Seven Network personality Sonia Kruger has won the Gold Logie at the 63rd annual TV Week Logie Awards, held on Sunday night at The Star, Sydney.
The host of Big Brother, The Voice and Dancing With The Stars took the top award ahead of fellow nominees Osher Günsberg, Mark Coles Smith, Julia Morris, Leigh Sales, Shaun Micallef and last year’s Gold Logie winner, Hamish Blake.
Kruger’s win was the first Gold Logie for the Seven Network since Samuel Johnson won in 2017, following his portrayal of Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum in Molly, and the first female Gold Logie winner since Carrie Bickmore‘s Gold Logie in 2015.
It was billed as a new-look awards with Seven taking over as host broadcaster for the first time since 1995, and the awards being held in Sydney for the first time since 1986. Also significant was that awards would have a solo host — comedian Sam Pang — for the first time since 2011.
Pang opened the show after a pre-show segment that saw him discussing his lucrative hosting gig with former Logies hosts Rove McManus, Steve Vizard, Andrew Denton, Wendy Harmer and Shaun Micallef and some words of encouragement from Patti Newton, whose late husband Bert of course led 19 Logies nights. Pang’s opening monologue and intermittent segments during the night held the crowd with gags that didn’t just come off as insider jokes. Most of the jokes landed well, some less so — something with he sent up later in the show.
Presenting awards the night included Alex Dimitriadis, Liz Hayes, David Koch, Poh Ling Yeow, Colin Fassnidge, Virginia Gay, Celeste Barber, Emma Hamilton, Larry Emdur, Grant Denyer, Stephen Peacocke, Lincoln Younes, Karl Stefanovic, Natalie Barr, Kylie Gillies, Tristan McManus, Sophie Monk, Samantha Armytage, Marta Dusseldorp, Alan Fletcher, Lynne McGranger, Matt Shirvington, Mick Molloy, Eddie Betts, Abbie Chatfield, Joel Creasey, Peter Helliar, Rodger Corser, Yael Stone, Luke McGregor, Kat Stewart, Tony Armstrong, Jessica Mauboy, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Ayesha Madon, Julia Zemiro, David Wenham, Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer — and three-time Gold Logie winner and Dancing With The Stars host Daryl Somers to hand out the Gold.
Stefanovic’s tribute to Barry Humphries and Barr’s tribute to Olivia Newton-John led the In Memoriam segment, with Kate Miller-Heidke performing Newton-John’s famous hit Xanadu.
Todd McKenney led a bizarre dance routine to pay tribute to the reality TV show nominees — before he sheepishly regretted performing said item! Dave Hughes, who presented opening monologues at past Logies, was apparently a ring-in to replace late scratching Kyle Sandilands to present the most outstanding children’s show award. Perhaps being a late inclusion explained his fairly ordinary contribution to the night.
Stefanovic tried to make a joke about David Koch’s reference to the series Bump that he made earlier in the night — though the gag was lost on pretty much everyone.
Dusseldorp and Shirvington inducted former Network Ten and Foxtel executive, the late Brian Walsh into the TV Week Logie Awards Hall of Fame. Walsh was a passionate supporter of Australian production, championing shows like Neighbours, Vietnam and Bangkok Hilton to huge success, and commissioning many Foxtel productions including Love My Way, Gogglebox Australia, Australia’s Next Top Model, Uptight, The Great Australian Bake-Off, Wentworth, The Twelve, The Kettering Incident, Secret City, Satisfaction and taking over A Place To Call Home after the Seven Network axed it. There were tributes to Walsh from Jason Donovan, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.
Somers’ appearance late into the night to present the Gold de-railed what had to that point been a decent line-up. His rambling about a late-running Logies when he won Gold in 1983, and his mock Gold Logie auction among the nominees fell flat with Somers failing to recognise that he wasn’t the funniest person in the room.
In making her acceptance speech, Kruger, a veteran of over 20 years and countless hours of live television and one of Seven’s highest profile stars, made a puzzling gag of a conversation with her agent about cancelling fellow client Hamish Blake.
YouTube: 7NEWS Australia
2023 TV WEEK Logie Awards – Gold Logie
TV WEEK GOLD LOGIE for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television
● Sonia Kruger, The Voice, Dancing With The Stars & Big Brother, Seven Network
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Popular Actor
● Sam Neill, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Popular Actress
● Kitty Flanagan, Fisk Season 2, ABC
Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter
● Tony Armstrong, A Dog’s World With Tony Armstrong, ABC
Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent
● Amy Shark, Australian Idol, Seven Network
Most Popular Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie
● Home and Away, Seven Network
Most Popular Lifestyle Program
● Travel Guides, 9Network
Most Popular Comedy Program
● Have You Been Paying Attention?, Network 10
Most Popular Reality Program
● MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites, Network 10
Most Popular Entertainment Program
● Gogglebox Australia, FOXTEL & Network 10
Most Outstanding Entertainment Program
● The Cheap Seats, Network 10
Most Popular Current Affairs Program
● Australian Story, ABC
2023 TV WEEK Logie Awards – Gold Logie
Hall Of Fame
● Brian Walsh
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Outstanding Actor
● Patrick Brammall, Colin from Accounts, BINGE
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Outstanding Actress
● Harriet Dyer, Colin from Accounts, BINGE
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor
● Thomas Weatherall, Heartbreak High, Netflix
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Outstanding Supporting Actress
● Brooke Satchwell, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Most Outstanding Comedy Program
● Colin from Accounts, BINGE
Most Outstanding Children’s Program
● Crazy Fun Park, ABC
Most Outstanding Reality Program
● Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains, Network 10
Most Outstanding News Coverage or Public Affairs Report
● Foreign Correspondent – Saving the Children, ABC
Most Outstanding Sports Coverage
● State of Origin, 9Network
Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program
● The Australian Wars, SBS
Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie
● The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Source: Now To Love
