I didn’t get into film to win [Academy] Awards.
Author unknown
Getting an award is always nice, but most of us would agree with whoever groused that they didn't go into acting to earn statuettes. Seldom does anyone embark on a particular career simply for the recognition they might earn. Though, with the rise of the social media influencer, some might dispute that contention.
Just about every country with its own entertainment industry doles out awards. Across Africa, Latin America and, of course, nations with long-established industries, viewers and artists partake of similar spectacles. China celebrates their Golden Rooster Awards; viewers also enjoy the China TV Drama Awards. Here, in Australia, we're all about our Logies.
What to Know About the Australia Logie Awards:
- A review of the Logies 2024 edition
- How they got their start
- The enjoyable moments that keep Aussie viewers coming back
- The most popular Logie stars
Unforgettable Moments of the 2024 Logies
To get us properly in the mood, let's recap the 2024 Logie Awards. We'll start at the top, with the presenter who finally got his due. Larry Emdur has worked in television since 1979, but didn't earn his first credit until he hosted Family Double Dare, in 1989.
Since then, he's hosted a variety of programs. His longest stint was on The Price is Right, which he's hosted, off and on, since 1993. He's appeared in several films and television shows, always as himself. He's Danced with the Stars, voiced a character on Merrick and Rosso, and contributed to a podcast.
At 19 years old, he became Australia's youngest newsreader. He presented the Overnight News, a national broadcast, for Seven Network.
So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that he never believed he would win. After 35 years in the business with nary a nomination, why bother even dreaming of one? He had made his wife an outrageous vow that, during his acceptance speech, he swore he would keep. With that promise, Larry brought the house down - and made wishes come true.
He was not the only fountain of merriment, that night. Celia Pacquola's moment of frustration provoked massive laughs, and Rebecca Gibney made Logie Hall of Fame history. Of course, host Sam Pang kept the audience in stitches throughout. Discover more unforgettable moments from the Logies, 2024 edition!
How the TV Week Logie Awards Got Their Start
Compared to other developed countries, Australians embraced television rather late. Well-to-do United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) television owners enjoyed nightly programming before the Second World War started.
Still, even technically developed countries needed some major event to make TV universally popular. In the UK, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953) became the catalyst to buy a TV and secure their licence.
By contrast, the US launched its programming purely as a commercial venture. Ad men did what they do best: create desire, which made the sets fly out of the shops. The Great Depression and, later, the war, put a couple of dents in the US buying frenzy. Still, the craving for such a luxury never died.
In Australia, we had no such incentives. The Queen had long been crowned by the time our technology caught up. And we've never had much of a commercial mindset. Besides, we had a lot of infrastructure to build: stations and transmitters, and the like.
All told, our first national broadcasts wowed audiences some 20 years after the US and UK gathered 'round their tellies. Meanwhile, we still had to figure out how to pay for this new technology, all without knowing whether this medium would appeal to the public. A publication, then known as TV-Radio Week, bet that holding a contest could assure the public's television buy-in.
At the outset, the magazine billed itself as such, possibly to make the transition to visual media easier for their audiences. Or, to appeal to stalwart radio holdouts. The publication dropped the 'radio' from its title in 1958, as televisions became more ubiquitous.
From the very first Logie Awards edition, TV Week had a hand in the show's promotion and popularity. In those early days, only Melbourne-area personalities could compete but, soon, the whole country got involved. By 1961, the TV Week Logie Awards broadcast from coast to coast.
TV Week Logie Awards Voting
Our viewer engagement strategy proves to be rather unique. Juries and industry professionals decide who merits a British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) statuette, and for what. In the US, similar bodies settle on Academy Award and Emmy winners.
By contrast, our TV Week solicits viewer input, albeit for just a few categories. In this venture's early days, interested viewers had to buy a copy of the magazine. Since 2008, audiences could cast their votes online, with no purchase necessary.
The public vote is an integral part of Logie history, and it's not going anywhere. Some viewers may resent not having a voice in deciding who should receive awards for best production values or sound quality. The industry reserves the votes in those categories for themselves. Still, we get to choose who our favourite personalities are, which puts us far ahead of other award shows' nomination processes.
Gold Logie Highlights Through the Years
To qualify for a Logie award, the nominated entertainer or show must work in Australia, on an Australian production. Furthermore, the production must air in Australia, so local audiences may watch it and cast their Logie votes.
In one rare instance, non-Australian production earned an honorary Logie award. It happened in 1970, when the American Apollo 11 moon mission broadcast around the world.
Everyone who had a television, including viewers in Australia, remained glued to their set as this crew took steps no one had ever before taken. Thus, we justify the epic moon landing's honorary award.
Of course, that's not the only time a broadcast made its way into Logie history. We routinely celebrate our best TV shows. And, while we're on the topic: wasn't the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) win a bit of an upset, this year? However, only five of our most beloved shows ever made it into the Logie Hall of Fame:
| Show title | Dates of run | Hall of Fame Induction Year |
|---|---|---|
| Four Corners | Aug 61 to present | 1992 |
| Neighbours | Mar 85 to present | 2005 |
| Play School | Jul 66 to present | 2006 |
| Home and Away | Jan 88 to present | 2015 |
| 60 Minutes | Feb. 79 to present | 2018 |
Considering these shows' longevity, perhaps not only excellence leads to a Hall of Fame induction. That certainly seems to be the case where our female talent is concerned. To date, only four women have ever made it into the Hall; the fourth, Rebecca Gibney, was this year's inductee. The other three were:
| Entertainer's name | Year inducted |
|---|---|
| Ruth Cracknell | 2001 |
| Noni Hazlehurst | 2016 |
| Kerri-Anne Kennerley | 2017 |
It seems odd to remand more television programs to the Hall of Fame, than half the talent that makes programming possible. In fact, this situation has stirred a substantial and ongoing controversy. Fortunately, Logie decision-makers have a history of responding to social trends. These executives must now be mulling over needed changes to make our awards votes as inclusive as possible.
TV Logie Awards: Most Popular Personalities
Before carrying on, a brief 'In Memoriam' to mega-talent John Blackman. He went on to his reward a month before the 2024 Logies ceremony. But he remains in our hearts as Hey Hey It's Saturday's ultimate laugh-maker.
His passing reminds us that TV Week performs a valuable service with its Logie initiatives. This magazine gives us a record of our culture and evolving tastes. It keeps track of who we like to watch the most, and the shows we favour, year-on-year.
That is, with controversies and accusations of vote-rigging aside. After all, didn't John himself face controversy? So, it's best to take TV Week's record-keeping with a grain of salt.
Still, some entertainers stand out. For instance, those who received posthumous Hall of Fame inductions: Steve Irwin, Bryan Nailor, and Maurie Fields, among others. And the luminaries that are/were just so good that they cleaned out the Gold Logie category, year after year.
| Number of wins | Entertainer's name | Years won | Hall of Fame? Y/N |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ray Martin | 1987, 1993, 1994,1995, 1996 | N |
| 4 | Bert Newton | 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984 | Y (1988) |
| 4 | Lisa McCune | 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 | N |
| 3 | Daryl Somers | 1983, 1986, 1989 | N |
| 3 | Rove McManus | 2003, 2004, 2005 | N |
A keen eye might have noticed a glaring omission. Why isn't Graham Kennedy atop this list? After all, he ties with Ray Martin for his number of Gold Logies.
Graham was, indeed, the very first recipient of TV Week's highest award. Except, at the time, it was called 'TV Week Awards' Star of the Year'.
This technicality gives Graham six top awards; one more than his frequent collaborator, Ray. Furthermore, unlike his mate, he is a Hall of Fame inductee (as of 1998). In fact, it was Graham who gave the Logies their name, in 1960.
They're called Logies after the Scottish engineer and television pioneer, John Logie Baird. In 1926, Baird demonstrated the first working television system. And then, he went on to develop the first colour television picture tube.
Thanks to Graham, our Logies celebrate more than excellence in Australian television. They also keep alive the genius of a remarkable mind, who gave the world so much.
From its first broadcast in 1958, the Logies have delivered unforgettable moments. They've not all been good, granted, but even controversies provoke conversation. So, at the end of the day, we still have much to celebrate!
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