“Scrap the Logies” says RocKwiz host
EXCLUSIVE: RocKwiz host Julia Zemiro will decline a Logies invitation, claiming nobody takes the event seriously and it should be replaced with AFI TV Awards.
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EXCLUSIVE: RocKwiz host Julia Zemiro has declined a Logies invitation, dismissing the event and calling for a new form of television awards.
Zemiro, who hosted the AFI Awards last year, says the industry doesn’t take the Logie Awards seriously anymore.
“I just don’t see the point in going,” she told TV Tonight. “No-one seems to take it seriously. After hosting the AFIs last year I thought, ‘Yeah awards…. that’s weird isn’t it?’ I had one of those epiphanies on the side of stage. How can you say this actor was better that actor in a film?
“With the Logies people go, they make fun of it, they take the piss out of it when they are onstage. So then you wonder why are we here?” she said.
“If people took it seriously fine, but when they bring in international guests and say to them, ‘Make fun of it by all means’, you kind of look around and go, ‘Then why are we all standing here all dressed up if it doesn’t actually mean anything?'”
While she agreed having Bert Newton as a solo host was a redeeming feature and a much better idea than a parade of hosts, she admitted that otherwise the night isn’t any fun.
“There’s never any good entertainment, apart from the fact Bert Newton is hosting –that’s something I would enjoy seeing. The best thing about last year was Annie Lennox (singing) and I literally was in a cab at midnight.”
Zemiro also dismissed the event as a day of work, not socialising. Having been criss-crossing the country on a RocKwiz live tour she would prefer to take a day off, relaxing with friends.
“You turn up at one clock for a three hour hair and make-up and dress and all the rest of it. RocKwiz is never nominated, we’re not presenting anything, so I declined,” she said.
Her suggestion to revamp the night follows other industry calls for a sit-down theatre event with a more serious tone. But with the might of TV Week magazine behind it, not many personalities will go on the record to criticise the event.
“I think they should scrap the Logies and have AFI TV and AFI Film. And just separate it. Have AFI TV Awards in April, AFI Film Awards in November or December and be done with it, because there’s too many awards,” she said.
“So have a great time, but I won’t be there.”
The TV Week Logie Awards will air on Nine at 7:30pm this Sunday.
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- Tagged with AFI Awards, Logie Awards, RocKwiz
51 Responses
Funny , another famous Australian actor refused to attend the Logies for the same reason.
Graham Kennedy , after winning a Logie never attended another one, saying how coudl it be fair when in order to vote you had to buy a magazine. So all votes depened on sales of a magazine, Not a real showing of popular appeal.
Maybe Julia is following in great footsteps. Hope the Industry finally listens
@ Vinnie – TV Week is published by ACP part of PBL who also own Channel 9, so perhaps you meant to say ‘The Nine Network Weekly’
@ Kevin – US TV Guide used to be massive selling with a circulation of almost 20 million copies a week, today it’s lucky to sell 2.4 million and was sold as a loss making magazine in 2008 for $1
Meanwhile Julia for PM!
the logies means nothing, oh so ur liked by 13 year old girls, shes so right, this makes me love her way more, shes so right id love an afi tv awards show with awards for guest actors and best writing and directing! i love that idea
Dick,
Re “Sounds like a bunch of un-thought out, ‘controversial’ blatherings designed to get press for her (whoever she is) and the TV show she hosts (whatever that is).”
The program is Rockwiz, but I guess you only watch commercial mainstream crap don’t you. I’m guessing that you think Tracy Grimshaw is a serious journalist as well.
I agree with Julia. The Logies used to be serious, but then they opened up voting to the public, which is a ridiculous decision because hardly anyone, myself included, knows anything about the industry – who can we be fair judges? It’s simply a night of popular vote, which is all well and good, but it can sometimes leave talent out of the question. The AFI’s are a more respected format and so yes, I agree that they should be the principal award show.
I can tell you that suggestions her remarks were designed to get press are incorrect. Not everything in the media starts with a Press Release, including this one…
It’s also significant for an AFI host to question the Logies.
As comments here would indicate, there is clearly division on whether the Logies best represents our industry and there’s nothing wrong with healthy debate.
That’s laughable the only reason you don’t like them Julia is you have never won a logie and never will.The Logies are a great program,with more often than not the winners tend to be very popular programs that grab the awards,which works out to be very fair in the end.I will look forward to it this week But with freeview a sponser that should not be allowed
Completely agree with every word. And Julia is an under-estimated TV treasure.
Wha? First she says that she doesn’t understand the awards concept in general….’I thought, ‘Yeah awards…. that’s weird isn’t it?’ I had one of those epiphanies on the side of stage. How can you say this actor was better that actor in a film?’
Then she says, ok awards shows are fine, but they need to be treated seriously.
Which one?
Sounds like a bunch of un-thought out, ‘controversial’ blatherings designed to get press for her (whoever she is) and the TV show she hosts (whatever that is).
Australia has a film industry?
The Logies is a bogan fest. It’s voted-for by people who read (read?) TV Week… maybe they find the Telegraph too cerebral. That it’s the main awards for TV is a joke and an embarassment. The only entertainment is the roving mike catching people drunk and dribbling.
Totally agree; The Logies and its parent magazine “The Seven Network Weekly”, sorry, “The Home & Away Telegraph” have a certain bias… oh did I just say that? How cynical of me!
of course what is the point of having an AFI-style TV awards when our networks consider shows like 20 To 1, Today Tonight, Funniest Home Videos and Border Racism (I mean, Border Security) and their various copycat shows as the pinnacle of TV excellence.
I agree with Julia, bring on the elitism and start awarding good shows not just the crap that joe average watches.
What would all of the gibbons in the publicity departments at the networks do if they didn’t have these popularity based votes to spend their time voting for? Think of the unemployment that would be caused!
She is right in one respect. Its hard to take awards seriously when the bulk are voted on by teenage girls, or older women with teenage brains.
the fact that the logies aren’t very serious is the appeal to me.
if the logies were a full on formal event and everyone was totally serious, i wouldn’t watch them, how boring would that be?
on the subect of logies, and has anyone had a look on the tv week website lately?
it’s like they haven’t updated it for years.
i was googling for stuff about the logies, and the best i could fid was a tv week page about 2006 online voting, which (suprise suprise) had already closed (like 4 years ago)
Only one thing I want Julia to say home from,and that’s Eurovision.As for the Logies…..spare me from even thinking of the woffle.
Oh Julia! I’ve just fell in love with you even more!
I’d like to vote for her, not to commentate on the Eurovision SBS telecast. Please give us Graham Norton instead.
The Logies are a total joke, but the problem is, unlike the massive selling TV Guide print mag in the US (that many people even collect), a fairly poor selling print magazine like TV Week (that Packer paid a ridiculous 60 million for) pretty much only exists for the Logies and its current owners wouldn’t want to take that loss.
They are what they are. If you are looking for deep and meaningful you won’t find it at the Logies or the AFI or the Arias. Award shows mean nothing because everyone has a different opinion. Fair enough Julia is not interested and won’t be going but good luck waiting for something better.
“RocKwiz is never nominated”
Sounds like sourgrapes to me. The Logies have Always been about fun….
Getting together one night a year with your peers celebrating your industry is what it’s all about. The fact that it is broadcast to us for ratings is part of the business.
For a comedienne who relies on the public to maintain Some level of fame to decline an offer to attend an awards show, looks to me, like she’s biting the hand that feeds her. Some of us mere mortals look forward to seeing our entertainers attending such events, away from just the usual shows they present.
You chose to be in the entertainment industry. Entertain.
Good idea but it would be best to make voting for the popular awards to those that actually watch tv and not those who only watch Home and Away and Packed to The Rafters. The logies should allow nominees for those who were on tv, the previous year and not kick out some great personalities like Ryan Moloney for example. Was disappointing to see the likes of Underbelly, Rush, Sea Patrol and Rescue:special ops missing out of nominations when these shows are worhty of an award.
Thank god for the outstanding awards where the voters actually watch tv.
The Logies are no better than the Emmy’s in the US, meaningless and outdated!
Good on Julia for taking a stand for all the good shows over looked each year.