Logies 2024 winners: Larry Emdur takes Gold, Boy Swallows Universe and Utopia clean up

Larry Emdur was two for two at the Logie Awards, winning both the Gold Logie and the gong for Most Popular Presenter. It was the first time the veteran TV personality has ever been nominated.

Emdur was clearly a popular figure in the room, eliciting big claps and loud whoops whenever his name was called.

In a typically self-deprecating and humorous speech, The Morning Show and The Chase host said, “I love this business so much. I love being in TV, I love being on TV and I’ve never done anything else, and I’ve never wanted to do anything else.

“Whether it’s sitting on The Morning Show couch interviewing Lindy Klim who has invented a new product which is a face mask for vulvas or a 150kg truck driver who has won The Price is Right dry-humping me.”

So convinced he would go home empty-handed, Emdur had earlier in the week promised he would have the initials of his fellow nominees (Andy Lee, Robert Irwin, Julia Morris, Asher Keddie, Sonia Kruger and Tony Armstrong) tattooed on his derriere if he won.

The other big winner of the night was Netflix miniseries Boy Swallows Universe, which won five awards.

Felix Cameron, the 15-year-old breakout star of Boy Swallows Universe, won in both Popular New Talent and Lead Actor in a Drama. The first time he was onstage he became emotional as he made his way through his acceptance speech, choking up as he thanked his mum and dad.

The series also won for Miniseries, Supporting Actor for Bryan Brown and Supporting Actress for Sophie Wilde.

The series is set in the Brisbane suburbs, about a young boy with an addict mother and a family caught up in criminal activities. It was based on a best-selling book by Trent Dalton.

Dalton said while accepting the series win, “I just want to shout out to all the mums who were a bit like Frankie Bell and they’re out in the suburbs tonight and they’re feeling a bit lost in the darkness and I just want to tell you, please believe me when I say that when your children look at you in the darkness, all they see is your light.

“Keep shining. We see you, and I love each of these people up here and I love every person in this room right now.”

Rebecca Gibney became only the fourth woman in Logies’ history to be inducted into its hall of fame.

The New Zealand-born star of Halifax F.P., Packed to the Rafters and countless more shows was heralded in a package by the likes of Peter O’Brien, Deborra Lee Furness, Sigrid Thornton, Erik Thomson, Hugh Jackman, Georgie Parker, Michael Caton, Hugh Sheridan, Richard Roxburgh and Michala Banas.

She said in her speech, “If someone had told 16-year-old me who suffered crippling anxiety and severe body dysmorphia that one day I would be standing on the stage with this award, she wouldn’t have believed it.”

In paying tribute to her family, she added, “My mother overcame the most traumatic childhood and raised six children pretty much single-handedly and often under terrible circumstances.

“She taught us the most important thing in life is forgiveness, kindness and respect. That you can be anything you want in this world, make sure you treat people the way you wish to be treated.”

ABC comedy Utopia also cleaned up with three wins, for Scripted Comedy Series and in the lead acting categories in comedy for Rob Sitch and Kitty Flanagan.

Comedian Sam Pang hosted the awards for the second year running. He spared no one, from celebrities to the industry as a whole with his sharp zingers.

Right off the bat, Pang said of his hosting last year, “The Sydney Morning Herald said I delivered a stellar performance. The Herald Sun said I had a sensational monologue and charmed a nation. And Sky News said, “stop immigration, Asians are taking our jobs”.

In a ceremony that ran an hour overtime, Pang roasted everyone from Mark Taylor, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee to Ray Meagher, Chris Brown and Peter Costello.

Of The Block, he joked that he thought it was a show about “Scotty Cam’s arteries”, and “testicles” and “anus” on live TV, referencing divisive reality TV series Married at First Sight.

While commenting on the new judges on The Voice, he zinged, “Adam Lambert, you who’d know from Queen, and LeAnn Rimes, who you’d know from Googling, ‘Who is LeAnne Rimes?’.”

Even when accepting the Logie for Have You Been Paying Attention in the Comedy Entertainment Program category, Pang couldn’t help but poke fun at his friend and colleague Tom Gleisner.

He joked, “I know he’s had to battle off a lot of discussion about his about his declining cognitive abilities. But he’s never been sharper. Just backstage, he said to me, ‘How good is it to be at the ARIAs?’.”

Other highlights included entertainment royalty The Wiggles trying to lead a sing-a-along of Hot Potato as the crew presented the award for Best Children’s Program, which went to Australia’s most successful TV export, Bluey, after its surprise loss in a comparable category last year.

Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy performed a medley of John Farnham songs with his band in a salute to the legendary artist who has been beset by health issues. And Missy Higgins performed The Sound of White for the In Memorium segment.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Gold Logie – Most Popular Personality on Australian Television

Larry Emdur, The Morning Show and The Chase (Seven)

Most Popular Presenter

Larry Emdur, The Morning Show and The Chase (Seven)

Most Popular New Talent

Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe (Netflix)

Best Lead Actor in a Drama

Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe (Netflix)

Best Lead Actress in a Drama

Deborah Mailman, Total Control (ABC)

Best Lead Actor in a Comedy

Rob Sitch, Utopia (ABC)

Best Lead Actress in a Comedy

Kitty Flanagan, Utopia (ABC)

Best Supporting Actor

Bryan Brown, Boy Swallows Universe (Netflix)

Best Supporting Actress

Sophie Wilde, Boy Swallows Universe (Netflix)

Best News or Public Affairs Presenter

Ally Langdon, A Current Affair (Nine)

Best Drama Program

RFDS (Seven)

Best Miniseries or Telemovie

Boy Swallows Universe (Netflix)

Best Entertainment Program

The Voice Australia (Seven)

Best Current Affairs Program

Australian Story (ABC)

Best Scripted Comedy Program

Utopia (ABC)

Best Comedy Entertainment Program

Have You Been Paying Attention? (Ten)

Best Competition Reality Program

MasterChef Australia (Ten)

Best Structured Reality Program

Gogglebox Australia (Foxtel and Ten)

Best Lifestyle Program

Travel Guides (Nine)

Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report

Ben Roberts-Smith: The Truth, 60 Minutes (Nine)

Best Factual or Documentary Program

John Farnham: Finding the Voice (Seven)

Best Sports Coverage

FIFA Women’s World Cup (Seven)

Best Children’s Program

Bluey (ABC)