Australian television’s awards night, The Logie Awards, will be back in 2022, with broadcast partner Channel 9 promising the program and the telecast will be more exciting and engaging than ever before.
The Logies ceremony was unable to proceed in 2020 and 2021 due to lockdowns and COVID restrictions.
The event’s return in 2022 will take place on the Gold Coast on June 19, as Queensland continues its push to secure more productions and events for the state.
This year, The Logie Awards will also benefit from the involvement of experience agency Rizer, which will manage the event from start to finish. Previously, the event was the responsibility of TV Week magazine, with Rizer only managing the red carpet and other awards logistics.
This year, Rizer will act as an independent organiser, managing network submissions, managing voting and verifying the final nominees.
The Nine Network, meanwhile, will manage the broadcast.
Adrian Swift, Nine Network’s head of content production and development, said moving away from TV Week running the event to an independent professional organisation would benefit both the viewers and the industry.
“We’re very excited about The Logies coming back, it will be great,” Swift told Variety Australia at Screen Forever last week.
“I think now that it’s not being done with TV Week, I think now that it’s being done by the industry, I think [it will be] better.
“I think it will better reflect what the audience is watching… What’s most important to me is, I hope we can make some television that Australia wants to watch, which isn’t just some television love-in award orgy, but is actually television people want to watch. That’s the tough bit [but] we’ve got a really good production team on it.”
The broadcast will be fabulous variety television, he said, which is needed more than ever on our screens.
“Look, I am saying this because it is absolutely true, it will be bigger and better. Everyone’s playing, and we’re all excited about it. Because there was a time where we were worried it would go away, and actually industries need those awards nights because I think it highlights what industries do well, but I think they’re fun, and I think they’re different and I think they’re interesting. Call it a fabulous bit of variety television. Australian television needs that sort of stuff.”
The other benefit of the 2022 event, he said, is that all Australian broadcasters are participating. Throughout the years, he said, various broadcasters may not have fully committed to the event due to issues with the process, or what some saw as ‘unfair’ awards allocations.
“I think it will honour the entire industry including the streamers… And everyone’s playing this year. Over the years, it’s always been a bit patchy. And [now] we’re not having to deal with ACP, Bauer, Are Media, whatever. I think that will make it easier.”
When The Logies announced its return late last month, Kylie Blucher, managing director of Nine Queensland and Nine Northern NSW, noted the opportunities of having the awards broadcast beamed out of the Gold Coast.
“We are delighted to have the return of the TV Week Logie Awards on the horizon again for what is shaping up to be a bigger and better event in celebration of Australia’s hard-working television industry,” she said.
“After a rough start to the year for Queensland it’s a great opportunity for us to come together while at the same time showcasing the Gold Coast and our wonderful state.”