Jessica Marais gets only female Gold Logie nomination, so is our night of nights too sexist?

LOVE Child and The Wrong Girl star Jessica Marais is set to star in the latest Logies scandal — as the ONLY woman nominated for this year’s Gold gong.

Love Child and The Wrong Girl star Jessica Marais is nominated for a Gold Logie this year. Picture: Jason Edwards. Picture: Jason Edwards

JESSICA Marais has earned applause for playing groundbreaking women in two roles across two TV networks — now she’s about to star in a new Logies controversy, as the only woman to be nominated for Gold.

The Wrong Girl and Love Child leading lady is up for the most popular TV personality gong against last year's winner, Waleed Aly, his colleague on The Project, Peter Helliar, Family Feud presenter Grant Denyer, Doctor Doctor actor Rodger Corser, and Molly telemovie star Samuel Johnson.

TV Week's industry prize night has been plagued by scrutiny and criticism over its voting processes and snubbing of female talent in recent times, with last year's Hall Of Fame winner Noni Hazlehurst only the second woman in Logies 59-year history to be inducted.

But the magazine's editor Emma Nolan has defended this year's results as "what the viewers wanted."

"It's a celebration of Australian TV and the fact our readers have voted in record numbers shows they are excited about watching our shows, our dramas, our reality, our talent," Ms Nolan said.

"People can knock it, but it's what the viewers wanted."

The voting period was kept shorter than usual and held at the end of the 2016 ratings year, with the winners to be announced during a Nine telecast on April 23.

Marais shared credit for her Gold nomination with the casts and crew of both programs she stars on and the strength of the female characters she plays — midwife Joan Millar on Love Child and breakfast TV producer, Lily Woodward on The Wrong Girl.

"It makes me incredibly proud that Love Child is well loved [and] probably just reaffirms that we have a great thing going and that people are excited to see the show, because it's definitely got legs," she said.

"As for The Wrong Girl, the show has the potential to cover material that we haven't seen on Australian television before. Lily as a character is such a juicy, open and accessible character. I feel very lucky to be playing [her]."

As the show's co-producer, Marais added: "it's a project that's very close to my heart and it's humbling to see the hard work of the cast and crew has resonated with the Australian public."

Grant Denyer, who earned his nom as presenter across Ten game shows, Family Feud and The Great Australian Spelling Bee, said the Gold nod was "epic."

"When you look at the calibre of people who have won in the past, there's an element of grand champion about it."

Helliar's nomination followed a campaign by the program which counts both hosts Carrie Bickmore and Aly as previous Gold Logie winners.

"It never came into my head that it could be possible," Helliar said. " Whatever happens, I'll continue to have fun with whatever narrative I'm thrown. I'm kind of hoping I get snubbed so I can have another year of fun!"

Aly, who weathered an ugly backlash against his win, was dubious he could back up again for another Gold, arguing: "lightning doesn't strike twice with these things [but] being nominated is always flattering."

Samuel Johnson, who announced plans to retire from acting to focus on his cancer charity fundraising efforts said his role in the telemovie about music industry and TV veteran Molly Meldrum was "something I wanted to do for Molly Meldrum more than for me. It's one of those roles that you spend your career waiting for."

Rodger Corser, who appeared in Nine's Doctor Doctor and ABC's The Doctor Blake Mysteries, said "I was really proud when Doctor Doctor was renewed after two episodes. When you're perceived as the leading man in a show, and it doesn't go well, they're not going to point the finger at anyone else are they?"

AND THE NOMINATIONS ARE ...

TV WEEK GOLD LOGIE — Best Personality On Australian TV

Grant Denyer (All Star Family Feud/Family Feud/The Great Australian Spelling Bee) (Ten)

Jessica Marais (Love Child/The Wrong Girl) (Nine Network/Network Ten)

Peter Helliar (The Project) (Network Ten)

Rodger Corser (Doctor Doctor/The Doctor Blake Mysteries) (Nine Network/ABC)

Samuel Johnson (Molly) (Channel Seven)

Waleed Aly (The Project) (Network Ten)

BEST ACTOR

Craig McLachlan (Deep Water/The Doctor Blake Mysteries/The Wrong Girl) (SBS/ABC/Network Ten)

Erik Thomson (800 Words) (Channel Seven)

Richard Roxburgh (Rake) (ABC)

Rodger Corser (Doctor Doctor/The Doctor Blake Mysteries) (Nine Network/ABC)

Samuel Johnson (Molly) (Channel Seven)

BEST Actor

Asher Keddie (Offspring) (Network Ten)

Deborah Mailman (Cleverman/Jack Irish/Offspring/Wolf Creek) (ABC/Network Ten/Stan)

Jessica Marais (Love Child/The Wrong Girl) (Nine Network/Network Ten)

Jessica Mauboy (The Secret Daughter) (Channel Seven)

Marta Dusseldorp (A Place To Call Home/Jack Irish/Janet King) (Foxtel — Showcase/ABC)

BEST PRESENTER

Amanda Keller (The Living Room) (Network Ten)

Carrie Bickmore (The Project) (Network Ten)

Grant Denyer (All Star Family Feud/Family Feud/The Great Australian Spelling Bee) (Ten)

Sarah Harris (Shark Tank/Studio 10) (Network Ten)

Waleed Aly (The Project) (Network Ten)

BEST NEW TALENT

Hayley Magnus (The Wrong Girl) (Network Ten)

Penny McNamee (Home And Away) (Channel Seven)

Rob Collins (Cleverman/The Wrong Girl) (ABC/Network Ten)

Shalom Brune-Franklin (Doctor Doctor) (Nine Network)

Tiarnie Coupland (Love Child) (Nine Network)

BEST DRAMA PROGRAM

800 Words (Channel Seven)

Doctor Doctor (Nine Network)

Home And Away (Channel Seven)

Molly (Channel Seven)

Offspring (Network Ten)

Wentworth (Foxtel — Showcase)

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM

Anh's Brush With Fame (ABC)

Family Feud (Network Ten)

Have You Been Paying Attention? (Network Ten)

The Voice Australia (Nine Network)

Upper Middle Bogan (ABC)

BEST NEWS PANEL OR CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM

Four Corners (ABC)

Studio 10 (Network Ten)

Sunrise (Channel Seven)

The Project (Network Ten)

Today (Nine Network)

BEST REALITY PROGRAM

Australian Survivor (Network Ten)

I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! (Network Ten)

MasterChef Australia (Network Ten)

My Kitchen Rules (Channel Seven)

The Block (Nine Network)

BEST SPORTS PROGRAM

In Rio Today (Channel Seven)

Monday Night With Matty Johns (Foxtel — FOX SPORTS)

The AFL Footy Show (Nine Network)

The NRL Footy Show (Nine Network)

Wide World Of Sports (Nine Network)

BEST LIFESTYLE PROGRAM

Better Homes And Gardens (Channel Seven)

Gardening Australia (ABC)

Luke Warm Sex (ABC)

Selling Houses Australia (Foxtel — Lifestyle)

The Living Room (Network Ten)

BEST FACTUAL PROGRAM

Australian Story (ABC)

Bondi Rescue (Network Ten)

Bondi Vet (Network Ten)

Gogglebox Australia (Foxtel — Lifestyle/Network Ten)

Todd Sampson's Body Hack (Network Ten)