ASTRA Award-nominated Megan Gale looking to do more TV in the future

WHETHER news, fashion, music or comedy, all tentacles of pop culture were given the nod at today's ASTRA Awards nominations event.

Megan Gale

WHETHER news, fashion, music or comedy, all tentacles of pop culture were given the nod at today's ASTRA Awards nominations event at the Sydney Theatre.

Model host Megan Gale, Sky News star Paul Murray, Selling Houses guru Andrew Winter, comedian Rove McManus and music spunk Danny Clayton have all been nominated in five public-voted categories as part of subscription TV's annual gong fest.

For Gale, her nomination comes at a frantic time for the fashion ambassador and TV face.

Megan, looking spectacular in a peach leather number from Willow, is just back from Cannes with her role as a brand ambassador for L'Oreal. She jetted straight back to her other ambassador gig, celebrating 175 years at David Jones.

"It's been a crazy, crazy time but to get this nomination was a real shock when I took this call," said the host of the Australian series of Project Runway.

"I really Iove doing TV and especially live, so wouldn't mind looking at doing some more of that down the track," said Megan, who is up for favourite personality alongside names like The Lifestyle Channel's Shaynna Blaze, [V] Channel's Carissa Wolford and FOX Sports star, Sarah Jones.

"What has impressed me with the calibre of Australians designers in Project Runway is how hard they work, so observing that has given me a huge insight into the real workings of the fashion industry."

In their 11th year, the ASTRA Awards recognise excellence in Australian subscription TV and in addition to the five subscriber-voted categories, 15 categories are judged by industry voting panels.

The winners of all categories will be announced on July 25 at the Sydney Theatre, at what are billed as subscription TV's equivalent to the Logies awards.

Another nominee, [V] Channel's resident music dynamo Danny Clayton guarantees that, while the ASTRA Awards themselves are always a very sleek and well-structured affair, "that doesn't mean that nothing happens at the after-party".

The third-time ASTRA nominee promised that the afters is one of the rowdiest of them all: "You see people all dressed up looking lovely, people who are usually really dignified and then there's the decline... dancin' on the tables, pouring champagne.

"The conversation flows just as quickly as the booze does", the wild-haired presenter promises.

Clayton, who has lost out to Andrew Winter the past two years, is backing the property expert to take out the gong again this year.

"He's so bloody charming with his beautiful British accent, it's like having velvet poured into your ear."

Other finalists in the favourite male personality category include Matty Johns, Peter Maddison, Rove McManus and Paul Murray.

ASTRA Awards

The viewer-judged Favourite Australian Program category is made up of Grand Designs Australia, Selling Houses Australia, Tony Robinson's Time Walk, Rove LA, Abalone Wars and Paul Murray Live.

International shows that have also been nominated in public-voted categories include Storage Wars, TOSH.0, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Walking Dead, Girls, The Newsroom and Game of Thrones.

For the first time, news.com.au has signed up as an event partner.

"We are delighted to sign on as a major partner of the 11th ASTRA Awards", said Julian Delaney, general manager of news.com.au.

"With a unique audience of over 2.8 million, news.com.au is Australia's leading online news source and our highly engaged consumers are big fans of entertainment news.

"Our entertainment team is excited to deliver inside coverage of the ASTRA Awards with the best stories and images from the night."

In the five subscriber-voted categories, viewers can vote until June 27 and for the first time via online voting partner news.com.au at news.com.au/ASTRAawards

Finalists in the industry categories can be seen at www.astraawards.com