Molly delivers golden Logies moment
Samuel Johnson beats more fancied rivals to win the coveted Gold Logie for his portrayal of music legend Molly Meldrum. Check out all the winners.
The 59th TV Week Logie Awards belong to a TV legend, with the drama based on the life of Molly Meldrum winning three awards last night, including the Gold Logie for actor Samuel Johnson.
“I have cause for changing my nickname which for the past few years has been Uncle redundant,” Johnson joked.
Molly Meldrum, the legendary host of ABC’s Countdown, joined Johnson to celebrate his win and delivered a largely rambling speech before rallying with he goodwill of the crowd.
“Samuel I know it’s very hard to play an old drama queen like myself but you did a great job” Meldrum finally said before he was drowned out by applause.
Molly also gave Johnson the best actor award and best drama award in the popularly voted categories.
Johnson looked stunned to win, beating the more fancied Waleed Aly from The Project.
Aly’s co-host Peter Helliar also lost out, as did Family Feud host Grant Denyer and actors Jessica Marais Rodger Corser nominated for Doctor Doctor on Nine and ABC’s The Doctor Blake Mysteries.
Ten dominates
It proved to be Ten’s night, with the third ranked commercial network, which is in financial difficulties, winning the most awards on the night, hauling in 13 Logies.
Momentum built early in the night for Ten, with multiple wins for The Project and Have You Been Paying Attention?
The fact that all the nominees in the best presenter category were from Ten indicated the extraordinary success the network had in motivating TV Week voters. One report had the network lobbying audiences at the taping of its programs to go online and vote.
Four Corners won its 14th Logie for its investigation into the Northern Territory youth justice system, which prompted a royal commission the day after the program aired. Sky News won its first Logie for most outstanding news coverage for last year’s federal election coverage.
It was a night for multiple winners, which included the ABC mental illness comedy Please Like Me, which one most outstanding comedy as well as most outstanding supporting actor for Debra Lawrance.
The ABC dominated the most outstanding comedy category, accounting for all the nominees.
Foxtel stole a march by eclipsing the major free to air networks by winning seven awards, including the three top industry voted drama awards.
It won the most outstanding drama award for its post Second world war period piece A Place To Call Home. Seven had dumped the drama, Foxtel took it over and it now screens in 140 countries.
Foxtel also took out both most outstanding actor and actor Logies for Anna Torv in Secret City (also awarded most outstanding supporting actor for Damon Herriman) and Henry Nixon in The Kettering Incident (also most outstanding miniseries).
Logies Hall of fame
After half a century appearing on Australian TV, Kerri-Anne Kennerley has become the third woman to be inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame. Kennerley spent years helping to wake the nation on TV shows such as Good Morning Australia, Mornings with Kerri-Anne and Midday with Kerri-Anne. The 63-year-old looked stunning in a floor length gown with sparkling silver crystals as she accepted the gong.
“Thanks for the ovation, I’m chuffed with that, Kennerley said. “I’m not going to use this beautiful salubrious occasion to lampoon or roast anyone because I have a book out at the end of the year for that.” She said there hasn’t been a year in the last 50 years when she hasn’t been on TV in one way or another.
“I’m very proud to say that in the last 50 years I have always managed to earn a living in the business that I love the most, the media.” Kennerley started her started her long TV career in children’s shows Everybody In and The Channel Niners at the age of 13.
She is the third woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1984, following Ruth Cracknel in 2001 and Noni Hazlehurst last year. Kennerley’s interviewed everyone from Madonna to Donald Trump to Priscilla Presley and even got former Treasurer Peter Costello to do the macarena and Kevin Rudd to dance the cha-cha on her show.
Amanda Keller, who presented the award, said Kennerley was a “queen of reinvention.” “She is as smart as a whip, as funny as all get out, and, as we saw with Full Frontal in the ‘90s, she is able to laugh along when someone takes the piss,” Keller said.
“Oldies love her, parents love her, kids love her. I suspect babies are born with KAK in their DNA..” TV legend Michael Parkinson spoke in a video tribute to Kennerley and said she had a warmth that just made people fall in love with her.
“She is a deceptively good interview, I would say,” Parkinson said. “She doesn’t have to go thrashing around and criticising people and shouting to be a good performer. I mean, she very quietly gets out of people want she wants.” The honour comes after a tough year for Kennerley. Her husband John broke his neck in a fall while on holidays last year in Coffs Harbour. He returned home at the end of last year after a lengthy stay in hospital.
John supported his wife at the awards on Sunday night, arriving in a wheelchair and in good spirits as the pair celebrated their 31st Logie awards together. Kennerley said she would give it all up to have him standing beside her on stage.
“I can honestly say I would give away 50 years of this career and all those incredible experiences and anything else I could think of just to have you standing right here by my side holding my hand,” she said.
Logies kicked off with a roasting
The 59th annual TV Week Logies kicked off with controversy when host Dave Hughes took aim at one of the most powerful men in television - seven west media chief executive Tim Worner.
During his opening monologue, Hughes mistakenly - deliberately - referred to Network Ten drama The Wrong Girl as a Seven network production.
He then used the mistake to joke about Worner’s affair with executive assistant Amber Harrison, which has engulfed the number one network in crisis and an expensive legal battle and remains the talk of the industry.
“Channel 7 were working on a pilot of The Wrong Girl, that was starring their CEO Tim Worner, and that was more a reality show.
“He picked the wrong girl to mess with.”
The wrong girl to mess with. I'll own that. Thanks #TVWEEKLogies
— Amber Harrison (@_Amber_Harrison) April 23, 2017
Hughes got more laughs when he said: “I have never worked on Seven - and never will!”
Worner did not attend the ceremony, and Seven network executives appeared to be absent.
Jessica Marais won the popular best actor Logies for her roles in The Wrong Girl and Love Child.
Samuel Johnson won the best actor Logie for his role playing Molly Meldrum in the miniseries Molly, about the legendary Countdown host, who was sitting in the front row of the audience.
Hughes also took aim at one of TV’s biggest stars, Karl Stefanovic.
Hughes made reference to the Today Show host and his new relationship with Jasmine Yarbrough.
“I’m not going to give it to Karl tonight - Ita Buttrose won’t let me,” Hughes said, before proceeding to do the opposite.
“The paparazzi followed Karl to America. They won’t even follow me down the street.”
In the reintroduced Logie for most outstanding factual or documentary category, an industry voted award, Conviction, an ABC documentary about the Melbourne murder of ABC staffer Jill Meagher, won the award.
Red carpet fashion
Gowns with lengthy trains were the item du jour on the vast red carpet, which lead to more than one wardrobe malfunctions after the crowded conditions led to several starlets suffering front and back rips.
Perhaps the biggest screams of the evening were reserved for a statuesque Delta Goodrem.
Patti Newton was resplendent in a shimmering gold sequined jacket, with the front cover of TV Week magazine from 1984 feature her husband Bert’s Gold Logie win.
“Bert can’t be here tonight so I thought I would commemorate his wins,” Newton said. “He won four golds, 19 Logies and He hosted 20 times. The Logies are such a big part of our lives and Bert’s career.”
Gardening Australia host Costas Georgiadis brought his day job to the evening function, decked out in an olive green suit with plant highlights that included acacia leaves, gumnuts and succulents stitched into his waitcoast and button hole.
“I’m dressed by TAFE floristry Ultimo, the students and staff collaborated. Whenever I go to a gig they dress me.”
Gold Logie nominee Jessica Marais said she was in buoyant spirits and had no nerves.
“I’m feeling really good, I’m really enjoying myself, I know that sounds a bit fey.
I think it’s a night to set aside the rivalries of the networks and all the things that divide us — we come together because we all work in this industry.”
2017 Logie winners list
Gold Logie: Samuel Johnson (Molly/Seven)
Logie Hall of Fame inductee: Kerri-Anne Kennerley
Best Actor: Samuel Johnson (Molly, Seven)
Best Actress: Jessica Marais (Love Child, The Wrong Girl, Nine)
Best Presenter: Waleed Aly (The Project, Network Ten)
Best New Talent: Rob Collins (The Wrong Girl, Cleverman, Network Ten)
Best Drama Program: Molly (Seven)
Best Entertainment Program: Have you Been Paying Attention? (Network Ten)
Best News Panel or Current Affairs Program: The Project (Network Ten)
Best Reality Program: The Block (Nine)
Best Lifestyle Program: The Living Room (Network Ten)
Best Sports Program: The NRL Footy Show (Nine)
Best Factual program: Gogglebox Australia (Network Ten)
Most Outstanding Actor: Henry Nixon (Fergus McFadden, The Kettering Incident/ Foxtel/Showcase)
Most Outstanding Actress: Anna Torv (Harriet Dunkley, Secret City, Foxtel.Showcase)
Most Outstanding Supporting Actor: Damon Herriman (Secret City, Foxtel/Showcase)
Most Outstanding Supporting Actress: Debra Lawrance (Mum, Please Like Me, ABC)
The Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding Newcomer: Elias Anton (Barracuda, ABC)
Most Outstanding Public Affairs Report: Australia’s Shame (Four Corners, ABC)
Most Outstanding News Coverage: Sky News Federal Election coverage
Most Outstanding Drama Series: A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Showcase)
Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie: The Kettering Incident (Foxtel)
Most Outstanding Comedy Program: Please Like Me (ABC)
Most Outstanding Sports Coverage: Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Seven)
Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program: Conviction (ABC)
Most Outstanding Entertainment Program: Have You Been Paying Attention? (Network ten)
Most Outstanding Children’s Program: The Nightmare Before Graduation (ABC Me)
With AAP
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