Australian comedian to host 2023 Logies, becoming event’s first host in 11 years

This year’s Logies will offer up a rejigged format, with Aussie TV’s night of nights introducing a key change not seen in over a decade.

The 2023 Logie Awards is getting the Oscars treatment, with Channel 7 announcing TV’s night of nights will have a host for the first time in 11 years.

Australian comedian Sam Pang has been announced as host of the televised awards ceremony on July 30, which will unfold at The Star in Sydney.

“It’s a huge honour to be asked to host the Logies and while it will be weird not having a buzzer or beer in front of me, hopefully I’m up to the challenge,” the Have You Been Paying Attention? star, 49, said.

“I feel very lucky to be a part of this industry and can’t wait for July 30 in Sydney to celebrate Australian television on its night of nights and guide viewers at home through the entire four hour broadcast.”

Sam Pang will host the 2023 Logies.

The Logies, which was held on the Gold Coast last year and broadcast on Nine, has been using a revolving door of presenters for the past decade. Before that, previous hosts included the likes of the late Bert Newton and Graham Kennedy.

Re-introducing a host is just one of the changes Seven Network has made after snapping up the rights in September last year, with Channel 9 having aired awards annually since 1995.

Pang’s appointment comes after he emerged as a highlight of last year’s awards, when he accepted the Most Popular Actress for Fisk star Kitty Flanagan, who was absent.

Tom Gleeson and Sophie Monk were among the presenters at last year’s awards.

While Hamish Blake won the Gold Logie for a second time.

He cracked a few well-received jokes at her expense, telling the crowd that Flanagan “would be happy to know it wasn’t really a very popular win in the room,” before complaining that he hadn’t been invited back to Fisk after filming a small role in the show’s first season.

“Kitty obviously couldn’t be here tonight, so for lovers of awards shows this is a little bit like in 1973 at the Oscars when Marlon Brando won and he sent up a Native American,” Pang said, referencing the infamous moment Brando sent Sacheen Littlefeather to decline his Best Actor award for The Godfather over what he felt was Hollywood’s mistreatment of Native Americans.

Pang continued: “Kitty would be mortified she’s won this award considering all the nominees, she’ll be happy to know it wasn’t a very popular win in the room.

“Firstly I just wanted to say I had a small part in season one of Fisk, this will be a first time a speech was longer than the role. Not invited back for season two, but that doesn’t matter.”

Of Pang’s announcement as host, Seven Network’s Chief Content Officer of Entertainment Programming Angus Ross said: “Sam was on standby to accept an award for Kitty Flanagan at last year’s Logies and found himself up on stage and stole the entire show with his wry and witty asides.

“We are thrilled audiences will get even more of Sam Pang on Seven as he steers the ship across the whole night with his genuine affection for the industry, past and present, alongside his trademark humour.”

The nominations for the 63rd TV WEEK Logie Awards are set to be announced on Monday, and will air Sunday July 30 at 7pm.