In new voting rules announced today, the public will still have the ultimate say on who takes home the TV Week Logie Awards when voting opens on May 24, but they will have less of an opportunity to nominate contenders than in the past.
All TV networks are now invited to submit candidates for each of the 13 Most Popular Awards – including the big one: the TV Week Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.
A combination of TV ratings, Nielsen social content ratings and the views of TV Week’s panel of experts will be taken into account to determine this year’s six nominees in all categories, and seven for the TV Week Gold Logie.
Nominees will then be announced on Sunday, May 24, where the public will be tasked with selecting the winners for all Most Popular Awards in an extended five-week live voting period right up until the end of the red carpet telecast on the 2020 awards night on Sunday, June 28.
TV Week editor Thomas Woodgate told Mediaweek: “Every year we look at ways to enhance the fans’ experience and have them engage even more with the TV Week Logie Awards. A simplified single voting period – and making that a longer five-week period – will really get the fans and the nominees fired up!”
What the public won’t get to do is vote in what used to be a first round of public voting early in the year.”
These Most Popular award nominees, along with the Most Outstanding award nominees, will be announced on Sunday, May 24, with live voting to open immediately afterwards. Fans will be able to cast their vote at this time through the official website: www.tvweeklogieawards.com.au
The 62nd TV Week Logie Awards will take place this year on Sunday, June 28, 2020 at The Star Gold Coast in Queensland. All the action from the red-carpet arrivals and awards-show celebrations will be telecast on Nine and 9Now.
Thomas explained he wasn’t concerned about a shorter Logies voting window:
“That is a positive outcome without changing the most important element of the Most Popular Awards – namely, that the public get to decide the winners. This simpler process will enhance the user experience and have them engage even more with the TV Week Logie Awards.”
When asked if there might be some backlash with the public only having a say in seven Gold Logie nominations after what in the past started as a very big field, Woodgate replied:
“That’s a good question, but I genuinely don’t think so. The nominee selection process has been put in place to provide a fair and transparent outcome of the nominees, before handing over the job of picking the winner to the public.
“We’re extremely lucky to have such a thriving television industry in Australia with so many actors, presenters, personalities and shows all worthy of inclusion, and inevitably this will mean some will miss out, but the public have the ultimate say in who wins and I don’t envy them at all, it’ll be a tough job!”
Networks are able to nominate up to five people or shows in each of the Most Popular Awards.
Woodgate doesn’t think the changes could impact people running campaigns in future like we have seen in recent years.
“To be perfectly honest, I want people talking about the TV industry! The TV Week Logie Awards are a celebration of the entire industry, so I welcome the chatter. And it’s worth remembering that campaigning doesn’t automatically result in a win, and that the public are the ones who will determine each winner in the Most Popular Awards categories.”