Premium drama channel showcase, home of Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and House of Cards, was named channel of the year at the 12th ASTRA Awards in Sydney on Thursday night.
FremantleMedia’s Wentworth (Soho) was feted as most outstanding Australian drama and Nicole da Silva, who plays Franky Doyle, took the award for most outstanding performance by a female actor.
Peter Mullan of See-Saw Films' Top of the Lake (UKTV) was judged most outstanding performance by a male actor.
Charlotte Dawson was honoured posthumously for an “exceptional contribution” to the subscription TV industry. Dawson was a judge for seven years on Australia’s Next Top Model.
The award was accepted by her sisters, Vicky Dawson and Robin Barclay, and presented by former Next Top Model host Sarah Murdoch, who spoke of Charlotte's “generosity of spirit” and said “her heart was always in the right place."
"Charlotte would never miss an ASTRA Awards ceremony,” said ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden. “She was a true friend of subscription television, so it is fitting that the industry should honour her memory in this way.”
ITV Studios Australia’s Paddock to Plate (The LifeStyle Channel) was most outstanding lifestyle program and FremantleMedia’s Australia’s Next Top Model (Fox8) most outstanding reality show.
Fox Sports was lauded for most outstanding use of innovation for Ref Cam, most outstanding new talent for Kelli Underwood and most outstanding sports program for The DHL Australia 2013 Lions Tour. Most outstanding sports entertainment program was Fox Footy’s Open Mike.
History received ASTRA’s new channel achievement award as well as the award for most outstanding factual program for WTFN's The People Speak.
There were 23 awards presented, with four of the five subscriber-voted awards going to The Lifestyle Channel. More than 90 finalists contested the awards, representing 25 subscription television channels.
The awards were staged for the first time at Sydney’s Carriageworks, with highlights screened on Foxtel channels during the evening.
The 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