Sam Neill wins posthumous award as Sam Pang takes Gold Logie — as it happened
The 2026 Logie Awards are over for another year with comedian Sam Pang taking home the Gold Logie for the night.
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Thank you and goodnight!
Thanks to you all for bringing us the logie news!!! Well done Dog Park!! Great for the ABC!!!! Cheers from Limbri north east of Tamworth NSW… - Lisa
Wow, if you had told us we'd be getting out of here before midnight I would not have believed you, but here we are!
What a huge ceremony, we laughed, we cried, we thanked the Australian TV gods for Kath & Kim.
Huge shout out to Rudi Bremer, Hannah Story, Georgia Hitch and Tamsyn Buckle for giving us all the Logies goss.
And a massive thanks to you all for joining us tonight! It's a marathon, not a sprint and we couldn't do it without you.
See you here this time next year!
Final serious note from Sam Pang
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
Despite the jokes, Pang finished his acceptance speech with a serious thanks to Tom Gleisner and Mick Molloy.
He paid tribute and thanks to the comedians, saying he grew up watching them both.
"I can't believe I know them and get to work with both of them."
"They're very funny men, but they're also very generous.
"And they only want what's the best. There's no competition."
Eight Logies for ABC!
By Velvet Winter
By Velvet Winter
Whoa ABC is cleaning up. Really shows the important of ABC and Aussie TV
- Bridget
Is it just me or is the ABC wiping the floor with the commercial network!!! Go Aunty - Simon
You're not imaging things, ABC did pretty well tonight picking up eight awards, including:
- Best Scripted Comedy Program - Dog Park
- Best Factual or Documentary Program - The Assembly
- Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent - Lila McGuire
- Best Miniseries or Telemovie - Goolagong
- Best Structured Reality Program - Muster Dogs
- Best Children's Program - Play School
- Best Current Affairs Program - Australian Story
- Best Lead Actress in a Comedy - Celia Pacquola, Dog Park
"I've got neck ties older than Robert Irwin"
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
"What a wonderful job Robert Iwrin's done tonight," Pang says.
"22 years old, I've got neck ties older than him.
"I've got lots of people to thank tonight and I'll probably forget some names. If I do forget you, I'm sorry, but maybe also have a think about how much you did," he joked.
He thanked his family, "the one in this country and the secret one overseas too".
"Happy Birthday Mum, I love you..." but, as always not without a joke, he followed it up with "just once it'd be nice if you said it back to me".
Pang thanked his old bosses at SBS who put him on TV for the first time on a history quiz show.
He also thanked his Have You Been Paying Attention? co-stars Tom Gleisner and Ed Kavalee, and The Front Bar co-stars Andy Maher and Mick Molloy.
"The two shows that I work on have two things in common, they both started off small with wonderful production staff,
"And they're both hosted by old men who shouldn't be on television."
Andrew Denton on the state of satire on the ABC
By Hannah Story
By Hannah Story
Speaking in the media room after being inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame, Andrew Denton reflected on the state of satire on the ABC.
The presenter cut his teeth on shows like The Money or the Gun, where he asked provocative questions of the public, and he's not sure something like it could be made today.
"Back in the day when we made The Money or the Gun, the ABC's editorial policy was: 'You make the show, and if we don't like it, we'll let you know.'
"Now I think there's more an attitude of: 'Be really careful, and if we don't like it, then we might take it off air.'
"Mel Brooks put it best: 'Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die.' It's the perfect definition of comedy. It's about where you stand.
"Yes, you can step over the line. Yes, offence can be caused, and you can apologise for that offence. But satire is so important in terms of holding up a bent mirror to what's going on."
In terms of making more space for young talent on our screens, offering opportunities as he spoke about in his speech, he'd like to see "a sense of courage and a sense of adventure" from TV networks including the ABC. (Which he would also like to see be better funded.)
"I'd like to see the late-night landscape open up again," he said.
"Between 9pm and 12pm give people a chance to play. It's where I started out, it's where a lot of people started, and you need a chance to play, and you need a chance to do things."
Key Event
Sam Pang on winning the Gold Logie
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
"Being here the last three years I know what we all need, I'm gonna keep this very short," Pang says.
He's interrupted by Sharon to ask if she needs to stay on stage, and is chaperoned off by Robert Irwin because it's "a bit slippy".
"You were robbed," she said to much laughter.
"How wonderful is that," Pang says.
Key Event
GOLD LOGIE — Most Popular Personality on Australian Television
By Velvet Winter
By Velvet Winter
- Ally Langdon
- Julia Morris
- Lisa Millar
- Poh Ling Yeow
- Robert Irwin
- Sam Pang - WINNER
- Todd Woodbridge
Sharon Strzelecki is here to present the Gold Logie!!
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
This is not a drill!
The newest employee of Australia Zoo Sharon Strzelecki (aka Magda Szubanski) is on stage with Robert Irwin to present the top gong.
She's looking a little worse for wear after an apparent run in with some of the animals.
It's so great to see her on stage given she announced earlier this year she's now in remission after her cancer treatment.
The cast and team behind A Country Practice want more Aussie drama
By Hannah Story
By Hannah Story
It's a comment the A Country Practice team made talking to journalists in the media room as they celebrated their Hall of Fame induction.
And we reckon they have a point. Even just looking at the Logie nominations for drama series and actors in a drama, it's all ABC TV, streamers, a couple nods to SBS and one lone show on a commercial network: RFDS.
According to Screen Australia's latest Drama Report, 7 and 10 made two dramas last year. That's it. Nothing from 9. It's a huge decline in investment compared to years past.
Meanwhile, the ABC made 13 shows, to Stan's six, Netflix's three, and Apple TV and Paramount+ with two.
It's pretty grim. And the fact to watch new Aussie drama you need a bunch of streaming subscriptions is less than ideal.
Claudia Karvan on lending her voice to a trans story
By Rudi Bremer
By Rudi Bremer
Before the Hall of Fame, Claudia Karvan took home best supporting actress for her role in Homebodies on SBS.
The show — told in episodes about 10 minutes long — is from trans writer and director AP Pobjoy and it's deeply personal.
In the media room, we just asked Karvan what it means to her to lend her voice and decades of experience in the industry to a project like this one.
"It's everything," she said. "It's why I do what I do.
"Definitely as you get older, you're really looking to have meaning in your job, and it's really gratifying. And as you get to this stage of your career, it's all about empowering people around you. So this is part of that.
"But it's also just a beautifully written role, an amazingly structured story, like so clever and totally authentic and true to AP's life.
"AP's mum saw it and just bawled her eyes out and said, 'I just didn't realise that you saw me and that you knew that that's what I was going through.'"
Key Event
Heather Mitchell accepts award for Sam Neill
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
"I'm so sorry I'm not Sam," she says.
"I know how much it would mean to him.
"This is an indication of his connection with his audience
"The Twelve meant a great deal to Sam, he was incredibly proud of this show of each season of it.
"He relished his character and talked about it a lot. He thought he was a very clever man, and sort of a 007 person.
"And that Sam, not only does he have that gentle command ... but he also had a warmth and generosity."
Mitchell thanked Neill's fellow actors and crew on his behalf.
"He loved actors, he supported actors and I know that he found their company the most fulfilling company."
Brooke Satchwell on first Logie since 1998
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
Satchwell begins by saying that the award "means a lot to the 16-year-old kid who last stood here".
She thanked the other nominees for their "intelligence and your ferocity of spirit and your indivudality and your huge hearts".
"They are an extraorindary inspiration," she said.
"I don't do this job for atteniton or to hold something aloft I do it because of the burning desire for connection it really lights my fire and it's my absolute honour and privilege."
Key Event
Best Lead Actor in a Drama
By Velvet Winter
By Velvet Winter
- Hunter Page-Lochard, Reckless, SBS / NITV
- Jacob Elordi, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Prime Video
- Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
- Rob Collins, RFDS, Seven Network
- Sam Neill, The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer, BINGE / FOXTEL - WINNER
- Stephen Peacocke, RFDS, Seven Network
Key Event
Best Lead Actress in a Drama
By Velvet Winter
By Velvet Winter
- Aisha Dee, Watching You, Stan
- Brooke Satchwell, Dear Life, Stan - WINNER
- Lila McGuire, Goolagong, ABC
- Odessa Young, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Prime Video
- Tuuli Narkle, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC
- Yerin Ha, The Survivors, Netflix
Lessons on life and work from Andrew Denton
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
Denton also shared what he'd learned during his career which he boiled down to a few key lessons:
"Back yourself."
"Don't be afraid to praise someone else, even if they're your rival, get their contact and text them or give them a call."
"Get ready to fail, it's a part of the creative process. It hurts at the time but you'll laugh at the scars later.
"You can't show an artist anytihng, All you can do is open the door the door and show them the tightrope.
"There are few things omore professionally joyful than wishing someone success with no agenda.
And finally "be generous" and you will reap the reward "hundreds of times over".
"That's everything I've learned other than never lap dance James Packer."
Denton pokes fun, thanks wife journalist Jennifer Byrne
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
Denton says when he met his wife, Jennifer Byrne, he was a "geeky ABC type, leading a typical ABC life, studying the works of Chairman Mao" he joked.
"Suddenly I met Jennifer and was inroduced to Channel Nine and the partner swapping parties ... mind blowing!"
"Sweetheart, you've been my cheer squad and, on important occassions, my firing squad.
"We've had so many adventures ... I love you.
"This is, however, a more important logie than yours. Let's move on," he joked.
A shout out from Andrew Denton
By Velvet Winter
By Velvet Winter
Yes, Andrew Denton has a long history with ABC but it's still thrilling to get a little show of support from the man himself.
"A quick side bar to our national broadcaster if you ever need a man to baracade the stations if someone tries to shut you down, I'm your man."
Could this have anything to do with the recent One Nation comments about the party's plans for the national broadcaster...
Andrew Denton finally has a Logie in his hand
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
He takes the stage to a standing ovation.
"Please be seated, when you're my height a room full of people standing is terrifying," he said.
"How wonderful to be sucked up into the Valhalla of television by my sister in love of 40 years Amanda Keller.
"Amanda thak you for not telling them the truth about me.
"It's so lovely to be sharing this with the luminous Deborah Mailman, what a moment that was."
He also paid tribute to A Country Practice where, he revealed, he made his TV debut four decades ago as a delivery man to the hospital.
Key Event
Andrew Denton inducted into Logie Hall of Fame
By Hannah Story
By Hannah Story
Broadcaster, TV presenter and producer Andrew Denton has been inducted into the Logie Awards Hall of Fame.
The 66-year-old isn't just the former host of ABC TV's interview show Enough Rope; he is also one of the people behind some of the next generation of ABC comedy talent and TV shows, including The Chaser, Gruen and Hungry Beast.
He once said his role was just to open doors for new talent, and to help them hit their deadlines.
Denton went as far as to sign a contract withThe Chaser promising to "protect them from all non-essential dickheads".
But he was quick to mention that he too was nurtured when he was coming up, on shows like Blah Blah Blah, The Money or the Gun and Live and Sweaty, by producer Mark FitzGerald and director Martin Coombes.
Key Event
Just three awards to go!
By Velvet Winter
By Velvet Winter
It has been a huge night and we're really starting to get to the pointy end. Just three more awards to give out, they are:
- Best Lead Actor in a Drama
- Best Lead Actress in a Drama
- Gold Logie
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