The race for Australian television’s highest honour is officially underway, with the nominees for the 66th TV WEEK Logie Awards unveiled in Sydney.

Leading the charge for the coveted TV WEEK Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television are journalist and A Current Affair host Ally Langdon, presenter and comedian Julia Morris, ABC favourites Lisa Millar and Poh Ling Yeow, wildlife conservationist and television presenter Robert Irwin, comedian Sam Pang and tennis great Todd Woodbridge. The winner will be determined by public vote and announced at the Logie Awards ceremony on August 16 at The Star Sydney, broadcast live on Seven and 7plus.

This year’s nominations also mark the introduction of a new award honouring one of Australian broadcasting’s most respected figures. The Bruce McAvaney Award for Most Popular Sports Presenter has been named in recognition of the veteran broadcaster’s extraordinary contribution to Australian sport television across more than five decades.

A TV WEEK Logie Hall of Fame inductee, McAvaney has covered everything from Australian Rules football and tennis to horse racing, swimming and multiple Olympic Games. He will present the inaugural award bearing his name during the ceremony.

TV WEEK Editorial Director Amber Giles said this year’s nominees reflected the strength and diversity of Australian television.

“This year’s nominations are a genuine celebration of how extraordinary Australian television has become,” Giles said. “From free-to-air favourites to the streaming shows everyone has been talking about, the breadth and quality of original Australian storytelling on our screens right now is something to be proud of.”

The major program categories highlight the increasingly competitive landscape between traditional broadcasters and streaming platforms.

In Best Drama Program, contenders include ABC’s Mystery Road: Origin, Seven’s RFDS, Stan’s Dear Life and Watching You, Netflix’s Heartbreak High and BINGE’s The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer.

The Best Miniseries or Telemovie category is equally strong, with The Narrow Road to the Deep North, The Survivors, The Family Next Door, Mix Tape, Homebodies and Goolagong all earning nominations.

Prime Video’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North emerged as one of the most recognised productions across the acting categories. Jacob Elordi received a nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama, while Odessa Young earned a nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama. Simon Baker and Thomas Weatherall were both recognised in the supporting actor category for their performances in the series.

Among the acting nominees, SBS/NITV’s Reckless secured a Best Lead Actor nomination for Hunter Page-Lochard, while ABC’s Mystery Road: Origin was strongly represented with nominations for Mark Coles Smith, Tuuli Narkle and Clarence Ryan.

Netflix’s The Survivors also performed strongly, with Yerin Ha nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Drama, alongside supporting nominations for Damien Garvey and Robyn Malcolm.

The comedy categories see performers from Deadloch, Austin, Dog Park, Ghosts Australia, Strife and Mother and Soncompeting for honours, reflecting the growing strength of Australian scripted comedy.

Elsewhere, popular reality and entertainment franchises continue to dominate audience engagement. MasterChef Australia, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, LEGO Masters Australia, The Block, Big Brother and Love Island are all in contention for Best Competition Reality Program, while Australian Idol, Dancing With The Stars, The Floor, The Piano and The 1% Club Australia are among the nominees for Best Entertainment Program.

In news and current affairs, Ally Langdon, David Speers, Karl Stefanovic, Michael Usher, Sarah Abo and Sarah Ferguson will compete for the Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter.

The inaugural Bruce McAvaney Award for Most Popular Sports Presenter features a heavyweight field including McAvaney himself, Danika Mason, Eddie McGuire, James Bracey, Jelena Dokic and Ricky Ponting.

The awards also celebrate the growing impact of factual programming, with nominees including The Assembly, The People vs Robodebt, The Secret DNA Of Us, Revealed: Death Cap Murders and But Also John Clarke.

The 2026 ceremony arrives as Australian television celebrates 70 years of broadcasting. To mark the milestone, viewers were invited to vote for their favourite Australian television programs from the past seven decades, with the top 20 set to be revealed during the Logie Awards broadcast.

Voting for the majority of categories opened Monday and remains open until August 15, with Gold Logie voting continuing live during the ceremony itself, giving viewers at home the final say on Australian television’s biggest prize.