Press release from MEAA
A drama about the trials and tribulations of a brilliant but self-destructive barrister and an offbeat comedy about lives of those who work at a suburban library have taken out the inaugural Equity Awards.
The performers who star in Rake and The Librarians were selected – via secret ballot of Actors Equity members – as the winners of the Equity Awards for outstanding performances in an Australian drama and comedy program.
“These were very popular winners,” said Equity president, Simon Burke. “The quality of performances demonstrates the extraordinary depth of talent that exists in the Australian TV scene.”
The cast of critically-acclaimed ABC drama Rake – Kate Box, Caroline Brazier, Richard Carter, Danielle Cormack, Matt Day, Russell Dykstra, Keegan Joyce, Steve Le Marquand, Geoff Morrell, Adrienne Pickering and Richard Roxburgh – will be honoured with the Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Award.
The stars of comedy hit The Librarians – Heidi Arena, Stephen Ballantyne, Keith Brockett, Robyn Butler, Victoria Eagger, Bob Franklin, Justin Hamilton, Roz Hammond, Fiona Harris, Wayne Hope, Tony Moclair, Nicole Nabout – will receive Equity’s Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Award.
“The Equity Awards celebrate outstanding performances by an ensemble of actors. Rake and The Librarians are certainly two programs that worked so well due to the outstanding performances by the entire cast.” said Burke.
Nominations for the inaugural Equity Awards were open to all Australian performers. Winners were selected by members of Actors Equity Australia. In the drama category the cast of Rake was up against the casts of Bed of Roses, Offspring, Packed to the Rafters and Underbelly: The Golden Mile. The cast of The Librarians was nominated alongside Wilfred, Lowdown and Review with Myles Barlow.
The Equity Awards are the only peer-nominated awards for performers in the country.