Who will win the Logies? And what will we all be mad about?

3 months ago 23

Another year, another Logies, another ceremony that probably won’t end until midnight. So who is actually nominated, and what are we likely to be yelling about on Monday morning? Here’s a cheat sheet for Sunday’s 65th TV Week Logie Awards.

Who is hosting?

Sam Pang is returning for his third consecutive year, which cements him as a fixture for the event. The real question is: what big topics will he tackle in his opening monologue?

Last year’s targets included host network Channel Seven for its Bruce Lehrmann expenses controversy and Channel Ten for ongoing financial issues. You might think he’d have plenty to work with this year after the cancellation of The Project. But, speaking to TV Week, Pang has said, “There won’t be dancing on any graves.”

Will that same courtesy be extended to Q+A and Neighbours (which Pang roasted in 2023 after its first brush with death)? Or Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia who was recently “blindsided” from his own show?

Pang has, however, confirmed there will be some ribbing of Hamish Blake, as the only man nominated for a Gold Logie. And I’m betting on some kind of self-deprecating commentary on his series, Sam Pang Tonight. The talk show, while nominated for best comedy entertainment program and renewed for a second season, has had an at-times rough response from audiences while finding its feet. You’ve gotta take what you give up there.

Who’s tipped to take the Gold?

Lynne McGranger is widely considered the favourite this year. And don’t feel too bad if you don’t recognise that name – you probably know her as Irene from Home and Away.

Irene (Lynne McGranger) being terrorised by Eve Smith in Home and Away in 2000.

McGranger announced earlier this year that she is leaving the long-running soap after 33 years. Her final episode will air in just a few weeks, and Channel Seven – host of the Logies broadcast – has been giving fans a big push to direct votes the beloved actor’s way.

Has McGranger really been the most popular personality on TV in the past year? A win could leave viewers scratching their heads.

The other nominees include A Current Affair host Ally Langdon, MasterChef Australia contestant-turned-judge Poh Ling Yeow, the ABC’s Lisa Millar, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! host Julia Morris, Seven’s Sonia Kruger and Lego Masters host Hamish Blake.

Blake, the awkward male outlier who has taken the prize twice before, was quick to say how much he does not want to win. “I think we all know what to do,” he told this masthead. “And that isn’t to make sure the lone, middle-age white guy gets it.”

Which show has the most nominations?

Netflix hit Apple Cider Vinegar has received eight nominations, including best miniseries and nods for most of the main cast. That includes US lead actress Kaitlyn Dever, who has achieved even greater fame in the recent The Last of Us.

Telling the “true-ish” story of Australian influencer and cancer conwoman Belle Gibson, the show won Dever huge praise for her mastery of the Aussie accent. The six-part series charted Gibson’s rise and fall, condemning the “wellness” culture that enabled her lies to thrive and revealing the impact it all had on real cancer patients.

Kaitlyn Dever plays Belle Gibson in Apple Cider Vinegar.

A 2017 book by Age journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano served as inspiration for the show. And much of the plot followed two fictionalised journalists uncovering her “large-scale deception”.

In his three-star review for this masthead, critic Craig Mathieson noted there was “a surplus of fine performances” including Essie Davis (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries) as Gibson’s mother and Ashley Zukerman (Succession) as her partner. The former did not cop a nomination, missing out to castmates Aisha Dee (The Bold Type) and Tilda Cobham-Hervey (I Am Woman).

What other shows should I know about?

Territory, another Netflix success story, follows Apple Cider Vinegar closely with seven nominations, including best drama, lead actress for Anna Torv and lead actor nods for Michael Dorman, Robert Taylor and Sam Corlett.

Dubbed “Dallas with dingoes”, this outback drama was a global hit and had many fans confused when Netflix decided to can it earlier this year – especially considering the open-ended nature of the finale. If it sweeps the big awards, there will certainly be more questions asked about why we’re not getting any more.

In comedy, Kitty Flanagan’s Fisk leads with five nominations, closely followed by Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer’s second season of Colin From Accounts and new US-set/Australian-made series Good Cop/Bad Cop starring Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester and Australian Luke Cook (both of whom are nominated). Could this be Blair Waldorf’s first Logie? Probably not, but boy it would be funny.

Who is performing?

Jimmy Barnes will be the main musical entertainment on the night.

This is a big year for the Cold Chisel frontman, as he’s celebrating the 40th anniversary of his For the Working Class Man album with a tour that kicks off in November. He’s also released a new album, Defiant, which topped the ARIA chart in June, and will star in a documentary about his life premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Expect a big response from the crowd. The star has overcome some serious health challenges including open-heart surgery in late 2023, and is still putting on five-star shows.

The crowd sang along as Jimmy Barnes performed Flame Trees at The Palais, Melbourne..

Are any Hollywood celebs going?

Remember when Joan Rivers got up on stage in 2011, yelling “I don’t know why the f--- I’m here”? Sadly, I don’t think we’ll have any such events this time around.

There are nominations for overseas stars – Dever (Apple Cider Vinegar), Sally Phillips (Austin), Meester (Good Cop/Bad Cop), Clancy Brown (Good Cop/Bad Cop) – but it seems none will attend. Among presenters announced so far, all are local, among them Kitty Flanagan, Hamish Blake, Leigh Sales, Ray Martin, Sophie Monk and Tom Gleeson.

When is it on?

Sonia Kruger and Chris Brown host the red carpet coverage from 7pm and the ceremony kicks off at 7.30pm this Sunday, August 3. View on Channel 7 and 7Plus, and follow our coverage from the red carpet and behind-the-scenes via live blog from the late afternoon.

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