Logie Award
The
Logie Awards are the
Australian
television industry awards, which have been presented annually since
1959. They are the approximate Australian equivalent of the
Emmy Awards. Renamed by
Graham Kennedy after he won the first "Star of the Year award" [
1], the name "Logie" awards honours
John Logie Baird who invented
television as a practical medium. Awards are given in many categories, but the most widely-publicised award (if not necessarily the most prestigious) is the Gold Logie, which is awarded to the "most popular personality on Australian television".
The Logies are held in somewhat of a low regard both within the Australian television industry and outside of it. The industry itself is small and parochial enough to have few serious candidates. Particular individuals (such as
Lisa McCune) and television shows are repeatedly re-nominated, regardless of the quality and quantity of their work in recent years. Journalists in particular will often seek to win peer-reviewed awards rather than anything in the popular vote category. As well as the popular awards, there are awards for "most outstanding" achievements for actors, presenters, and various categories of programs judged by an industry jury. These are generally taken more seriously.
Many of the Logie categories are awarded by the readers of
TV Week magazine, who send in coupons with votes in various categories. Thus, the Logie Awards are
fan awards. The readership of TV Week is a relatively small proportion of the Australian population, and skews heavily to teenage girls. The winners of the awards tend to reflect this; new teenage cast members in soapies
Home and Away or
Neighbours generally win the "most popular new talent" awards. Television acting doyen
John Wood is perhaps the best-known single "victim" of this skew, having been nominated for the Gold Logie ten times. The Gold Logie voting system was changed in 2006 to allow
SMS voting by the wider public, and after a considerable publicity campaign for Wood he finally received the award that year.
There are long-held suspicions that network publicists engage in mass voting to rig the results. However, no hard evidence has emerged for this, other than the experiment by the satirical newspaper
The Chaser, who nearly caused low-profile
SBS newsreader
Anton Enus to win the Gold Logie. They did so by getting their small readership to buy copies of
TV Week and vote for Enus for the award. While the attempt failed (narrowly, according to reports), their failure gives some cause for the widespread derision in the industry (particularly the "quality" end) towards the popular-vote awards.
The Logies ceremony is itself televised, and has generally become slicker and more elaborate in recent years. The awards are now held in a ballroom in
Melbourne's Crown Casino (rather than a theatre, which is common for the Emmies and Oscars) and drinks are served during the ceremony. Stories of drunken debauchery from the afterparty often circulate in the local gossip columns for some time afterwards.
Bert Newton is strongly associated with the history of the Logies. As well as winning the Gold Logie several times, he hosted the awards a total of 18 times. He has also performed in well-received guest appearances.
GTV-9/
Nine Network is strongly associated with the history of the Logies, particularly since the parent company
PBL now also owns TV Week. Nine has hosted the awards a total of 35 times.
Logies are currently awarded in the following categories:
Gold Logie
*
Most Popular Personality on Australian TelevisionSilver Logie
*Silver Logie Most Popular Actor
*Silver Logie Most Popular Actress
*Silver Logie Most Popular TV Presenter
Logie
*Most Popular New Male Talent
*Most Popular New Female Talent
*Most Popular Sports Program
*Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy
*Most Popular Australian Drama
*Most Popular Reality
*Most Popular Lifestyle
*Most Popular Overseas
*Most Popular Overseas
*Most Popular Overseas TV
Outstanding Awards
*Most Outstanding Drama
*Most Outstanding Actor In A Drama
*Most Outstanding Actress In A Drama
*Most Outstanding Miniseries
*Most Outstanding News
*Most Outstanding Public Affairs
*Most Outstanding Documentary
*Most Outstanding Comedy Program
*Most Outstanding Sports Coverage
*Most Outstanding Children's Preschool Program
*Most Outstanding Children's Program
*
List of Logie Hall of Fame*
List of prizes, medals, and awards*
TV Week Logies - Official website
*
"The Insider", Chris Taylor, Sydney Morning Herald, May 17 2003 - article describing the Logies, as well as a comic attempt to rig the Gold Logie voting process
*
TV Fugly Awards Alternative anti-logies awards
