Little-known ABC show Crazy Fun Park beat out the enormously popular animation series Bluey for the outstanding children’s program and Channel Seven presenter Sonia Kruger took home the top prize at the Logie awards.
Crazy Fun Park’s win surprised even its creator, Nicholas Verso. He ascended the stage to accept the gong and immediately apologised for besting the competition. “I know everyone comes up and goes, ‘We didn’t think we were going to win’ but seriously, we were up against Bluey,” he said.
This year’s ceremony was the first in 12 years to have a solo host, with Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Front Bar’s Sam Pang taking on MC duties. Pang roasted a slew of celebrities including Sam Neill, Andy Lee, Karl Stefanovic, Jonathan LaPaglia and David Koch.
He also took a shot at Logies broadcaster Channel Seven. “I would also like to acknowledge a win for diversity tonight. I am the first host in the history of the Logies to be half-and-half – Channel Seven and half Channel 10. Let’s be honest, it’s just great to have an Asian on Channel Seven who isn’t trying to smuggle live birds through border security.”
The ABC’s Tony Armstrong backed up last year’s popular new talent win with a gong for popular presenter for A Dog’s World. Armstrong quipped on stage: “I told Justin [Stevens], he’s the big boss, that on the off-chance if I won this, there would be a renegotiation. So, mate, my agents are calling!”
Kruger won the Gold Logie for hosting three Channel Seven shows: Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother and The Voice. Kruger is the first woman to win a Gold Logie since Carrie Bickmore in 2015.
Kruger broke out in the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom as Tina Sparkles and has been a mainstay on Australian TV since. She had long-running stints across all three commercial networks on shows including Mornings. She returned to Channel Seven in 2019 as one of its main TV personalities.
However her career has not been without controversy. In 2016, Kruger said on Today she was in favour of banning Muslims from entering Australia. In 2019 the New South Wales civil and administrative tribunal ruled Kruger had made “vilifying” remarks against Muslims but did not engage in “racial vilification”.
Singer Amy Shark won the popular new talent category over a throng of newcomers including Heartbreak High stars Chloe Hayden and Ayesha Madon and RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under’s Kween Kong. Shark, an established recording artist, qualified for the category because she was new to TV as a judge on Australian Idol.
In the industry-voted categories, Colin from Accounts made it a trifecta, winning for outstanding comedy series, while stars and creators Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall picked up outstanding actress and actor respectively.
Crime series The Twelve won outstanding drama, with star Brooke Satchwell picking up outstanding supporting actress and Sam Neill taking home the popular actor gongs.
Colin from Accounts and The Twelve propelled Foxtel/Binge to the top of the network tally, with seven Logies, including another for Gogglebox which is shared with Channel 10.
Heartbreak High’s Thomas Weatherall won the Logie for outstanding supporting actor. Other winners in the outstanding categories were Foreign Correspondent, the State of Origin broadcast, The Cheap Seats and The Australia Wars.
In the public-voted popular categories, Home and Away won its ninth award for most popular drama while Have You Been Paying Attention? won popular comedy for the fourth consecutive time. Other winners in the popular categories included Travel Guides, Australian Story and actor Kitty Flanagan for Fisk.
In the reality TV categories, Survivor: Heroes vs Villains picked up the outstanding award while MasterChef Australia won the popular choice. MasterChef’s executive producer Marty Benson dedicated the award to the late chef and judge Jock Zonfrillo.
The Hall of Fame inductee was Brian Walsh, the TV industry legend who died suddenly in March at the age of 68. He was remembered for nurturing talent and for his contributions to shows including Neighbours, Wentworth and Vietnam. Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Jason Donovan were among those who paid tribute to the late Foxtel executive.
