0/5

Sydney renews push to nab Logies

Current deal for Melbourne to host the Logies is about to expire.

There’s a new push for the Logie Awards to exit Melbourne after this month’s event and be staged in Sydney.

The Logies were first staged in Melbourne in 1959 and while networks and cities all used to change hands hosting, it’s been a Nine / Melbourne only event for decades -last in Sydney in 1986.

But staging the awards is multi-million dollar extravaganza for little reward other than glamour, ratings and a long weekend of hotel rooms, wardrobe, make-up, food & beverage, taxi, photographers, crew and waiting staff expenses.

The Herald Sun reports the current contract expires after this month’s event with Visit Victoria (previously Victorian Major Events Company) reconsidering its value for the public funding it attracts.

NSW opposition arts spokesman Walt Secord said, “It is time we showed Waleed Aly, Bert Newton and Eddie McGuire that the Logies belong in Sydney. Full stop.

“It is on. It is time we got aggressive and took back our rightful place as Australia’s global city.”

A Visit Victoria spokeswoman said “preliminary discussions were underway with all partners relating to future awards.”

Bauer Media and Nine reiterated Victoria was their first point of call.

It’s not the first time the awards have been the subject of speculation about a shift north, with both Sydney and the Gold Coast keen to lure TV’s night of nights in the past.

Meanwhile the Logies have announced US pop singer Andy Grammer will perform Fresh Eyes on April 23rd, joining James Blunt and Casey Donovan.

15 Responses

  1. So now the networks go cap in hand to the NSW government asking for taxpayer’s money to bring it to Sydney. If they succeed cost will not be disclosed and the benefits are minimal. Good on Victorian money for withdrawing funding though it is nothing compared to the $35 million/year it wastes on the Grand Prix, and over $300 million to date. Could build a lot of schools for that sort of dough.

  2. I remember it being held in Sydney years ago, at the State Theatre. The ARIA’s are held in Sydney so don’t see why the Logies can’t too. Where are the AACTA awards held? If Sydney they could use that venue. Melbourne’s held them for too long, time for a change.

  3. Melbourne or Sydney? Flip a coin because the Logies has become irrelevant. The only ones taking this seriously are those in attendance. The show itself has become too sanitized. The days of Bert Newton ad-libbing are long gone. Now if someone was to give Karl a few extra drinks and he turns up the next morning on “Today” a little worse for wear…than I’m in.

  4. I remember a time before fragmentation when the mass population used to watch these shows!
    Now your lucky to get 700,000, leaving around 23 million totally “out of the picture”.
    I wonder if it’s even commercially viable to have them anymore?

Leave a Reply