Who’s In The Running To Win Our Hearts On Australian TV’s Night Of Nights?

Breathe easy, Aussie TV fans, for the moment you’ve all waited solemnly and unbathed for has arrived. Earlier this morning, this year’s TV Week Logie Awards nominations were announced!

The resurgent Nine Network led the field with 37 nominations, including multiple respectful nods to their hit mini-series Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War and even one for Joel Madden – “Most Popular New Male Talent” – for his hosting gig on The Voice, quietly cementing his position as the Don Lane of a new generation (uh, somehow).

Most excitingly, though, is the coveted Gold Logie category, which sees last year’s winner Hamish Blake pitted against his BFF, Andy Lee, in a brutal game of brother-against-brother that we’re hoping doesn’t quite end like that climactic scene in New Jack City. Our money’s on the funny one to beat the pretty one.

Of the other networks, ABC picked up the next highest total with 32 nominations, including a couple of nods to the much-loved Redfern Now, while Network Ten scored 28, including a surprise nomination (was it a surprise? We just made that up…) for musician-turned-superstar Clare Bowditch for her lovable turn on the cutesy drama, Offspring. SBS scored only five nominations in total, quietly confirming that my parents don’t get to pick Logie nominees.

A glaring omission is that of Jordan Raskopolous, who played Julian Assange’s hacker friend in Underground: The Julian Assange Story. Shortlisted in the Most Popular Actor category in January, he ran an online campaign to get people to vote for him, with their reward being input into his acceptance speech – with an aim to ridicule the awards. “The Logie awards is Australia’s equivalent of the Emmys,” he explained in a thread over at Something Awful. “They’re our annual television awards, they’re utterly terrible and, unlike the Emmys, the big awards are decided by public vote… This is an opportunity to get a man from the Internet onto live television to mock an Australian institution (and potentially ruin my career.)” “Network Ten in no way endorses Jordan’s campaign or comments,” a spokesperson for the channel told AAP at the time. It’s fair to say the Logies didn’t endorse him either.

The international entertainment for the event on April 7 has also been confirmed, with Michael Buble and Bruno Mars set to make the night an adult-contemporary paradise. Get ready to see Sonia Kruger’s hips sway sultrily! Check out the full list of nominees below, and start excitedly preparing those sweeps parties amongst your friends (yeah, nobody does this).

And the 2013 Logies nominees are… 

GOLD LOGIE — MOST POPULAR PERSONALITY ON AUSTRALIAN TV
Adam Hills, Adam Hills In Gordon St Tonight (ABC1)
Andy Lee, Hamish & Andy’s Euro Gap Year and Hamish & Andy’s Caravan Of Courage: Australia Vs New Zealand (Nine Network)
Asher Keddie, Offspring (Network Ten)
Carrie Bickmore, The Project (Network Ten)
Hamish Blake, Hamish & Andy’s Euro Gap Year and Hamish & Andy’s Caravan Of Courage: Australia Vs New Zealand (Nine Network)
Steve Peacocke, Home and Away (Channel Seven)

MOST POPULAR ACTOR
Firass Dirani, House Husbands (Nine Network) and The Straits (ABC1)
Hugh Sheridan, Packed to the Rafters (Channel Seven)
Lachy Hulme, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War (Nine Network), Beaconsfield (Nine Network) and Offspring (Network Ten)
Matthew Le Nevez, Offspring (Network Ten)
Steve Peacocke, Home and Away (Channel Seven)

MOST POPULAR ACTRESS
Asher Keddie, Offspring (Network Ten)
Ashleigh Cummings, Puberty Blues (Network Ten) and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (ABC1)
Deborah Mailman, Mabo (ABC1), Redfern Now (ABC1) and Offspring (Network Ten)
Julia Morris, House Husbands (Nine Network)
Rebecca Gibney, Packed to the Rafters (Channel Seven)

MOST POPULAR PRESENTER
Adam Hills, Adam Hills In Gordon St Tonight (ABC1)
Andy Lee, Hamish & Andy’s Euro Gap Year and Hamish & Andy’s Caravan Of Courage: Australia Vs New Zealand (Nine Network)
Carrie Bickmore, The Project (Network Ten)
Chrissie Swan, Can of Worms (Network Ten)
Hamish Blake, Hamish & Andy’s Euro Gap Year and Hamish & Andy’s Caravan Of Courage: Australia Vs New Zealand (Nine Network)

MOST POPULAR NEW MALE TALENT
Alex Williams, Underground: The Julian Assange Story (Network Ten)
David Campbell, Mornings (Nine Network)
Joel Madden, The Voice (Nine Network)
Robert Irwin, Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors (Network Ten)
Will McDonald, Home and Away (Channel Seven)

MOST POPULAR NEW FEMALE TALENT
Annabel Crabb, Kitchen Cabinet (ABC2)
Brenna Harding, Puberty Blues (Network Ten)
Catherine Mack, Home and Away (Channel Seven)
Clare Bowditch, Offspring (Network Ten)
Edwina Royce, House Husbands (Nine Network)

MOST POPULAR DRAMA SERIES
Home and Away (Channel Seven)
House Husbands (Nine Network)
Offspring (Network Ten)
Packed to the Rafters (Channel Seven)
Puberty Blues (Network Ten)

MOST POPULAR MINISERIES OR TELEMOVIE
Beaconsfield (Nine Network)
Bikie Wars: Brothers In Arms (Network Ten)
Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War (Nine Network)
Underbelly: Badness (Nine Network)
Underground: The Julian Assange Story (Network Ten)

MOST OUTSTANDING ACTOR
Aaron Jeffery, Underbelly: Badness (Nine Network)
Anthony Hayes, Devil’s Dust (ABC1)
Guy Pearce, Jack Irish (ABC1)
Jimi Bani, Mabo (ABC1)
Lachy Hulme, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War (Nine Network)

MOST OUTSTANDING ACTRESS
Catherine McClements, Tangle (Showcase)
Deborah Mailman, Mabo (ABC1)
Leah Purcell, Redfern Now (ABC1)
Mandy McElhinney, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War (Nine Network)
Susie Porter, Dangerous Remedy (ABC1)

GRAHAM KENNEDY AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING NEW TALENT
Annabel Crabb, Kitchen Cabinet (ABC2)
Brenna Harding, Puberty Blues (Network Ten)
Jason Montgomery, Underbelly: Badness (Nine Network)
Natasa Ristic, Danger 5 (SBS ONE)
Shari Sebbens, Redfern Now (ABC1)

MOST OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Offspring (Network Ten)
Puberty Blues (Network Ten)
Rake (ABC1)
Redfern Now (ABC1)
Tangle (Showcase)

MOST OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR TELEMOVIE
Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War (Nine Network)
Jack Irish (ABC1)
Mabo (ABC1)
Underbelly: Badness (Nine Network)
Underground: The Julian Assange Story (Network Ten)

MOST POPULAR LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
Gruen Planet (ABC1)
Hamish & Andy’s Euro Gap Year (Nine Network)
The Project (Network Ten)
The Voice (Nine Network)
The X Factor (Channel Seven)

MOST POPULAR LIFESTYLE PROGRAM
Better Homes and Gardens (Channel Seven)
Getaway (Nine Network)
Grand Designs Australia (The LifeStyle Channel)
The Living Room (Network Ten)
Selling Houses Australia (The LifeStyle Channel)

MOST POPULAR SPORTS PROGRAM
Before the Game (Network Ten)
Paralympics London 2012 – Highlights (ABC1)
The Footy Show (AFL) (Nine Network)
The Footy Show (NRL) (Nine Network)
Wide World of Sports (Nine Network)

MOST POPULAR REALITY PROGRAM
Beauty and the Geek Australia (Channel Seven)
Big Brother (Nine Network)
MasterChef Australia (Network Ten)
My Kitchen Rules (Channel Seven)
The Block (Nine Network)

MOST POPULAR FACTUAL PROGRAM
Bondi Rescue (Network Ten)
Bondi Vet (Network Ten)
Border Security: Australia’s Front Line (Channel Seven)
RPA (Nine Network)
Who Do You Think You Are? (SBS ONE)

MOST OUTSTANDING NEWS COVERAGE
“Baden-Clay”, Nine News (Nine Network)
“Cabinet Leaks”, Seven News Sydney (Channel Seven)
“Catholic Church Allegedly Hid Crimes of Paedophile Priests”, Lateline (ABC1)
“Fukushima”, ABC News (ABC1)
“Rudd Vs Gillard Leadership Challenge”, SKY NEWS (SKY NEWS)

MOST OUTSTANDING PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORT
“Abducted!”, 60 Minutes (Nine Network)
“Anatomy of a Massacre”, Dateline (SBS ONE)
“Captain Emad: Smugglers’ Paradise – Australia”, Four Corners (ABC1)
“The World According To Lance (Lance Armstrong)”, Four Corners (ABC1)
“Unholy Silence (Catholic Church)”, Four Corners (ABC1)

MOST OUTSTANDING LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
Hamish & Andy’s Caravan of Courage: Australia Vs New Zealand (Nine Network)
Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell (ABC1)
The Hamster Wheel (ABC1)
The Voice (Nine Network)
The X Factor (Channel Seven)

MOST OUTSTANDING SPORTS COVERAGE
2012 Emirates Melbourne Cup Carnival (Channel Seven)
London 2012 Olympic Games (Nine Network)
2012 Toyota AFL Grand Final (Channel Seven)
London 2012 Olympic Games (FOXTEL)
Boxing Day Test Match (Nine Network)

MOST OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
Dance Academy (ABC3)
Didi and B (Nick Jr. )
The Adventures of Figaro Pho (ABC3)
Totally Wild (Network Ten)
You’re Skitting Me (ABC3)

MOST OUTSTANDING FACTUAL PROGRAM
Go Back To Where You Came From (SBS ONE)
AFP (Nine Network)
Kings Cross ER (Crime & Investigation Network)
Then The Wind Changed (ABC1)
Who Do You Think You Are? (SBS ONE)