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LifeStyle Channel dominates 2011 ASTRA Awards

Selling Houses Australia and Grand Designs Australia help the LifeStyle Channel to another big night at Pay TV's annual awards in Sydney.

For the second year running the LifeStyle Channel has swept major categories at the ASTRA Awards.

Selling Houses Australia was voted Favourite Program (Australian) by subscribers. Host Andrew Winter named Favourite Personality (Male). Grand Designs Australia was named Most Outstanding Lifestyle Program while host Peter Maddison was named Best New Talent. Grand Designs (UK) was named Favourite Programme (International) with an acceptance speech from Kevin McCloud via video.

To cap off a successful night The LifeStyle Channel won ‘Channel of the Year’ for the second year running.

In the prestigious Drama stakes it was a two way fight between Showcase and W channels. Spirited was named Most Outstanding Drama with Matt King taking out Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor (Male). But Tangle‘s Catherine McClements fought off strong competition for Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor (Female). Neither actor was able to attend to accept.

Australia’s Next Top Model was a dual winner, taking out Most Outstanding Reality Program and host Sarah Murdoch took out Favourite Personality (Female) -at least some good news for the Murdochs this week.

SKY News’ Election coverage was named as Most Outstanding News Program or Coverage while David Speers was named Most Outstanding Performance by a Presenter and Ashleigh Gillon was Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist.

The evening at Sydney Theatre was a swish, black tie affair, with guests dodging the pelting rain outside to attend.

Hosts Tara Moss, Lee Furlong and Helen Dalley treated the audience to several frock changes but otherwise stuck to script.

Jessica Mauboy opened the show with a performance of Inescapable, while Katie Noonan’s Elixir Trio (who had to stumble onstage in the dark) and rising band Guineafowl also performed. Iva Davies, from Icehouse, performed an acoustic version of Great Southern Land.

Presenters were surprisingly well-behaved. Those who veered off-script gave the evening some sparkle, including Geoff Morrell and Steve Curry (who rattled off a list of mostly fictional TV shows that Cloudstreet outrated), Charlotte Dawson and Alex Perry throwing botox barbs at one another, Craig Reucassal (“And the winner as decided by Foxtel Publicity is -no just kidding..”), and a flirtatious Amanda Bishop who told Andrew “ET” Ettingshausen his Wikipedia listing described him as having “a deceptive pace and good hands.”

Presenting the Channel of the Year, Rove McManus moved from the stage to the floor to greet the five channel managers in a funny, spontaneous exchange (including kissing the bald head of SKY News’ Angelo Frangopoulos).

In all it was another well-behaved evening from the Subscription TV industry (ok guys, you’ve paid your penance for 2009, you can have a little fun again now). Guests spilled out into the foyer of Sydney Theatre for a shoulder-to-shoulder After Party before tackling the continuous rain once more.

Winners in bold:

Channel of the Year:
Crime & Investigation Network
Discovery Channel
The LifeStyle Channel
SKY NEWS
FOX SPORTS

SUBSCRIBER’S CHOICE:
Favourite Program – Australian
Australia’s Next Top Model Series 6 FOX8
B430 Season 2 Channel [V]
Dating in the Dark Australia FOX8
Grand Designs Australia The LifeStyle Channel
MAX Sessions: Slash MAX
On the Couch FOX SPORTS
Selling Houses Australia Series 3 The LifeStyle Channel
Spirited W

Favourite Program – International
Gossip Girl FOX8
American Idol FOX8
Cake Boss LifeStyle FOOD Channel
Grand Designs Season 8 The LifeStyle Channel
Deadliest Catch Season 6 Discovery Channel
Man Vs. Wild Discovery Channel
Good Luck Charlie Disney Channel
Jersey Shore MTV

Favourite Personality – Female
Charlotte Dawson FOX8
Jane Gazzo Channel [V]
Laura Dundovic FOX8
Sarah Murdoch FOX8

Favourite Personality – Male
Alex Perry FOX8
Andrew ‘ET’ Ettingshausen Discovery Channel
Andrew Winter The LifeStyle Channel
Danny Clayton Channel [V]
David Speers SKY NEWS
Mark Bosnich FOX SPORTS
Peter Maddison The LifeStyle Channel
Phil Kearns FOX SPORTS

PROGRAMMING & PRODUCTION
Most Outstanding Children’s Program or Event
Penelope K, By The Way CBeebies
Camp Orange: Castle Mountain Nickelodeon
Go Lingo National Indigenous Television

Most Outstanding Music Program or Coverage
[V] Guerilla Gigs Channel [V]
[V] LIVE Series Channel [V]
Big Day Out Li[V]e 2010 Channel [V]
MTV Classic Launch MTV

Most Outstanding Sports Program or Coverage
NRL – Monday Night Football FOX SPORTS
JB Were Australian Masters Golf FOX SPORTS
Pardon The Interruption ESPN
Vancouver Olympic Winter Games FOXTEL
Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 FOXTEL

Most Outstanding Documentary
Who We Are Bio
Aussie Christmas Light The LifeStyle Channel
Tough Nuts – Australia’s Hardest Criminals (Ep 1) Crime & Investigation Network
Aussies Abroad ESPN
Australian Pirate Patrol National Geographic Channel

Most Outstanding News Program or Coverage
Wagga Wagga – Rain and Crop Ruin The Weather Channel
Queensland Disasters SKY NEWS
Election 2010 SKY NEWS
Christchurch Earthquake SKY NEWS

Most Outstanding Reality Program
Australia’s Next Top Model Series 6 FOX8
Dating In The Dark Australia FOX8
Deadliest Catch Season 6 Discovery Channel

Most Outstanding Lifestyle Program
Selling Houses Australia Series 3 The LifeStyle Channel
Grand Designs Australia The LifeStyle Channel
Matthew Hayden’s Home Ground The LifeStyle Channel

Most Outstanding Light Entertainment Program
B430 Season 2 Channel [V]
Australian Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2010 Nickelodeon

Most Outstanding Drama
Tangle Season 2 Showcase
Spirited W

Most Outstanding Use of Innovation in Programming
Socceroos in 3D FOX SPORTS
MAX House Party MAX
Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 FOXTEL
Vancouver Olympic Winter Games 2010 FOXTEL

TALENT
Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male
Don Hany Showcase
Matt King W
Rodger Corser W

Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female
Justine Clarke Showcase
Catherine McClements Showcase
Claudia Karvan W

Most Outstanding Performance by a Presenter
Brendon Julian FOX SPORTS
Peter Maddison The LifeStyle Channel
Andrew Winter The LifeStyle Channel
Danny Clayton Channel [V]
David Speers SKY NEWS

Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist
Magdalena Roze The Weather Channel
Kieran Gilbert SKY NEWS
Ashleigh Gillon SKY NEWS

Best New Talent
Peter Maddison The LifeStyle Channel
Billy Russell Channel [V]
Luke & Wyatt Nickelodeon
Tori Bailey The Disney Channel

Highlights of the night will are across Foxtel and Austar next week.

6 Responses

  1. Hi David – love your site, but Most Outstanding Lifestyle Program was in fact the excellent Grand Designs Australia on The LifeStyle Channel , not as listed here.

  2. Good on SHA. Love it.
    It’s Hot Property,Changing Rooms & Backyard Blitz all in one with the handsome
    Charlie Albone thrown in for good measure.

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