Logies 2011: Katy Perry Adds Firework To Night Of Surprises, by Eva Rinaldi

The Australian entertainment industries night of nights was certainly glamorous by Australian standards and delivered strongly in surprises and audience delight.

There were a ton of surprises and its safe to say that the organisers, including the Nine Network, got it right this year.

An emotional and gracious Karl Stefanovic, who won the Gold Logie, paid tribute to his wife Cass for "giving up a promising TV career of her own with the ABC to let me do this and look after our three beautiful kids."

The capacity crowd loved Karl's affectionate words for Network Nine boss David Gyngell -"He's probably at home, in his Homer Simpson undies, scratching himself or whatever he does, but mate, I love you as a boss and more importantly as a friend."

He also remembered his family saying he thanked his "mum for her beautiful soul" and his dad "for your male-pattern baldness, big guy."

The popular TV presenter - journalist disclosed that his mentor was Laurie Oakes: "The reason I am in this business and want to be for the rest of my life."

He had originally promised to stick to soda water, however he left stage with "I'm going to the bar."

Stefanovic threw into his entertaining speech that added he did not believe half of Australia would know who he was "if he wasn't pole-axed on Grey Goose vodka".

"I thought it was career-ending...but I survived it", he said.

"So yes I will probably have two dozen champagnes, a few vodkas and what not, but I will be right for the show in the morning."

On the success on the Today Show he shared: "We're risking things but we're both more confident...I've never been more confident in front of the camera, and I don't want that to sound arrogant, but that comes with the miles I've had on air."

A ton of actors, actresses and presenters made their way to the podium before Stefanovic at Melbourne's Crown Casino looking a bit bewildered as they grasped their viewer-SMS-voted Most Popular awards.

'Our Karl', the Channel 9 Today host and sometimes 60 Minutes reporter who ran away with the Gold Logie from Packed To The Rafters duo Rebecca Gibney and Jessica Marais, who I understand were hot favourites.

The popular awards had the room talking. Asher Keddie of Ten's Offspring, bested Seven's Packed To The Rafters dynamos Gibney and Marais as Most Popular Actress. Another surprise of the TV Week sponsored event was Chrissie Swan of Channel Ten's morning chat show The Circle. She was voted Most Popular New Female Talent...ahead of prime-time personalities Emma Booth, Julie Goodwin, Poh Ling Yeow and Hannah Marshall.

Ten's MasterChef, one of the highest-rating series in Australian television, was nominated for just one award - Most Popular Reality Program - which it won.

Stefanovic also won Most Popular Presenter ahead of Hamish Blake, Adam Hills, Shaun Micallef and Swan.

Underbelly: The Golden Mile's Firass Dirani won Most Popular New Talent, however his show was beaten by Packed To The Rafters as the viewers' favourite drama.

Channel Nine got more acholades with Underbelly being judged Most Outstanding Drama, while the Most Outstanding Actor and Actress went to Richard Roxburgh (Rake, ABC) and Claire van der Boom (Sisters Of War, ABC).

News media commentators, celebrities and the general public agreed that the strong line up of performing artists, headlined by Katy Perry, made this years Logies one of the best ever.

Stay tuned right here for some exclusive photos and multimedia.

NOMINEES AND WINNERS LIST

TV WEEK GOLD LOGIE – Most Popular Personality on TV

Adam Hills (Spicks And Specks, ABC 1) Asher Keddie (Offspring, Network Ten) Chrissie Swan (The Circle, Network Ten) Jessica Marais (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) WINNER Karl Stefanovic (Today, Network Nine) Rebecca Gibney (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven)

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Popular Actor

Callan Mulvey (Rush, Network Ten) Don Hany (Offspring, Network Ten / Tangle, Foxtel) Erik Thomson (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) WINNER - Hugh Sheridan (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Michael Caton (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven)

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Popular Actress

WINNER - Asher Keddie (Offspring, Network Ten) Jessica Marais (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Margot Robbie (Neighbours, Network Ten) Rebecca Gibney (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Zoe Ventoura (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven)

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Popular Presenter

Adam Hills (Spicks And Specks, ABC1) Chrissie Swan (The Circle, Network Ten) Hamish Blake (Hamish & Andy 'Specials', Network Ten) WINNER - Karl Stefanovic (Today, Nine Network) Shaun Micallef (Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation, Network Ten)

MOST POPULAR NEW MALE TALENT

Charles Cottier (Home And Away, Channel Seven) Eddie Perfect (Offspring, Network Ten) WINNER - Firass Dirani (Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Nine Network) Manu Feildel (My Kitchen Rules, Channel Seven) Ryan Corr (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven)

MOST POPULAR NEW FEMALE TALENT

WINNER - Chrissie Swan (The Circle, Network Ten) Emma Booth (Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Nine Network) Hannah Marshall (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Julie Goodwin (Home Cooked! With Julie Goodwin, Nine Network) Poh Ling Yeow (Poh’s Kitchen, ABC1)

MOST POPULAR DRAMA SERIES

Home And Away (Channel Seven) Neighbours (Network Ten) Offspring (Network Ten) WINNER - Packed To The Rafters (Channel Seven) Rush (Network Ten) Underbelly: The Golden Mile (Nine Network)

MOST POPULAR LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM

Good News Week (Network Ten) Hey Hey It's Saturday (Nine Network) Sunrise (Channel Seven) Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation (Network Ten) WINNER - The Circle (Network Ten)

MOST POPULAR LIFESTYLE PROGRAM

WINNER - Better Homes And Gardens (Channel Seven) Domestic Blitz (Nine Network) Getaway (Nine Network) Grand Designs Australia (Foxtel) Ready Steady Cook (Network Ten)

MOST POPULAR SPORTS PROGRAM

Before The Game (Network Ten and ONE HD) WINNER - The Footy Show (AFL) (Nine Network) The Footy Show (NRL) (Nine Network) The Matty Johns Show (Channel Seven) Wide World Of Sports (Nine Network)

MOST POPULAR REALITY PROGRAM

Dancing With The Stars (Channel Seven) WINNER - MasterChef Australia (Network Ten) The Biggest Loser Australia (Network Ten) The Farmer Wants A Wife (Nine Network) The X Factor (Channel Seven)

MOST POPULAR FACTUAL PROGRAM

WINNER - Bondi Rescue (Network Ten) Bondi Vet (Network Ten) RPA (Nine Network) Undercover Boss Australia (Network Ten)

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie

Hawke (Network Ten) Packed To The Rafters (Channel Seven) Rake (ABC1) Rush (Network Ten) Sisters Of War (ABC1) WINNER - Underbelly: The Golden Mile (Nine Network)

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Outstanding Actor

Erik Thomson (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Hugh Sheridan (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Jason Gann (Wilfred, SBS) Richard Roxburgh (Hawke, Network Ten) WINNER - Richard Roxburgh (Rake, ABC1)

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Outstanding Actress

Asher Keddie (Offspring, Network Ten) Catherine McClements (Rush, Network Ten) WINNER - Claire van der Boom (Sisters Of War, ABC1) Justine Clarke (Tangle, Foxtel [Showcase]) Kat Stewart (Offspring, Network Ten)

GRAHAM KENNEDY AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING NEW TALENT

Emma Booth (Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Nine Network) WINNER - Firass Dirani (Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Nine Network) Richard Davies (Offspring, Network Ten) Ryan Corr (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Sarah Snook (Sisters Of War, ABC1)

MOST OUTSTANDING NEWS COVERAGE

“Afghanistan Rocket Attack” (Ten News) “Election 2010” (Sky News) “Laurie Oakes Election Leaks” (Nine News) WINNER - “New Zealand Mine Disaster” (Seven News) “Pakistan Floods” (ABC News)

MOST OUTSTANDING PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORT

“Brothers In Arms” (Sunday Night, Channel Seven) “Hey Dad..! Scandal” (A Current Affair, Nine Network) “Iraq’s Deadly Legacy” (Dateline, SBS) WINNER - “Smugglers' Paradise” (Four Corners, ABC1) “The Condemned” (Dateline, SBS)

MOST OUTSTANDING LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM

Hamish & Andy’s Caravan of Courage: Great Britain & Ireland (Network Ten) Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam (SBS) WINNER - Spicks And Specks (ABC1) Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation (Network Ten) Yes We Canberra (ABC1)

MOST OUTSTANDING SPORTS COVERAGE

2010 AFL Grand Final (Channel Seven) 2010 Melbourne Cup (Channel Seven) Rugby League - 2010 State Of Origin (Game One) (Nine Network) WINNER - The Ashes 2010 First Test - Day One at the Gabba (Nine Network) XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi (Foxtel)

MOST OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

Camp Orange: Castle Mountain (Foxtel [Nickelodeon]) WINNER - Dance Academy (ABC3) Dead Gorgeous (ABC3) Hi-5 (Nine Network) Prank Patrol (ABC3)

MOST OUTSTANDING FACTUAL PROGRAM

Bondi Rescue (Network Ten) Miracle in the Storm (ABC1) RPA (Nine Network) Such Is Life: The Troubled Times Of Ben Cousins (Channel Seven) WINNER - Trishna & Krishna: The Quest For Separate Lives (Channel Seven)

Logies Notes

Performing artist Katy Perry promised a Logies explosive firework opening to the Logies and she delivered

Logies 2001 was more glamorous than ever before

Longest red carpet in the event's history (80m)

Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Jesse J all performed

Rebecca Judd, expecting, showed off her tummy on the Logies' red carpet

Rebecca Gibney had been favourite to take home the coveted Gold Logie.

Shane Jacobsen (Kenny fame) was a photographers favorite for the night, putting on all sorts of antics to keep the press pack amused.

Katy Perry was the most photographed star on the red carpet, to little surprise

Crown Casino is understood to have possibly done record business in gaming and at its restaurants and bars, as a positive flow on effect from from the event

Stefanovic is Nine's first Gold Logie winner since Ray Martin won his fifth and final award in 1996. In voting him television's most popular personality, the public has ended a five-year stranglehold on gold for the Seven network. Websites

TV Week

Crown Casino

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