Behind every Hard Knocks hero…

Choirmaster Jonathan Welch, from The Choir of Hard Knocks, has been named the ‘Local Hero’ for 2008.

The award named as part of the Australian of the Year ceremony caps off an extraordinary year for Welch, whose choir of the disparate and disadvantaged sang from the streets of Melbourne to the Sydney Opera House.

They even won an ARIA Award.

Welch was inspirational in leading and motivating the members of his choir, but the idea for the local show belongs to another man, best associated with another show from television.

Former D Generation comic Jason Stephens was the creator and producer of The Choir of Hard Knocks. He is a Director of Development for Fremantlemedia, and was producer of the award-winning film, The King.

Stephens is currently working on Newstopia for SBS.