Wentworth and Devil’s Playground have dominated in the 2015 ASTRA nominations, between them securing all nominations in the acting and Australian drama categories.
More than 30 Australian subscription channels have been shortlisted as finalists across the 17 ASTRA categories (finalists for Channel of the Year are announced separately).
This year, for the first time, a number of professionals from wider creative industries joined subscription television executives in the judging process.
The result is a diverse range of nominations (for instance, in the Most Outstanding Reality Program category, Aussie productions The Real Housewives of Melbourne is nominated up against Outback Coroner and AFL football show The Recruit, as well as US programs Deadliest Catch and Gold Rush) while, for the first time, community channel Aurora has earned its first ASTRA in its 20-year history.
“The finalists announced today represent the best content on Australian television,” ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden said in a statement released to media. “The inclusion of independent as well as industry judges has produced a wider range of nominees and seen the inclusion of lesser-known programs, which is bound to produce some surprises on the night.”
Winners will be announced at the ASTRA Awards ceremony on Thursday, March 12, to be held at The Star in Pyrmont.
See the full list of nominees below.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female
Celia Ireland (Wentworth, season 2: SoHo)
Nicole da Silva (Wentworth, season 2: SoHo)
Toni Collette (Devil’s Playground: showcase)
Pamela Rabe (Wentworth, season 2: SoHo)
Danielle Cormack (Wentworth, season 2: SoHo)
Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male
Aaron Jeffery (Wentworth, season 2: SoHo)
Andrew McFarlane (Devil’s Playground: showcase)
Don Hany (Devil’s Playground: showcase)
Simon Burke (Devil’s Playground: showcase)
Robbie Magasiva (Wentworth, season 2: SoHo)
Most Outstanding Presenter – Female
Naomi Sequeira (Hanging With Adam and Naomi: Disney Channel)
Nina Stevens (First Edition: SKY NEWS)
Shaynna Blaze (Selling Houses Australia: The LifeStyle Channel)
Tara Rushton (Sunday Shootout: FOX SPORTS)
Kelli Underwood (Back Page LIVE, Breaking Ground: FOX SPORTS)
Most Outstanding Presenter – Male
Danny Clayton (The Riff: Channel [V])
Paul Murray (Paul Murray LIVE: SKY NEWS)
Charlie Albone (Selling Houses Australia: The LifeStyle Channel)
Andrew Winter (Selling Houses Australia: The LifeStyle Channel)
Eddie McGuire (Ed and Derm’s Big Week In Footy: FOX FOOTY)
Most Outstanding New Talent
Morgan Evans (CMC)
Jarin Towney (Devil’s Playground: showcase)
Phyllis Foundis (Foundis: Aurora TV)
Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist
Kieran Gilbert (AM Agenda: SKY NEWS)
Celina Edmonds (SKY NEWS)
Ahron Young (SKY NEWS)
David Speers (PM Agenda, The Nation: SKY NEWS)
PROGRAM AWARDS
Most Outstanding Drama – Australian
Devil’s Playground (showcase)
Wentworth (season 2: SoHo)
Most Outstanding Drama – International
Game of Thrones (season 4: showcase)
Gracepoint (Universal Channel)
The Walking Dead (Channel FX)
The Honourable Woman (BBC First)
Peaky Blinders (BBC First)
Most Outstanding Children’s Program
Monster Beach (Cartoon Network)
Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)
Disney Cup International (Disney XD)
Camp Orange: Force 10 (Luke and Wyatt: Nickelodeon)
Most Outstanding Music Program
5 Seconds of Summer LI[V]E: Q & HEY! (5 Seconds of Summer, Billy Russell, Danny Clayton: [V] HITS)
The Molly Meldrum Story (Molly Meldrum: MAX)
SLIMEFEST (Nickelodeon)
Most Outstanding Sports Program
The Code – The Road To The Final (Adelaide Thunderbirds Netball Team: FOX SPORTS)
Jeep Saturday LIVE on FOX (FOX FOOTY)
NRL Super Saturday (FOX SPORTS)
Search4Hurt (ESPN)
Most Outstanding News Program
PM Agenda (David Speers: SKY NEWS National)
Richo + Jones (Graham Richardson, Alan Jones: SKY NEWS National)
Paul Murray LIVE (Paul Murray: SKY NEWS National)
News Stream (Kristie Lu Stout: CNN International)
Witness to Umbrella Movement (Kristie Lu Stout, Andrew Stevens, Ivan Watson, Will Ripley, Salma Mohsin, Paula Newton: CNN International)
Most Outstanding Reality Program
Gold Rush (Discovery Channel)
Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel)
Outback Coroner (crime + investigation)
The Recruit (season 1: FOX8)
The Real Housewives of Melbourne (season 1: Arena)
Most Outstanding Factual Program
The Memorial: Beyond The Anzac Legend (Neil Oliver: HISTORY)
Coast Australia (Neil Oliver: HISTORY)
Hillsborough (ESPN)
Louis Theroux: LA Stories (Louis Theroux: BBC Knowledge)
Most Outstanding Lifestyle Program
Paddock to Plate (Matt Moran: The LifeStyle Channel)
River Cottage Australia (Paul West: The LifeStyle Channel)
Grand Designs Australia (Peter Maddison: The LifeStyle Channel)
Selling Houses Australia (Andrew Winter, Shaynna Blaze, Charlie Albone: The LifeStyle Channel)
Most Outstanding General Entertainment Program
Oprah: Where are they now? (Oprah Winfrey: TLC)
Top Gear (BBC Knowledge)
Channel Achievement Award
SKY NEWS Business
SKY NEWS Weather
Arena
TVH!TS
MTV Networks Australia
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