Sam Pang wins 2026 TV WEEK Gold Logie as Logies celebrate 70 years of Australian TV – Sam Pang has won the 2026 TV WEEK Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Person on Australian Television, capping a major night for Australian television at the 66th TV WEEK Logie Awards.
The ceremony, held on Sunday, 16 August 2026, celebrated the best of Australian television across drama, comedy, reality, factual, news, sport and entertainment.
For TV Central readers, the 2026 Logies carried extra weight. The night was not only about the year’s biggest winners, but also about seven decades of Australian television history, with TV WEEK revealing its viewer-voted list of the 70 best Australian TV shows of all time.
Sam Pang Takes Gold
Pang’s Gold Logie win followed another strong year for the comedian and broadcaster, who remains one of the most recognisable names across Australian entertainment and panel television.
The Gold Logie was presented by Magda Szubanski, adding another memorable moment to a ceremony that also honoured past and present Australian screen favourites.
The night also saw Robert Irwin win the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter, while Lila McGuire won the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent for Goolagong.
Hall Of Fame And Tributes
A Country Practice was inducted into the TV WEEK Logie Awards Hall of Fame, joining Deborah Mailman and Andrew Denton as part of a milestone night for the industry.
The ceremony also paid tribute to Derryn Hinch, Johnny Young and Sam Neill, with Michael Usher, Dannii Minogue and Heather Mitchell leading the In Memoriam segment.
Neill was posthumously awarded Best Lead Actor in a Drama for The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer, one of the night’s most emotional results.
Peking Duk also performed during the ceremony, adding to the entertainment lineup for television’s night of nights.
Major Winners
- TV WEEK Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Person on Australian Television: Sam Pang.
- Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter: Robert Irwin, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10.
- Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent: Lila McGuire, Goolagong, ABC.
- Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter: Ally Langdon, A Current Affair, The Great Debate and Election 2025: Australia Decides, 9Network.
- Bruce McAvaney Award for Most Popular Sports Presenter: Jelena Dokic, 2026 Australian Open, 2025 Melbourne Cup, Wimbledon 2025, Roland Garros 2025, US Open 2025 and Cross Court 2025, 9Network.
2026 TV WEEK Logie Awards Winners
The full list of winners from the 2026 TV WEEK Logie Awards is below, with each winning nominee highlighted first.
Best Lead Actor In A Drama
Winner: Sam Neill – The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer, BINGE / FOXTEL. Other nominees: Asher Keddie, Strife, BINGE / FOXTEL; Bryan Brown, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Prime Video; Jacob Elordi, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Prime Video; Travis Fimmel, Territory, Netflix; and Xavier Samuel, Dear Life, Stan.
Best Lead Actress In A Drama
Winner: Brooke Satchwell – Dear Life, Stan. Other nominees: Anna Samson, Return to Paradise, ABC; Anya Taylor-Joy, Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix; Rachel Griffiths, Madam, Nine; Teresa Palmer, The Last Anniversary, BINGE / FOXTEL; and Tuuli Narkle, Mystery Road: Origin, ABC.
Best Supporting Actor In A Drama
Winner: Simon Baker – The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Prime Video. Other nominees: Dan Wyllie, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Prime Video; Mark Coles Smith, Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix; Rohan Mirchandaney, Critical Incident, Stan; Rob Collins, Scrublands: Silver, Stan; and William McKenna, The Messenger, ABC.
Best Supporting Actress In A Drama
Winner: Claudia Karvan – Homebodies, SBS. Other nominees: Danielle Cormack, Territory, Netflix; Essie Davis, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Prime Video; Heather Mitchell, The Last Anniversary, BINGE / FOXTEL; Leeanna Walsman, Human Error, Nine; and Teresa Palmer, Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix.
Best Actor In A Comedy
Winner: Steve Bisley – Deadloch, Prime Video. Other nominees: Ben Miller, Austin, ABC; Bjorn Stewart, Optics, ABC; Rob Sitch, Utopia, ABC; Rob Collins, Bringing Back The Weekend, SBS; and Thomas Weatherall, Thou Shalt Not Steal, Stan.
Best Actress In A Comedy
Winner: Celia Pacquola – Dog Park, ABC. Other nominees: Kitty Flanagan, Fisk, ABC; Kate Mulvany, Austin, ABC; Miranda Tapsell, Optics, ABC; Nina Oyama, Taskmaster Australia, Network 10; and Susie Youssef, Bringing Back the Weekend, SBS.
Best Drama Program
Winner: RFDS – Seven Network. Other nominees: Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix; NCIS: Sydney, Paramount+; Return to Paradise, ABC; Territory, Netflix; and The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer, BINGE / FOXTEL.
Best Miniseries Or Telemovie
Winner: Goolagong – ABC. Other nominees: Critical Incident, Stan; Dear Life, Stan; Human Error, Nine; The Last Anniversary, BINGE / FOXTEL; and The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Prime Video.
Best Entertainment Program
Winner: Tipping Point Australia – 9Network. Other nominees: Australian Idol, Seven Network; Celebrity Letters and Numbers, SBS; Hard Quiz, ABC; Spicks and Specks, ABC; and The Voice, Seven Network.
Best Current Affairs Program
Winner: Australian Story – ABC. Other nominees: 7.30, ABC; 60 Minutes, 9Network; A Current Affair, 9Network; Four Corners, ABC; and Insight, SBS.
Best Scripted Comedy Program
Winner: Dog Park – ABC. Other nominees: Austin, ABC; Deadloch, Prime Video; Fisk, ABC; Optics, ABC; and Utopia, ABC.
Best Comedy Entertainment Program
Winner: Have You Been Paying Attention? – Network 10. Other nominees: Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee, ABC; The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers, Paramount+; Taskmaster Australia, Network 10; Thank God You’re Here, Network 10; and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, ABC.
Best Competition Reality Program
Winner: MasterChef Australia – Network 10. Other nominees: Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition, Network 10; Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn II, Network 10; Farmer Wants A Wife, Seven Network; Lego Masters Australia, 9Network; and The Block, 9Network.
Best Structured Reality Program
Winner: Muster Dogs – ABC. Other nominees: Back Roads, ABC; Gogglebox Australia, Network 10 / FOXTEL; Grand Designs Australia, ABC; Love It or List It Australia, BINGE / FOXTEL; and Old People’s Home for Teenagers, ABC.
Best Lifestyle Program
Winner: Travel Guides – 9Network. Other nominees: Better Homes and Gardens, Seven Network; Gardening Australia, ABC; Great Australian Road Trips, SBS; The Great Outdoors, Seven Network; and The Living Room, Network 10.
Best News Coverage Or Public Affairs Report
Winner: Bondi Terror Attack – 7NEWS and Sunrise, Seven Network. Other nominees: 7NEWS Spotlight – Liam Bartlett Investigates: A Matter of Minutes, Seven Network; ABC NEWS Queensland – Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, ABC; A Mother’s Love, Australian Story, ABC; A Second Chance, 60 Minutes, 9Network; and Bali Nine: The Untold Story, 60 Minutes, 9Network.
Best Factual Or Documentary Program
Winner: The Assembly – ABC. Other nominees: Australia: An Unofficial History, ABC; Creative Types with Virginia Trioli, ABC; The Jury: Death on the Staircase, SBS; The Role of a Lifetime, ABC; and Torvill and Dean: The Last Dance, ABC.
Best Sports Coverage
Winner: Australian Open 2026 – 9Network. Other nominees: 2025 AFL Grand Final, Seven Network; 2025 NRL Grand Final, 9Network; 2025 State of Origin, 9Network; 2025 Melbourne Cup, 9Network; and Wimbledon 2025, 9Network.
Best Children’s Program
Winner: Play School – ABC. Other nominees: Beep and Mort, ABC; Built to Survive, ABC; Little J & Big Cuz, ABC; Ready, Steady, Wiggle!, ABC; and Rock Island Mysteries, Nickelodeon.
Australia’s Top 70 TV Shows
As part of the 70 years of Australian television celebration, TV WEEK also revealed its viewer-voted list of the 70 best Australian TV shows of all time, with Kath & Kim taking the number one spot.
The full public list can be read at Now To Love.
- Kath & Kim
- Home And Away
- A Country Practice
- Blue Heelers
- Packed to the Rafters
- McLeod’s Daughters
- All Saints
- Bluey
- Neighbours
- Countdown
- Bondi Rescue
- Play School
- Mother and Son
- Prisoner
- Offspring
- Round the Twist
- Wentworth
- Young Talent Time
- The Sullivans
- Fast Forward
- Have You Been Paying Attention?
- Fisk
- The Flying Doctors
- Mr Squiggle and Friends
- Hey Hey It’s Saturday
- A Place To Call Home
- Agro’s Cartoon Connection
- Kingswood Country
- Gogglebox Australia
- Skippy The Bush Kangaroo
- Rage
- Here’s Humphrey
- The Comedy Company
- The Wiggles
- Blinky Bill
- The Paul Hogan Show
- Better Homes and Gardens
- Australian Idol
- Bananas in Pyjamas
- Rove Live
- Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures
- Underbelly
- MasterChef Australia
- Doctor Doctor
- Love Child
- Rosehaven
- Travel Guides
- Gardening Australia
- Big Brother Australia
- All The Rivers Run
- Cop Shop
- SeaChange
- Gruen
- Sons and Daughters
- Utopia
- E Street
- Thank God You’re Here
- Australian Story
- Hard Quiz
- The Secret Life Of Us
- The Don Lane Show
- Water Rats
- The Graham Kennedy Show
- Colin From Accounts
- Mr Inbetween
- Heartbreak High
- Acropolis Now
- Farmer Wants A Wife
- Full Frontal
- Puberty Blues
For more Logie Awards stories, visit TV Central’s Logie Awards section. Public information about the TV WEEK Logie Awards is available at tvweeklogies.com.au.
