After weeks of speculation, Channel Seven has confirmed that the 2023 Logie Awards will be held in Sydney.
Originally scheduled for June 18, TV’s Night of Nights will now air on the network on July 30.
The award ceremony has been held on the Gold Coast since 2018 with the support of the Queensland government, but that deal ended in 2022.
It is the first time since 1986 that the awards have been presented in Sydney.
Home and away fan favorites Ray Meagher and Ada Nicodemou joined The Voice star Sonia Kruger in Sydney Harbor to help make the announcement.
After weeks of speculation, Channel Seven has confirmed that the 2023 Logie Awards will be held in Sydney. Pictured: Home and Away fan favorites Ray Meagher and Ada Nicodemou joined The Voice star Sonia Kruger (right) on Sydney Harbor waterfront to help make the announcement
The awards ceremony has been held on the Gold Coast since 2018 with support from the Queensland Government, but that deal ended in 2022. Pictured: 2022 Gold Logie winner Hamish Blake
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet praised the announcement, stating that Logies’ move to Sydney would inject millions of dollars into the state’s economy. Pictured: Simone Holtznage at Logies in 2022
Seven CEO James Warburton said: ‘The time was right to find a new home for the Logies and bringing them back to Sydney after more than 30 years made perfect sense.’
“Australian TV networks and many of its major production companies are based in Sydney,” he added.
And the city is the setting for some of the country’s most popular TV shows. Seven has exciting plans for the Logies.’
NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet praised the announcement, stating that Logies’ move to Sydney would inject millions of dollars into the state’s economy.
“Television’s night of nights now has its rightful home in The Harbor City, which showcases the glitz and glamor of our vibrant nightlife scene,” he said.
The Star Casino is rumored to be the likely venue for the event.
Before moving to the Gold Coast, the Logies were considered a Melbourne institution, with the southern capital hosting the ceremony for three decades.
The Logies were last presented 37 years ago in Sydney at the lavish State Theatre. TV legend Daryl Somers won the Gold Logie that year, while the late Bert Newton hosted.
It comes after TV tonight reported last month that Seven has been lobbying hard for Sydney to host the show.
Logies publicist Kelly Black distributed an email to all networks in January assuring them that the show would continue after its original June date was scrapped.
“For planning purposes, it may be helpful to know that the event is likely to fall in the new financial year,” Ms. Black emailed the big players.
The Logies have been through a series of major upheavals.
In February 2022, TV Week magazine announced it would no longer run the show, ending a 60-year association.
The magazine’s publisher, Are Media, handed over day-to-day operations to events company Rizer, while retaining ownership of the prizes.
Rizer now handles the Logie Awards voting, final nominees and network entries.
Then, last September, the networks were rocked when it was announced that Seven had taken over the broadcasting rights to the show from rival Channel Nine.
According to The Daily TelegraphNine bosses were “outraged” at the loss of the Logies following the ceremony’s lengthy partnership with the network.
The five-year deal would be worth just $250,000, a drop in the ocean for a major network like Channel Seven, which will host the show from 2023 to 2027.
It is the first time in 37 years that the TV awards have been held in Sydney. Pictured: John Farnham and Laura Branigan singing in Logies 1986 at the State Theatre, Sydney in 1986
The Star Casino is rumored to be the likely venue for the Sydney event. The Logies were considered a Melbourne institution, with the southern capital hosting the ceremony for three decades. Pictured: Patti Newton and son Matt at the Logies in 1997
The Logies have been a ratings winner, with 885,000 subway viewers tuning in to see Lego Masters presenter Hamish Blake pick up the Gold Logie in 2022
The Logies had been a household name at Nine for six decades and many of its stars, including the late Bert Newton, were strongly associated with the event.
It was also a consistent ratings winner for the network, with 885,000 subway viewers tuning in to see Lego Masters host Hamish Blake pick up the Gold Logie in 2022.
Founded by TV Week in 1958 to celebrate the best of Australian television, the Logies have been a fixture on the industry’s calendar for decades, achieving high ratings and attracting major international stars as guests.
The Logies’ top prize, the Gold Logie, voted by TV Week readers for the most popular personality on Australian TV, is still highly coveted among industry talent.