Diversity and representation on Australian TV has been a growing discussion in recent winnyears, and while the industry has made some progress in better representing the country's multicultural population, there's still a fair way to go.
Upon looking at the 2023 Logie Award nominations, which were announced on 19 June, I'm pleasantly surprised to see one of the most diverse lineups of nominees yet. Surprised, because historically, the prestigious TV awards have long been dominated by white actors and presenters. In its 63-year run, only one person of colour (Waleed Aly) has ever won the Gold Logie.
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The presentation of this award is always the pinnacle of the awards show, and in 2023, First Nations actor Mark Coles Smith is amongst the seven nominees. The proud Nyikina man is nominated alongside comedians Hamish Blake and Shaun Micallef, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! host Julia Morris, TV presenter Leigh Sales, The Bachelor host Osher Günsberg, and The Voice and Big Brother host Sonia Kruger.
Last year, MasterChef judge Melissa Leong's Gold Logie nomination made headlines. If she had won, she would've been the first woman of colour, and only the second person of colour, to win the top gong.
This year, Tony Armstrong, who's of Barrabinya descent, is nominated for the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter, after winning the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent in 2022. In his acceptance speech last year, the TV presenter acknowledged the role of First Nations communities in helping launch his media career, thanking the National Indigenous Radio Service for locking in his role as the first Indigenous play-by-play caller on commercial radio. He was also the first person on the night (40 minutes in) to open with an Acknowledgement of the Yugambeh people when he presented an award alongside Dylan Alcott. "To be honest, having an Indigenous man and a guy in a wheelchair up here, on commercial TV... We’ve got a long way to go, but it’s massive", Alcott then said, referring to the industry's efforts to reflect diversity.
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Aboriginal actor Clarence Ryan has been nominated for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor for his performance in Mystery Road: Origin, while Kamilaroi man and Heartbreak High star Thomas Weatherall is up for the same award.
Meanwhile, several women of colour have also received a nod. Heartbreak High's Ayesha Madon and Love Island spin-off I’ve Got A Text with Josh and Flex! host Flex Mami are both nominated for the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent. Pallavi Sharda is up for Most Outstanding Supporting Actress for her performance in The Twelve, as is Yerin Ha from Stan's Bad Behaviour.
For the first time in 11 years, the Logies will have a host in 2023, and the fact that Chinese Australian comedian Sam Pang has been chosen is another reason to celebrate.
Overall, the local TV industry has struggled in showcasing diverse talent. A 2020 landmark study conducted by Media Diversity Australia and academics found that 75% of on-air talent on news and current affairs television are Anglo-Celtic, and only 6% are either Indigenous or from a non-European background. These findings were based on 81 news programs and 270 reporters over two weeks in June 2019.
When he won the Gold Logie in 2016, The Project's Waleed Aly made a powerful acceptance speech that touched on race and representation.
"Someone who is in this room — and I'm not going to use the name they use in the industry — came up to me, introduced themselves and said, 'I really hope you win. My name is Mustafa. But I can't use that name because I won't get a job,'" Aly said on stage.
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"He's here tonight. And it matters to people like that that I am here. I know it's not because of me. I know that. But if tonight means anything, it's that the Australian public, our audience, as far as they're concerned, there is absolutely no reason why that can't change."
Since the nominations were announced this morning, there's been a different air about the Logies that I've noticed from the people I've spoken to. There's a sentiment of celebration that more people from First Nations and culturally diverse communities are being recognised as part of Australian TV's night of nights.
But this wave of progress can't stop here. Beyond nominations and, hopefully, victories come Logies night on July 30, we must see this representation embraced in all facets of the TV industry going forward.
Television helps us learn more about ourselves and the world, but what good can it do when we don't all feel seen?
The 2023 TV Week Logie Awards will take place in Sydney on Sunday, July 30. The complete list of nominees is below and you can see who wins the Logie Awards here.
Most Popular Awards
TV WEEK GOLD LOGIE for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television
Hamish Blake, Lego Masters Australia, 9Network
Julia Morris, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! & Taskmaster, Network 10
Leigh Sales, 730 Report, ABC
Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
Osher Günsberg, The Bachelors Australia & The Masked Singer Australia, Network 10
Shaun Micallef, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, ABC
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Sonia Kruger, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars & Big Brother, Seven Network
Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter
Hamish Blake, Lego Masters Australia, 9Network
Julia Morris, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! & Taskmaster, Network 10
Scott Cam, The Block, 9Network
Shaun Micallef, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, ABC
Sonia Kruger, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars & Big Brother, Seven Network
Tony Armstrong, A Dog’s World with Tony Armstrong, ABC
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Popular Actor
James Stewart, Home and Away, Seven Network
Lincoln Younes, After The Verdict, Last King of The Cross & Barons, 9Network, Paramount+ & ABC
Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
Patrick Brammall, Colin from Accounts & Summer Love, BINGE & ABC
Ray Meagher, Home and Away, Seven Network
Sam Neill, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Popular Actress
Ada Nicodemou, Home and Away, Seven Network
Celeste Barber, Wellmania, Netflix
Emily Symons, Home and Away, Seven Network
Julia Zemiro, Fisk Season 2, ABC
Kitty Flanagan, Fisk Season 2, ABC
Lynne McGranger, Home and Away, Seven Network
Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent
Amy Shark, Australian Idol, Seven Network
Ayesha Madon, Heartbreak High, Netflix
Chloe Hayden, Heartbreak High, Netflix
Flex Mami, Love Island Australia, 9Network
Kween Kong, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, Stan
Lilliana Bowrey, Surviving Summer, Netflix
Most Popular Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie
Heartbreak High, Netflix
Home and Away, Seven Network
Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
Savage River, ABC
The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
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Underbelly: Vanishing Act, 9Network
Most Popular Entertainment Program
AGT, Seven Network
Gogglebox Australia, FOXTEL & Network 10
Gruen, ABC
Hard Quiz, ABC
LEGO® Masters Australia, 9Network
The Voice, Seven Network
Most Popular Current Affairs Program
60 Minutes, 9Network
7.30, ABC
A Current Affair, 9Network
Australian Story, ABC
Foreign Correspondent, ABC
Four Corners, ABC
Most Popular Comedy Program
Fisk Series 2, ABC
Have You Been Paying Attention?, Network 10
Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, ABC
The Front Bar, Seven Network
The Hundred with Andy Lee, 9Network
Wellmania, Netflix
Most Popular Reality Program
Farmer Wants A Wife, Seven Network
Hunted Australia, Network 10
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10
Married at First Sight, 9Network
MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites, Network 10
The Block, 9Network
Most Popular Lifestyle Program
A Dog's World With Tony Armstrong, ABC
Back Roads, ABC
Better Homes and Gardens, Seven Network
Gardening Australia, ABC
Selling Houses Australia, FOXTEL
Travel Guides, 9Network
Most Outstanding Awards
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Outstanding Actor
Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
Patrick Brammall, Colin from Accounts, BINGE
Richard Roxburgh, Bali 2002, Stan
Sam Neill, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Tim Draxl, In Our Blood, ABC
Tim Minchin, Upright (Season 2), FOXTEL & BINGE
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Outstanding Actress
Claudia Jesse, Bali 2002, Stan
Claudia Karvan, Bump Season 3, Stan
Harriet Dyer, Colin from Accounts, BINGE
Kate Mulvany, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Marta Dusseldorp, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Milly Alcock, Upright (Season 2), FOXTEL & BINGE
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TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor
Alexander England, Black Snow, Stan
Arka Das, Here Out West, ABC
Clarence Ryan, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
Hamish Michael, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Luke Arnold, True Colours, SBS
Thomas Weatherall, Heartbreak High, Netflix
TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Most Outstanding Supporting Actress
Brooke Satchwell, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Hayley McElhinney, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
Miranda Otto, True Colours, SBS
Pallavi Sharda, The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Virginia Gay, After The Verdict, 9Network
Yerin Ha, Bad Behaviour, Stan
Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie
Black Snow, Stan
Five Bedrooms, Paramount+
In Our Blood, ABC
Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
Significant Others, ABC
The Twelve, FOXTEL & BINGE
Most Outstanding Entertainment Program
Gruen Nation Season 3, ABC
Hard Quiz, ABC
LEGO® Masters Australia, 9Network
RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 2, Stan
The Cheap Seats, Network 10
The Masked Singer Australia, Network 10
Most Outstanding Comedy Program
Colin from Accounts, BINGE
Fisk S2, ABC
Have You Been Paying Attention?, Network 10
Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, ABC
Summer Love, ABC
Taskmaster, Network 10
Most Outstanding Reality Program
Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains, Network 10
Hunted Australia, Network 10
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10
Married at First Sight, 9Network
MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites, Network 10
The Block, 9Network
Most Outstanding News Coverage or Public Affairs Report
7NEWS - Turkey Earthquake, Seven Network
A Current Affair - Seaworld Helicopter Disaster, 9Network
Foreign Correspondent - Saving the Children, ABC
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Foreign Correspondent - Somalia: A Story of Survival, ABC
Four Corners - Do No Harm, ABC
Four Corners - How Many More, ABC
Most Outstanding Sports Coverage
2022 AFL Grand Final, Seven Network
2022 FIFA World Cup, SBS
2022 Melbourne Cup Carnival, Network 10
2023 Australian Open, 9Network
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Seven Network
State of Origin, 9Network
Most Outstanding Children’s Program
Barrumbi Kids, SBS
Bluey, ABC
Crazy Fun Park, ABC
Surviving Summer, Netflix
Turn Up The Volume, ABC
Ultimate Classroom, Network 10
Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program
Alone Australia, SBS
Australia's Wild Odyssey, ABC
Old People's Home For Teenagers, ABC
Revealed: Trafficked, Stan
The Australian Wars, SBS
Todd Sampson’s Mirror Mirror: Love & Hate, Network 10
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