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Belly full of glory

Underbelly dominated the television awards at the AFI's winning 6 of 7 awards. Chris Lilley was another big winner for Summer Heights High.

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Underbelly dominated the television winners at the 2008 AFI Awards last night, scooping 6 of 7 awards.

It won Best Drama, Direction and acting awards for Gyton Grantley, Kat Stewart, Damian Walshe-Howling and Madeleine West.

“It was our story, an Australian story, and it was fascinating,” said Best Lead Actor Gyton Grantley. “And we made it come alive and made it entertaining.”

Chris Lilley was the other big winner of the night winning Best Comedy and Best Performance in Comedy for Summer Heights High.

Lilley was also awarded the Byron Kennedy Award.

“I just want to thank the ABC for letting me make this show it was really fun, and for everybody who worked on it and helped me put it together,” he said.

East West 101 won Best Miniseries, Telemovie or Short Run Award (in a category unaired by the broadcast) while The Hollowmen snatched the Best Screenplay in Television prize from Underbelly.

Gallery: AFI Awards

15 Responses

  1. So I’ll be the only person in australia not to have seen Underbelly? Oh well. Even 6 AFIs can’t make me want to watch it. I just can’t summon any interest in watching bad guys shoot each other – be it true or not. Happy to see Hollowmen win and even Chris Lilley although I didn’t enjoy ‘High as much as We Can be Heroes I admire the fact he has a go at different things and isn’t afraid to be politically incorrect. Congrats also to The Black Balloon (although not TV a damned fine Aussie flic).

  2. yes brodie, packed was too late in the year. just like underbelly didn’t make the logies.

    i think knoxoverstreet is right, packed will dominate the popular awards just because people love it and it will be more recent. underbelly will probably dominate the outstandings because these AFIs show that bigwigs like it. but you never know, rafters is untested in outstanding types yet. and caton/gibney/thompson/mairas are very good actors/ess. the funny thing is; i thought underbellys strongest point was its script, but its seems to be the only thing the industry didn’t like. logies will be v interesting finaly with good competition.

    and i’ll have to disagree with some of you about steven curry. prior to this i liked him and was interested to see what kind of job he did here. i thought he was painful to watch. his gags about how bad aussie films are and how he wanted the show to end were quite innapropriate and unfunny he even said “c’mon guys” because no one was laughing. that may have been ok for the logies but for the awards that claim to be “the prestigious ones” i thought did not work. sorry steve

  3. Why didn’t Packed to the Rafters get nominated for an AFI, was it released to late or something. I agree it will probably clean up at the Logies next year

  6. oh i kind of wanted to smack curry after a while, though he was funny most of the time. I think it was his kennedy expressions that got me but still he’s got some talent that guy.

  8. AFI is Australian Film Institute and the Logies are just the awards from a PBL magazine.
    These awards are IMO more prestigious because they are chosen by those in the industry and not teenage girls who read TV Week.

  10. Benno, the AFIs are voted by members of the Australian Film Institute. The Logies are voted by the general public (most popular categories) and members of the TV industry (most outstanding categories).
    Congratulations to the winners. For those people who dislike the program, I wonder what they will feel now?

  13. Logies = popularity
    AFI = peer based

    There are, of course, some peer awards at the Logies, but the number of categories here are far more comprehensive, and the AFI’s also includes movies. The AFI’s are is the most prestigious film and television awards in the country.

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