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This time last year, I wrote a story with the headline: Who will win the Gold Logie? And why will it be Hamish?
As it turned out, the piece was somewhat prophetic. Hamish Blake won his second Gold Logie, and we all pretended to be surprised when his name was read out at midnight (or was it 1am? or 2am? It’s a blur).
Hamish Blake (bottom left) posing with all the people he will inevitably beat in the race for the Gold Logie.
I hoped 2023 would bring something different, a fresh take on Australia’s top TV prize to coincide with other changes surrounding the Logies.
After all, we’ve swapped the glitz of the Gold Coast for the sparkle of Sydney, and the awards have found a new home on Seven, having previously been broadcast on Nine (publisher of this masthead).
New year, new Logies, right? Wrong. Sadly, it brings me no joy (though it does save me a fair bit of work), to declare that once again, Hamish Blake will win the Gold Logie Award, the prize for the most popular personality on Australian television.
There is plenty to like about the other nominees, with several first-timers in The Bachelor’s Osher Gunsberg, Mystery Road star Mark Coles Smith and ABC presenter Leigh Sales joining previous Gold nominees Julia Morris, Shaun Micallef, and Channel Seven’s Sonia Kruger.
But unfortunately for everyone mentioned above, the presence of Hamish Blake typically means one thing; if he’s in the running, the race is over.
For balance purposes, we’ll look at how all the nominees measure up, but, to quote me from last year, “only someone with Blake’s star power could turn a show about Lego into a massive ratings success; this one feels in the bag.”
The Favourites
Hamish Blake, Lego Masters, Nine
Having handed over far too much money to online betting in my time, I can confidently say that the bookies don’t often get it wrong. At the time of writing, Blake was $1.62 to win another Gold Logie, and it would take a brave punter to bet against him. While Lego Masters ratings may have softened (last year’s finale attracted a total TV audience of 1,209,000 compared to 944,000 this year), the show remains one of the most watched programs on TV.
Only Hamish Blake could turn a show about LEGO into a smash hit.Credit: Nine
But more important than that is the unrivalled brand power that Hamish Blake wields. The 41-year-old boasts 1.2 million followers on Instagram, and given Gold Logie voting is predominantly done online, social media muscle matters.
Factor in his top-rated Listnr podcast, which sits atop the Australian Podcast Ranker every month with over a million listeners and an ambassadorship with Tourism Australia; Blake is the man to beat.
Sonia Kruger, Big Brother, Dancing With The Stars, The Voice, Seven Network
Arguably the most famous Kruger since Freddy, Sonia, is in with a shot simply because she spends more time on TV than any of the other nominees. Between Big Brother, Dancing With The Stars and The Voice, Kruger, 57, is omnipresent. Whether that saturation pays off remains to be seen.
Julia Morris, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10
A legend of the industry and a long-time fan favourite, should the voting public be tempted to vote with their hearts, then Morris might be in the mix. This is the second year running she’s been up for the Gold, and Network Ten would be wise to run a sentimental campaign for the 55-year-old.
The Dark Horses
Shaun Micallef, Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell, ABC
While everyone loves Shaun Micallef, Mad As Hell wrapped up in September last year, meaning he’s been off the air for nearly a year, making his chances at a Gold Logie win low as hell. That being said, Logie voters do have a soft spot for Micallef, 60, (he won Most Popular Presenter back in 2010). Improbable but not impossible.
Leigh Sales, 7:30, ABC
The nomination of Leigh Sales is the most exciting thing about the Gold Logie lineup this year. While betting agencies have her as the absolute rank outsider (paying $21 for the win), Sales is undoubtedly popular though also polarising, having spent over a decade in our lounge rooms as the host of 7:30. However, she wrapped on 7:30 in June last year and is currently “hosting” Australian Story, but it involves about two minutes of screen time a week. A loud and passionate fan base from her podcast, Chat 10 Looks 3, is playing in her favour, which has more than 300,000 monthly downloads.
Easy as ABC? Mark Coles Smith, Leigh Sales and Shaun Micallef are all in the running to win the Gold Logie. Sadly, none of them probably will.
Should ABC back Sales hard (#GoldenSales is my suggested hashtag), she could be a legitimate rival for Blake, mainly because he probably won’t bother campaigning. A win for Sales, 50, would be significant, considering it’s been eight years since a woman last won the Gold Logie, with The Project’s Carrie Bickmore taking out the honour in 2015.
The Long Shots
Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
The last time an actor won the Gold Logie was in 2017, when Samuel Johnson took out the gong for his work on Molly, and before that, it was Offspring star Asher Keddie in 2013.
Unfortunately, the nature of voting for the Gold Logie makes it difficult for actors, especially those in short-lived series, to cut through and maintain enough momentum to win. Mark Coles Smith, 34, was a revelation in Mystery Road: Origin, but it won’t be enough to carry him over the line.
Winners are grinners? Network Ten will be hoping Julia Morris or Osher Gunsberg can pull of a surprise victory at the 63rd annual TV WEEk Logie Awards.
Osher Günsberg, The Bachelors Australia, The Masked Singer, Network Ten
We can all agree that Günsberg deserves a Gold Logie for services to Australian TV. However, we must also acknowledge that The Bachelors was one of the worst things to happen this year (why have one boring man when you can have three?).
Sadly, this rules the 49-year-old out of serious contention, though it’s nice to see him nominated.
The 63rd Logie Awards will be broadcast exclusively on Channel Seven and 7Plus on July 30. Fans can vote for their favourites from the shortlisted nominees here.
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.
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