Home And Away star Lynne McGranger has won the Gold Logie at the 65th annual TV Week Logie Awards, held on Sunday night at The Star, Sydney.
The series veteran, who has played Irene Roberts for 33 years, won ahead of fellow nominees Hamish Blake, Sonia Kruger, Ally Langdon, Lisa Millar, Julia Morris and Poh Ling Yeow.
McGranger also won the Silver Logie for Best Lead Actress in a Drama. It is a fitting tribute for the acting veteran who announced earlier this year that she was stepping away from the long-running series. Her final episodes are to air in the following weeks.
Her acceptance speech for the Gold gave a friendly sledge to last year’s Gold Logie winner, Larry Emdur, after he honoured a bet to have the names of his fellow nominees tattooed on his backside if he won: “I did promise that if I did win the Gold Logie that I would carry it in my handbag for a year which is better than baring my a** on national television Larry!”
She also acknowledged the hard work that crews and fans help make Home And Away such a success, with the show now in its 38th year: “To all the fans who voted for us and to those who keep free-to-air television alive, keep doing what you’re doing and watching what you’re watching… Thank you. Thank you!”
YouTube: 7NEWS Australia
Apart from McGranger’s two Logies for Home And Away, the other big winner on the night was ABC comedy Fisk. The popular sitcom starring and co-written by Kitty Flanagan won Best Scripted Comedy Program, plus individual awards for Flanagan (Best Lead Actress In A Comedy), Aaron Chen (Best Lead Actor In A Comedy), Julia Zemiro (Best Supporting Actress In A Comedy) and Glenn Butcher (Best Supporting Actor In A Comedy).
It was a big night for ABC overall, winning more awards than any other network or streamer, including awards for Bluey (Best Children’s Program), Muster Dogs: Collies & Kelpies (Best Structured Reality Program), Return To Paradise (Best Drama Program), Guy Montgomery from Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee (Graham Kennedy Award For Most Popular New Talent), Australian Story (Best Current Affairs Program) and Four Corners (Best News Coverage Or Public Affairs Report for “Betrayal Of Trust”).
Outside of Home And Away, Logies host network Seven‘s only other win was The Voice for Best Entertainment Program.
The Nine Network had wins for Lego Masters Australia (Best Competition Reality Program), Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story (Best Factual Or Documentary Program), Travel Guides (Best Lifestyle Program), Tipping Point host Todd Woodbridge (Bert Newton Award For Most Popular Presenter) and shared the Best Sports Coverage award with Stan for The Olympic Games Paris 2024. A Current Affair host Ally Langdon won the inaugural Ray Martin Award For Most Popular News Or Public Affairs Presenter.
Network Ten only came away from the night with one award — Have You Been Paying Attention? for Best Comedy Entertainment Program.
For Foxtel and Binge, Sam Neill won the Silver Logie for Best Lead Actor In A Drama for his role in The Twelve, and Netflix‘s Apple Cider Vinegar won Best Miniseries Or Telemovie.
Sam Pang was Master of Ceremonies for the third year running, again taking aim at the networks for their performance, or lack thereof, over the past year.
YouTube: 7NEWS Australia
The show opened with Jimmy Barnes performing Working Class Man, commemorating the song’s 40th anniversary. The connection to television was unclear? There were also performances from Guy Sebastian and The Voice judge Richard Marx.
Following tributes to George Negus from Tara Brown and Maggie Tabberer from Deborah Hutton, Marcia Hines performed Amazing Grace while a slideshow of names and faces of people from the industry that have died in the last year was played to the stage.
YouTube: 7NEWS Australia
David Campbell introduced Magda Szubanski‘s induction in the TV Week Logie Awards Hall of Fame. Szubanski is only the fifth female to be given the honour in the award’s 40 year history. Viewers were then taken on a tribute through Szubanski’s 40-year career, from early days in sketches on The D Generation, to Fast Forward and Big Girl’s Blouse, then as Sharon Strzelecki in Kath And Kim. Also featured was her appearance in the movie Babe, which gave her international status, her role as host on Weakest Link and as the marriage celebrant at Neighbours‘ first same-sex wedding. Among those to acknowledge Szubanski on her contribution to Australian television and comedy were Gina Riley, Jane Turner, Marg Downey, Glenn Robbins, Peter Rowsthorn, George Miller, Julia Morris, Sonia Kruger, Richard E Grant, Melissa McCarthy, Kathy Lette, Dannii Minogue, Robert, Bindi and Terri Irwin, Marina Prior, Rebel Wilson, Ally Langdon, Matt Lucas and Penny Wong.
Szubanski was unable to attend the presentation while undergoing cancer treatment. Downey, a childhood friend of hers who went on to become a colleague in Fast Forward, Something Stupid and Kath And Kim, accepted the award on her behalf and introduced Szubanski’s pre-recorded acceptance speech. It was an emotional moment for the night as she went from humour — joking that she had had a good reason not to be present at the awards and that she had worked hard to bribe, lobby and hassle judges for years for the award — to the reality of her current situation in being treated for cancer. She acknowledged the love that she receives from friends and fans from all over and the joy of working in Australian television and comedy.
TV Week Gold Logie – Most Popular Personality on Australian Television: Lynne McGranger (Home And Away)
TV Week Silver Logie – Best Lead Actor In A Drama: Sam Neill (The Twelve)
TV Week Silver Logie – Best Lead Actress In A Drama: Lynne McGranger (Home And Away)
TV Week Silver Logie – Best Supporting Actor: Glenn Butcher (Fisk)
TV Week Silver Logie – Best Supporting Actress: Julia Zemiro (Fisk)
TV Week Silver Logie – Best Lead Actor In A Comedy: Aaron Chen (Fisk)
TV Week Silver Logie – Best Lead Actress In A Comedy: Kitty Flanagan (Fisk)
Best Drama Program: Return To Paradise (ABC)
Best Miniseries Or Telemovie: Apple Cider Vinegar (Netflix)
Best Entertainment Program: The Voice (Seven)
Best Children’s Program: Bluey (ABC)
Best Comedy Entertainment Program: Have You Been Paying Attention? (Ten)
Best Scripted Comedy Program: Fisk (ABC)
Best Structured Reality Program: Muster Dogs: Collies & Kelpies (ABC)
Best Competition Reality Program: Lego Masters Australia (Nine)
Best Factual Or Documentary Program: Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story (Nine)
Best News Coverage Or Public Affairs Report: “Betrayal of Trust”, Four Corners (ABC)
Best Lifestyle Program: Travel Guides (Nine)
Best Current Affairs Program: Australian Story (ABC)
Best Sports Coverage: The Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Nine/Stan Sport)
Graham Kennedy Award For Most Popular New Talent: Guy Montgomery (Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee)
Bert Newton Award For Most Popular Presenter: Todd Woodbridge (Tipping Point Australia, Australian Open, The Olympic Games Paris 2024, Paris 2024 Paralympic Games)
Ray Martin Award For Most Popular News Or Public Affairs Presenter: Ally Langdon (A Current Affair)
TV Week Gold Logie – Hall Of Fame: Magda Szubanski
Source: Now To Love
