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2014 ASTRA Awards: winners

Selling Houses Australia, Wentworth, SKY News and Showcase were the big winners, and an all-singing Shaynna Blaze.

479978331MM008_12th_ASTRA_ASelling Houses Australia, Wentworth, SKY News and Showcase were amongst the big winners at last night’s 12the ASTRA Awards at Carriageworks.

Showcase won the top gong for the night, the Channel of the Year, presented by Days of our Lives stars Kristian Alfonso and Shawn Christian.

But it was the ever-popular Selling Houses Australia that walked away with the night, bagging Favourite Australian Program plus Favourite Australian Male and Female for Andrew Winter and Shaynna Blaze, respectively.

Drama debut Wentworth defeated Top of the Lake as Most Outstanding Drama and Nicole da Silva won Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor: Female. Peter Mulan from Top of the Lake won the Male equivalent.

The History Channel won the inaugural Channel Achievement Award as well as the award for Most Outstanding
Factual Program with The People Speak.

479978331MM011_12th_ASTRA_AThe evening included a tribute to Charlotte Dawson, presented by Jennifer Hawkings and Didier Cohen. Sarah Murdoch presented a posthumous award to her sisters, Vicky Dawson and Robin Barclay with a moving video tribute to here many years across both STV and Free to Air television.

The evening was hosted by Shaynna Blaze and Matt Shirvington who opened with Blaze singing up a storm -she impressed everybody in the room (who knew she could sing too?).

Amongst the presenters were Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Robbie Magasiva, Sam Moran, Danny Clayton, Marcia Hines, Israel Folau, Brendan Moar, David Speers, Matt Moran and Neil Oliver.

Lisa Wilkinson also remembered her early beginnings on Beauty and the Beast, recalling how she was nervous but Brian Walsh told her not to worry because “nobody was watching.”

Marty Smiley from Channel [V]’s The Riff spoke about some 300 shows produced last year.

“Just spare a thought for us. We have to do live coverage of Miley Cyrus twerking,” he said.

“You talk about it as if it’s not an important subject Marty, come on,” Danny Clayton interjected.

“It isn’t,” replied Smiley.

But it was Jennifer Hawkins who had the line of the night, after Real Housewives resident psychic Jackie Gillies tipped Australia’s Next Top Model to win an award. After winning Most Outstanding Reality Program, Hawkins commended her on her “psycho” skills.

At one stage guests were asked to trim their acceptance speeches after Fraser Stark from the History Channel thanked a long list of supporters.

479978331MM002_12th_ASTRA_APaul Murray served as backstage host, with several interviews appearing on the big screen during the show. He managed to get an insight into the Prime Minister’s via one of Tony Abbott’s daughters. While Margie Abbott is a bit a “remote hog” for LifeStyle property shows, both the PM and his wife are fans of Downton Abbey.

Musical performers included The McClymonts and Timomatic.

But once again it was the Candy Bar at the After Party that proved to be a big hit with guests.

Winners:

Most Outstanding Children’s Content
Disney Channel FanFest TV Special Event (Disney Channel)

Most Outstanding Music Program
The Riff (Channel [V])

Most Outstanding Sports Program
The DHL Australia 2013 Lions Tour (FOX SPORTS)

Most Outstanding Sports Entertainment Program
Open Mike (FOX FOOTY)

Most Outstanding Factual Program
THE PEOPLE SPEAK (HISTORY)

Most Outstanding News Program
Election 2013 (SKY NEWS National)

Most Outstanding Reality Program
Australia’s Next Top Model (FOX8)

Most Outstanding Lifestyle Program
Paddock to Plate (The LifeStyle Channel)

Most Outstanding General Entertainment Program
SLIMEFEST 2013 (Nickelodeon)

Most Outstanding Australian Drama
Wentworth (SoHo)

Most Outstanding Use of Innovation
Rugby (FOX SPORTS)

Most Outstanding Performance By An Actor – Male
Peter Mullan [Top of the Lake] (UKTV)

Most Outstanding Performance By An Actor – Female
Nicole da Silva [Wentworth] (SoHo)

Most Outstanding Performance By A Broadcast Journalist
David Speers [PM Agenda, The Nation, Election Coverage] (SKY NEWS National)

Most Outstanding New Talent
Kelli Underwood [Back Page LIVE and ANZ Championship] (FOX SPORTS)

Favourite Personality – Male
Andrew Winter [Selling Houses Australia] (The LifeStyle Channel)

Favourite Personality – Female
Shaynna Blaze [Selling Houses Australia] (The LifeStyle Channel)

Favourite Program – Australian
Selling Houses Australia (The LifeStyle Channel)

Favourite Program – International
Grand Designs UK (The LifeStyle Channel)

Favourite Program – International Drama
The Walking Dead (FX)

Honorary ASTRA Award
“To honour an exceptional contribution to the Subscription Television Industry”
Charlotte Dawson

Channel Achievement Award
HISTORY

Channel of the Year
showcase

11 Responses

  1. Ok. Well the only name on this page that I know is David Knox! So I’m nominating you for an award! I’ve had better holidays every year since with the money saved after cancelling when Optus threw in the towel!
    Still good that you can include this content in the site David.

  2. Wentworth was obviously going to win Australian Drama. Firstly its Australian, it is more recent and was much more popular. Top Of The Lake was a niche drama shot in NZ with an American star (doing a bad accent).

    And Game of Thrones couldn’t win because Foxtel puts it in the movie package reducing its audience.

  3. Shaynna trained as a singer and has decent pipes.
    She’s come a long way from her dodgy audition tape for Selling Houses 8 or 9 years ago.
    I remain amazed at the giddy heights to which she has ascended.

  4. Either Top of the Lake was ripped off or Wentworth should’ve been nominated for a Golden Globe/Emmy……

    Terrible decision overlooking Elisabeth Moss.

    I expect the ‘organisers’ decided it wouldn’t look good to not have either Most Outstanding Male and Female attend…..so they gave it to da Silva…. she was always going to turn up.

    1. I was on the record yesterday as saying I thought TOTL should get Outstanding Drama and Wentworth get Favourite Aussie Program. I like both but that was just how I saw it. Congrats to all winners.

  5. Most Outstanding New Talent
    Kelli Underwood [Back Page Live and ANZ Championship] (FOX SPORTS)

    How can she be a “new” talent after spending 10 years working at Channel 10?

    ….. and don’t get me started about her nasally grating voice

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