Sam Pang has won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality On Australian Television at the 66th annual TV Week Logie Awards, held on Sunday night at The Star in Sydney.
The Gold Logie win comes after another year combining commitments to Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Front Bar and also launching his own show, Sam Pang Tonight, and hosting last year’s TV Week Logie Awards.
His win came against Ally Langdon (A Current Affair), Poh Ling Yeow (MasterChef Australia), Lisa Millar (Muster Dogs and Back Roads), Julia Morris (I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here), Todd Woodbridge (Tipping Point) and this year’s Logies host, Robert Irwin (I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here).
But most of Pang’s fellow nominees did not walk away empty handed. Langdon won the Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News Or Public Affairs Presenter for the second year in a row.
Millar’s program Muster Dogs won Best Structured Reality Program, Woodbridge’s Tipping Point won Best Entertainment Program, and Logies host Irwin won the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter.
ABC comedy series Dog Park collected two awards: Best Scripted Comedy Program, and cast member Celia Pacquola won the Silver Logie for Best Actress in a Comedy. The Silver Logie for Best Actor In A Comedy went to veteran actor Steve Bisley for his role in Prime Video’s Deadloch.
The Silver Logie for Best Lead Actor In A Drama was won posthumously by Sam Neill for his performance in The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer. His award was accepted by Heather Mitchell. The Silver Logie for Best Lead Actress In A Drama went to Brooke Satchwell from Dear Life (Stan).
Claudia Karvan, starring in the SBS series Homebodies, won the Silver Logie for Best Supporting Actress In A Drama, and Simon Baker from Prime Video’s The Narrow Road To The Deep North won the Silver Logie for Best Supporting Actor In A Drama.
The Nine Network had wins with the Australian Open for Best Sports Coverage and sports commentator Jelina Dokic won the inaugural Bruce McAvaney Award for Most Popular Sports Presenter. Ironically, she beat the man for whom the award is named after and was also nominated! Nine also had a win for Travel Guides for Best Lifestyle Program.
ABC drama series Goolagong, portraying the story of champion tennis player Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, won Best Miniseries or Telemovie, and cast member Lila McGuire won the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent. ABC also collected Logies for Australian Story (Best Current Affairs Program), Play School (Best Children’s Program) and The Assembly (Best Factual Or Documentary Program)
For Network Ten, Have You Been Paying Attention? won another Logie for Best Comedy Entertainment Program, and MasterChef Australia won Best Competition Reality Program.
The Seven Network drama series RFDS won Best Drama Program, and Seven News won Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report for its coverage of the Bondi terror attacks.
YouTube: 7NEWS Australia
For the first time in its 40+ year history, the TV Week Logie Awards Hall Of Fame inducted three new entries. Deborah Mailman, with an acting career stretching over 25 years with TV credits including The Secret Life Of Us, Offspring, Play School, Mabo, Redfern Now, Mystery Road and Total Control, became the first indigenous person to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Her induction also included a tribute from her high school drama teacher, Mrs Murphy, who proudly finished with, “I told you so!”.
The second inductee was long-running drama series A Country Practice, which went from 1981 to 1994. The series, which won 29 Logies during its run, was fondly remembered for its passionate storytelling of country life and tackling of social, health and environmental issues. Accepting the award was Pat Davern, the son of series creator and producer James Davern, joined on stage by cast members including Shane Withington, Anne Tenney, Josephine Mitchell, Matt Day, Kate Raison, Di Smith, Shane Porteous, Grant Dodwell, Kym Wilson, Michelle Pettigrove, Emily Nicol and Georgie Parker.
The third inductee was comedian, compere and producer Andrew Denton. From a career starting as “work experience host” on ABC’s Blah Blah Blah in the 1980s, Denton went on to host Live And Sweaty, The Money Or The Gun, Enough Rope, Elders and Randling for ABC. He also hosted his own talk shows, Denton and Interview, on the Seven Network and twice hosted the TV Week Logie Awards. As part of Zapruder’s Other Films, he was also producer on shows including CNNNN, David Tench Tonight, Gruen, 30 Seconds, AFP, Hungry Beast, The Joy Of Sets and Randling.
The awards also took the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Australian television to announce the Top 20 shows from its recent public poll of the top 70 programs: Fast Forward, The Sullivans, Young Talent Time, Wentworth, Round The Twist, Offspring, Prisoner, Mother And Son, Play School, Bondi Rescue, Countdown, Neighbours, Bluey, All Saints, McLeod’s Daughters, Packed To The Rafters, Blue Heelers, A Country Practice, Home And Away and, in #1 spot, Kath And Kim.
After Kath And Kim was announced as the chart-topper, cast member Magda Szubanski entered the stage to reprise the show’s Sharon Strzelecki to announce the winner of the Gold Logie. It was a surprise and welcome return of Szubanski to the Logies stage, as when she was inducted into the Hall Of Fame last year, she was in treatment for cancer.
YouTube: 7NEWS Australia
The night’s presentation included performances by Casey Donovan, Peking Duk and, for the In Memoriam section, Katie Noonan and The Piano‘s Andrea Lam performed Don’t Dream It’s Over. As well as key tributes for Johnny Young, Roger Climpson, John Laws, Toni Lamond, Rhoda Roberts, Terence Donovan, Rachel Carpani, James Valentine and David Stratton, there was also a reunion earlier in the show of former children’s TV hosts Ann-Maree Biggar and Stacey Taylor, presenting the Logie for Best Children’s Program, who paid tribute to their former colleague Jamie Dunn.
It was a tough hosting gig for Irwin, still a relative newcomer to the industry at 22 years old, stepping into the role often described as a poisoned chalice and taking over from three-time host Pang. He carried out the role with energy and enthusiasm, delivered some topical gags and still managed to tap into his traditional conservationist persona by bringing some reptile “friends” to share with the celebrities in attendance.
YouTube: 7NEWS Australia
TV Week Gold Logie — Most Popular Personality On Australian Television: Sam Pang (Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Front Bar, TV Week Logie Awards, Sam Pang Tonight)
TV Week Silver Logie — Best Lead Actor In A Drama: Sam Neill (The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer)
TV Week Silver Logie — Best Lead Actress In A Drama: Brooke Satchwell (Dear Life)
TV Week Silver Logie — Best Supporting Actor In A Drama: Simon Baker (The Narrow Road To The Deep North)
TV Week Silver Logie — Best Supporting Actress In A Drama: Claudia Karvan (Homebodies)
TV Week Silver Logie — Best Lead Actor In A Comedy: Steve Bisley (Deadloch)
TV Week Silver Logie — Best Lead Actress In A Comedy: Celia Pacquola (Dog Park)
Best Drama Program: RFDS (Seven Network)
Best Miniseries Or Telemovie: Goolagong (ABC)
Best Entertainment Program: Tipping Point Australia (Nine Network)
Best Children’s Program: Play School (ABC)
Best Comedy Entertainment Program: Have You Been Paying Attention? (Network Ten)
Best Scripted Comedy Program: Dog Park (ABC)
Best Structured Reality Program: Muster Dogs (ABC)
Best Competition Reality Program: MasterChef Australia (Network Ten)
Best Factual Or Documentary Program: The Assembly (ABC)
Best News Coverage Or Public Affairs Report: “Bondi Terror Attack”, Seven News (Seven Network)
Best Lifestyle Program: Travel Guides (Nine Network)
Best Current Affairs Program: Australian Story (ABC)
Best Sports Coverage: Australian Open (Nine Network)
Graham Kennedy Award For Most Popular New Talent: Lila McGuire (Goolagong)
Bert Newton Award For Most Popular Presenter: Robert Irwin (I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here)
Ray Martin Award For Most Popular News Or Public Affairs Presenter: Ally Langdon (A Current Affair)
Bruce McAvaney Award For Most Popular Sports Presenter: Jelina Dokic (Nine Network)
TV Week Gold Logie – Hall Of Fame: Deborah Mailman
TV Week Gold Logie – Hall Of Fame: A Country Practice
TV Week Gold Logie – Hall Of Fame: Andrew Denton
Source: Now To Love
