2015 ASTRA Awards: Winners announced
SKY NEWS is Channel of the Year
SKY NEWS has been named Channel of the Year at the 2015 ASTRA Awards for subscription television in Sydney tonight.
It is the second time the news channel has secured the coveted title, having won it previously in 2006.
“In selecting SKY NEWS as Channel of the Year, our independent judging panel noted that SKY NEWS has become the benchmark for political news coverage, becoming the first and most trusted source of political news and analysis in Australia,” ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden said.
The Channel of the Year Award was one of 19 awards presented during the largest-ever ASTRA Awards ceremony, staged at The Star in Pyrmont and marking 20 years of subscription television.
SKY NEWS won three other 2015 ASTRA Awards, for Most Outstanding News Program (Paul Murray LIVE), Most Outstanding Presenter – Male (Paul Murray) and Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist (David Speers). It is David Speers’ eighth ASTRA Award: the most ASTRA Awards to have been won by an individual. His awards have been in the categories Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist (2015, 2014, 2012, 2009) and Most Outstanding Performance by a Presenter (2011, 2008, 2007 and 2006). Although he has been nominated before, it is the first time Paul Murray has taken out the honours.
Foxtel’s Executive Director of Television, Brian Walsh, was the recipient of a new special award: the Industry Contribution Award.
“Brian is a distinguished leader in the Australian television industry, responsible for launching the careers of many of Australia’s best-known and most successful personalities. Fittingly, this recognition comes as the industry celebrates 20 years of achievement in 2015,” Andrew Maiden said.
Entertainment channel Arena won the Channel Achievement Award.
“Arena has become an enormously popular channel and is a worthy recipient of the Channel Achievement Award, due to the success of shows like the local series, Real Housewives of Melbourne,” Mr Maiden said.
Nominees representing more than 30 Australian subscription television channels were shortlisted as finalists for the 2015 ASTRA Awards.
Drama winners included Wentworth on SoHo, which took out Most Outstanding Drama – Australian, with the prison series’ Danielle Cormack receiving the award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female. Andrew McFarlane won the ASTRA Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male for his work in Devil’s Playground on showcase, with showcase stablemate Game of Thrones winning Most Outstanding Drama – International.
Sports winners included FOX SPORTS’ Kelli Underwood, who took out the ASTRA Award for Most Outstanding Presenter – Female, for her work on programs including Back Page LIVE and Breaking Ground. Most Outstanding Sports Program was FOX FOOTY’s Jeep Saturday LIVE on FOX, while season one of FOX8’s The Recruit won the award for Most Outstanding Reality Program.
Chef and restaurateur Matt Moran’s food odyssey, Paddock to Plate, on The LifeStyle Channel, won its second consecutive ASTRA Award for Most Outstanding Lifestyle Program. The first season of the show won the category last year, with the second season winning this year.
Phyllis Foundis, the creator and host of the men’s chat show Foundis, was named Most Outstanding New Talent. Phyllis Foundis crowd-funded the first season of her show, broadcast on community channel, Aurora.
“It’s a massive achievement, as this is the first year Aurora – which has been running for 10 years – has ever been nominated for an ASTRA Award,” Mr Maiden said.
“ASTRA congratulates our worthy winners and thanks them for their stellar contributions to Australian subscription television,” he said. “They’re making great TV for appreciative audiences around the country.”
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female
Danielle Cormack (Wentworth, season 2: SoHo)
Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male
Andrew McFarlane (Devil’s Playground: showcase)
Most Outstanding Presenter – Female
Kelli Underwood (Back Page LIVE, Breaking Ground: FOX SPORTS)
Most Outstanding Presenter – Male
Paul Murray (Paul Murray LIVE: SKY NEWS)
Most Outstanding New Talent
Phyllis Foundis (Foundis: Aurora)
Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist
David Speers (PM Agenda, The Nation: SKY NEWS)
PROGRAM AWARDS
Most Outstanding Drama – Australian
Wentworth (season 2: SoHo)
Most Outstanding Drama – International
Game of Thrones (season 4: showcase)
Most Outstanding Children’s Program
Monster Beach (Cartoon Network)
Most Outstanding Music Program
SLIMEFEST (Nickelodeon)
Most Outstanding Sports Program
Jeep Saturday LIVE on FOX (FOX FOOTY)
Most Outstanding News Program
Paul Murray LIVE (Paul Murray: SKY NEWS)
Most Outstanding Reality Program
The Recruit (season 1: FOX8)
Most Outstanding Factual Program
Hillsborough (ESPN)
Most Outstanding Lifestyle Program
Paddock to Plate (Matt Moran; season 2: The LifeStyle Channel)
Most Outstanding General Entertainment Program
Top Gear (BBC Knowledge)
CHANNEL AND INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Industry Contribution Award
Brian Walsh
Channel Achievement Award
Arena
Channel of the Year
SKY NEWS
#ASTRAs
About the ASTRA Awards
The annual ASTRA Awards reward the creativity, diversity and quality of Australian subscription television. Nineteen awards honour the industry’s most outstanding programs, presenters, actors and journalists. Follow us on Twitter at @astraawards and on Facebook at fb.com/astraawards. For more information visit www.astra.org.au/awards
About ASTRA
ASTRA is the peak body representing more than 30 organisations including subscription media platforms, channels, suppliers and technology companies. ASTRA members broadcast and stream content to one in three Australians, invest more than $600 million in local content, add nearly $1.9 billion to the economy and create jobs for 6600 Australians. For more information visit www.astra.org.au.
For media enquiries about the ASTRA Awards, please contact eckfactor:
astraawards@eckfactor.com (02) 8570 5555, 0438 532 569 www.eckfactor.com
