The Nine Network‘s Midday host Ray Martin won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at the 35th annual TV Week Logie Awards.
The awards were held at Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt Hotel on 19 March 1993 and telecast on Network Ten.
For Martin (pictured on TV Week‘s front cover with Silver Logie winners Gary Sweet and Georgie Parker), the Gold follows his recent foray into prime-time specials which have been ratings winners. “The Logies and the Gold Logie — it’s the biggest game in town,” he told TV Week. “I remember (producer) Peter Faiman saying to someone once, ‘Don’t take it seriously, it’s only an award to sell magazines’. But it’s more than that. The public see it as a sign of the times, and yeah, I deserve it, but so do those other three people (Gold nominees Georgie Parker, Daryl Somers and Bruce Samazan) tonight.” The win is Martin’s second Gold Logie, having won the popular-voted award once before in 1987.
Police Rescue star Gary Sweet managed to achieve a Logies first — collecting awards for both Most Popular Actor and Most Outstanding Actor on Australian TV. It was the first time that an actor had collected both public and peer Silver Logies in the one year.
“What’s fulfilling and satisfying is that people out there are voting for, and watching, Police Rescue and the ABC. It’s true. I wish everyone in the cast and crew could have won a Logie. I respect everyone I work with so much,” he said on the night.
Former A Country Practice star Georgie Parker won her third Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress on Australian TV. Although she was no longer being seen on the popular Seven Network series, Parker was far from being idle. Since leaving the show she had been appearing on All Together Now, GP and Acropolis Now.
Not even taking a tumble on stage could stop Rhonda Burchmore from finishing her dance routine with David Atkins and the Tap Boys. “I certainly woke a few people up,” she joked. But after the fall on stage she leapt to her feet and finished the number to receive a huge ovation from the crowd. Also performing on the night were John Farnham and Tom Jones, singing the AC/DC classic It’s A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock n’ Roll, and the Logies’ opening number featuring Hey Dad! stars Rachael Beck and Julie McGregor, dancer Todd McKenney, E Street star Kelley Abbey and child guitarist Nathan Cavaleri. And the crowd also had a standing ovation for host Bert Newton as he entered the stage to begin hosting his 18th Logies. “I love hosting the Logies and when you genuinely feel that way, I think it makes a difference,” he told TV Week. It was his first Logies hosting since 1989.
It was a night of mixed emotions for E Street star Simon Denny. The 23-year-old actor had won the Logie for Most Popular New Talent but despite the celebration he was also contemplating unemployment. Network Ten had axed E Street just the day before. “What concerns me about all this is almost 200 people are going to be out of work and that is pretty daunting,” he told TV Week. “The axing is also disturbing from a personal point of view. One minute I’m winning this award and being placed into a star category, but in 10 weeks’ time I’m going to be unemployed.” After subsequent roles in GP, Home And Away, Naked, Heartbreak High and Sweat, Denny would become a hit in Hollywood in the film LA Confidential. He later became Simon Baker and a successful actor on US television with lead roles in The Guardian and The Mentalist.
The Seven Network’s Tracks Of Glory won Most Popular Telemovie Or Mini-Series, while series star Cameron Daddo won the Logie for Most Popular Actor In A Telemovie Or Mini-Series. Josephine Byrnes, of Ten’s The Other Side Of Paradise, won Most Popular Actress In A Telemovie Or Mini-Series.
It was a double Logie win for Hey Hey It’s Saturday, with the program winning Most Popular Light Entertainment Program and host Daryl Somers (pictured with wife Julie da Costa) winning Most Popular Light Entertainment Personality.
Meanwhile, Seven’s Fast Forward won Most Popular Comedy Program, while Acropolis Now star Mary Coustas received the Logie for Most Popular Comedy Personality.
Leading the industry-voted awards, veteran TV producer Reg Grundy, the man behind popular Australian shows including Prisoner, The Restless Years, The Young Doctors, Sons And Daughters, Sale Of The Century, Neighbours and Wheel Of Fortune, became the 10th inductee into the TV Week Logie Awards Hall of Fame.
Typically, ABC scored well in the industry-voted Most Outstanding categories. Apart from Reg Grundy’s Hall of Fame and regional television network Prime taking out the regional category, it was pretty much a clean sweep by ABC — including The Leaving Of Liverpool for Most Outstanding Telemovie Or Mini-Series, Mother And Son‘s Ruth Cracknell for Most Outstanding Actress, and ABC News for its coverage of the Bangkok riots.
Teenage actress Tracie Sammut (pictured) was awarded a Special Achievement Logie for her work in the ABC series GP. At the time Sammut was one of just two actors in the world with Down’s syndrome who have regular roles in a television series (the other is Christopher Burke in US series Life Goes On). In her acceptance speech she had a special message for her father Louis, who was ill in a Sydney hospital, and thanked the ABC “for putting up with me”.
Apart from Tom Jones, overseas guests included John Spencer (LA Law) and Vanessa Williams (Melrose Place).
TV Week Logie Winners 1993: Public Voting Categories:
Gold Logie — Most Popular Personality On Australian TV: Ray Martin
Silver Logie — Most Popular Actor: Gary Sweet (Police Rescue)
Silver Logie — Most Popular Actress: Georgie Parker (A Country Practice, Acropolis Now)
Most Popular Series: Home And Away (Seven)
Most Popular Telemovie or Mini-Series: Tracks Of Glory (Seven)
Most Popular Actor in a Telemovie or Mini-Series: Cameron Daddo (Tracks Of Glory)
Most Popular Actress in a Telemovie or Mini-Series: Josephine Byrnes (The Other Side Of Paradise)
Most Popular Light Entertainment Program: Hey Hey It’s Saturday (Nine)
Most Popular Light Entertainment Personality: Daryl Somers (Hey Hey It’s Saturday)
Most Popular Comedy Program: Fast Forward (Seven)
Most Popular Comedy Personality: Mary Coustas (Acropolis Now)
Most Popular Public Affairs Program: A Current Affair (Nine)
Most Popular Lifestyle Information Program: Burke’s Backyard (Nine)
Most Popular Music Video: Everything’s Alright (Kate Ceberano, John Farnham, Jon Stevens)
Most Popular Sports Coverage: Olympic Games (Seven)
Most Popular New Talent: Simon Denny (E Street)
Most Popular Children’s Program: Agro’s Cartoon Connection (Seven)
TV Week Logie Winners 1993: Industry Voting Categories:
Gold Logie –TV Week Logie Awards’ Hall Of Fame: Reg Grundy
Silver Logie — Most Outstanding Actor: Gary Sweet (Police Rescue)
Silver Logie — Most Outstanding Actress: Ruth Cracknell (Mother And Son)
Most Outstanding Telemovie or Mini-Series: The Leaving Of Liverpool (ABC)
Most Outstanding Achievement in News: “Bangkok Riots”, ABC
Most Outstanding Series: Phoenix (ABC)
Most Outstanding Achievement in Public Affairs: The Investigators (ABC)
Most Outstanding Single Documentary or Series: Cop It Sweet (ABC), Faces In The Mob (ABC).
Special Achievement Award: Tracie Sammut (GP)
Most Outstanding Achievement By Regional Television: Stranded (Prime)
Source: TV Week, 27 March 1993
The 60th annual TV Week Logie Awards. Sunday 1 July, 7.30pm (Red Carpet 7pm), Nine Network.
