Kate Ritchie

TV Week Silver Logie Most Popular Actress

Natalie Blair (Neighbours, Ten)
Simmone Jade Mackinnon (McLeod’s Daughters, Nine)
Lisa McCune (Sea Patrol, Nine)
Kate Ritchie (Home And Away, Seven)
Magda Szubanski (Kath & Kim, Seven)

TV Week Silver Logie Most Popular Actor

Mark Furze (Home And Away, Seven)
John Howard (All Saints, Seven)
Chris Lilley (Summer Heights High, ABC)
Paul O’Brien (Home And Away, Seven)
Glenn Robbins (Kath & Kim, Seven)

TV Week Silver Logie Most Popular TV Presenter

Andrew Denton (Enough Rope With Andrew Denton, ABC)
Grant Denyer (It Takes Two/Australia’s Got Talent, Seven)
Melissa Doyle (Sunrise/Where Are They Now, Seven)
Adam Hills (Spicks & Specks, ABC)
Rove McManus (Rove/Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Ten)

TV Week Silver Logie Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie

City Homicide (Seven)
Curtin (ABC)
East West 101 (SBS)
The King (TV1)
Satisfaction (Showcase)

TV Week Silver Logie Most Outstanding Actor

Stephen Curry (The King, TV1)
Don Hany (East West 101, SBS)
Chris Lilley (Summer Heights High, ABC)
William McInnes (Curtin, ABC and East West 101, SBS)

TV Week Silver Logie Most Outstanding Actress

Diana Glenn (Satisfaction, Showcase)
Claudia Karvan (Love My Way, Showtime)
Asher Keddie (Love My Way, Showtime)
Victoria Thaine (Rain Shadow, ABC)
Alison Whyte (Satisfaction, Showcase)

Most Popular Lifestyle Program

Better Homes And Gardens (Seven)
Getaway (Nine)
The Great Outdoors (Seven)
Things To Try Before You Die (Nine)
What’s Good For You (Nine)

Most Popular New Female Talent

Charlotte Best (Home And Away, Seven)
Tammy Clarkson (The Circuit, SBS)
Bindi Irwin (Bindi: The Jungle Girl, ABC)
Adelaide Kane (Neighbours, Ten)
Zoe Ventoura (Kick, SBS)

Most Popular New Male Talent

Jack Campbell (All Saints, Seven)
Sam Clark (Neighbours, Ten)
Lincoln Lewis (Home And Away, Seven)
David Lyons (Sea Patrol, Nine)
Stuart MacGill (Stuart MacGill Uncorked, LifeStyle Channel)

Most Popular Drama

All Saints (Seven)
City Homicide (Seven)
Home And Away (Seven)
McLeod’s Daughters (Nine)
Neighbours (Ten)

Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy Program

The Chaser’s War On Everything (ABC)
Kath & Kim (Seven)
Spicks & Specks (ABC)
Summer Heights High (ABC)
Thank God You’re Here (Ten)

Most Popular Sports Program

The Footy Show AFL (Nine)
The Footy Show NRL (Nine)
Inside Cricket (FOX Sports 1)
Sports Tonight (Ten)
The World Game (SBS)

Most Popular Reality Program

Australian Idol (Ten)
Big Brother (Ten)
The Biggest Loser (Ten)
Dancing With The Stars (Seven)
It Takes Two (Seven)

Most Popular Factual Program

Bondi Rescue (Ten)
Border Security (Seven)
Choir Of Hard Knocks (ABC)
RPA (Nine)
RSPCA Animal Rescue (Seven)

Most Outstanding News Coverage

“East Timor: Finding Alfredo” (Foreign Correspondent, ABC)
“Federal Election” (Sky News)
“Garuda Plane Crash” (Seven)
“Pasha Bulker” (Nine)
“Timor Baucau” (SBS)

Most Outstanding Public Affairs Report

“The Big Sting” (60 Minutes, Nine)
“Final Call” (Four Corners, ABC)
“Hicks On Trial” (Insight, SBS)
“Rwanda: Questions Of Murder” (Dateline, SBS)
“Some Meaning In This Life: Belinda Emmett” (Australian Story, ABC)

Most Outstanding Documentary Series

Captain Cook: Obsession And Discovery (ABC)
Constructing Australia: The Bridge (ABC)
Inside Australia: My Brother Vinnie (SBS)
The Sounds Of Aus (ABC)
The Ultimate Donation (Ten)

Most Outstanding Factual Series

Bondi Rescue (Ten)
Border Security (Seven)
Choir Of Hard Knocks (ABC)
The Force: Behind The Line (Seven)
The Gift (Nine)

Most Outstanding Comedy Program

The Chaser’s War On Everything (ABC)
Kath & Kim (Seven)
Summer Heights High (ABC)
Thank God You’re Here (Ten)
Wilfred (SBS)

Most Outstanding Sports Coverage

AFL Grand Final (Ten)
Australian Open Tennis Championships (Seven)
3 Mobile Ashes Series, Fifth Test (Nine)
FINA World Swimming Championships (Nine)
Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 (Seven)

Most Outstanding Children’s Program

Animalia (Ten)
Hi-5 (Nine)
H2O: Just Add Water (Ten)
Lockie Leonard (Nine)
Totally Wild: Antarctica Special (Ten)

Graham Kennedy Award For Most Outstanding New Talent

Tammy Clarkson (The Circuit, SBS)
Adelaide Clemens (Love My Way, Showtime)
Nicole Da Silva (Dangerous, FOX8)
Sean Keenan (Lockie Leonard, Nine)
Zoe Ventoura (Kick, SBS)