On Monday, if you listened closely, you could hear the screams from the Seven Network, closely followed by sound of former Sunrise host David Koch furiously typing, as he vented his rage at what he considered to be Sunrise’s snub in the Logie nominations.
“So let me get this straight,” he wrote on Instagram. “Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter nominees for this year’s Logies contains both TODAY hosts but neither Sunrise hosts. A couple of facts you may have missed; Sunrise has won every single day this year. Sunrise is averaging 424,000 viewers daily (+4% you) while Today is averaging 308,000 (-3% yoy). This has been going on for years. If you ever complain you’re seen as a bad sport. But now I’m out of it I can say @tvweeklogiesawards @tvweekmag honestly WTF?”
I’m not here to defend the Logies – love them or hate them, they are the only awards solely dedicated to the Australian TV industry – but if you are going to complain, at least get your facts straight.
The Logies are a popularity contest. Ratings have very little to do with nominations, as they were removed as part of the voting requirement this year in an attempt to create a fairer playing field for the broadcasters with a smaller audience and for streamers who were unable or unwilling to supply audience data. Judges, who are made up of industry experts, were instead asked to consider the nominees on selection criteria and “audience engagement”, which is not based on data, more of a vibe.
That change has worked, as across the “best” categories, there is now a broader selection of shows and new faces nominated across all streamers and broadcasters. SBS, which traditionally has the smallest free-to-air audience, saw its nominations increase, from two in 2025, to eight this year.
Another example is Network 10. Like SBS, they have one of the smaller free-to-air audiences, but they scored 11 nominations, including four Gold Logie nods (Poh Ling Yeow, Robert Irwin, Julia Morris and Sam Pang). Again, the answer is simple: audience connection.
We’ve followed Yeow since she first appeared as a contestant on MasterChef Australia 18 years ago; Morris has been on screen since she was 17, and has been the face of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! for 12 years. Irwin needs no explanation, while Pang’s everyman schtick has been working at Seven, Ten and SBS for years (he even cracked the ABC this year).
Importantly, they are also family-friendly faces. They appeal to all ages (my nine-year-old knows who they all are), much like their fellow Gold Logie nominees Lisa Millar (ABC darling, friend of the regions) and Todd Woodbridge (that nice young man on the telly).
So, just because Sunrise is winning the ratings, doesn’t mean it’s considered the “best”. Sure, people are watching, but are they invested enough to vote? Are the presenters just doing their job, or do they have a broader story to tell that will engage viewers and voters?
If we were using Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo – who were also nominated in the categories Koch complained about – as an example, you have two hosts with a story to tell. Stefanovic’s problematic shift to the right, and his presence across TV, radio and podcasts, has obviously engaged a new audience; while Abo’s fertility struggles and pregnancy announcement earlier this year is a feel-good story that resonates.
Looking at the other nominees in that category, you have two ABC journalists (Sarah Ferguson and David Speers, both terrifyingly good at their jobs), 7News presenter Michael Usher (broad appeal, competed on Dancing with the Stars) and A Current Affair host Ally Langdon (won the Ray Martin award last year, and is a two-time Gold Logie nominee).
It is understood that Sunrise host Natalie Barr, who has worked on the show for 23 years, was put forward by Seven for both Gold Logie and most popular presenter categories. That she didn’t make it to the nominee stage is more of a reflection on how Seven manages its talent than the Logies itself.
Is it fair to blame the Logies? No. Are the Logies broken? Yes, a little bit. All award shows are. By merging the “popular” and “outstanding” categories in 2024 into one “best” category – which is a 50/50 vote split between industry and audience – the Logies created, well, a voting schemozzle.
So, if Seven are miffed by their Logies snubs, maybe they need to look closer to home. Who do they have that appeals to everyone? Who has a story to tell? Are they investing in new talent? Or are they just employing former English cricket captains to be a meme machine in their Ashes commentary box?
Ironically, the one person they do have who has broad appeal is on Sunrise; weatherman Sam Mac. He was nominated for a Gold Logie in 2019, and campaigned energetically, but hasn’t been nominated again. It could be a coincidence, or it could be hierarchy or the ego of his co-stars. Who knows!
What I do know is that Koch and Seven are being bad sports. Sunrise were so miffed they missed out on a nomination, they didn’t even cover the Logies announcement on Monday morning, while Koch, along with his then Sunrise co-star Samantha Armytage, boycotted the awards in 2016 because they were in a huff about being “snubbed” then.
It will be a bit more difficult for Seven’s stars to avoid the awards this year, especially as they are the host broadcaster. Instead, they could take it as a good opportunity to reconnect with their audience and promote (or find) their new talent. Because that, after all, is what the Logies should be about: celebrating our local industry, which is full of great people making extraordinary shows that are being noticed around the world. And if you can’t get behind that, then maybe you should stay at home.
The 66th TV Week Logie Awards will be broadcast on Sunday, August 16, on Seven.
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Louise Rugendyke is the National TV editor and a senior culture writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
