Sam Pang Takes Gold as Sam Neill, Deborah Mailman Honored at 2026 Logie Awards

Sam Pang won the Gold Logie, the late Sam Neill received a posthumous acting honor and Deborah Mailman made history at Australia’s 66th TV Week Logie Awards.

Pang, whose credits include Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Front Bar and Sam Pang Tonight, was named the most popular personality on Australian television at Sunday’s ceremony at The Star Sydney.

The comedian prevailed over fellow nominees Ally Langdon, Julia Morris, Lisa Millar, Poh Ling Yeow, Robert Irwin and Todd Woodbridge. He received the award from surprise presenter Magda Szubanski, who returned to the Logies stage after recently revealing that she is in remission following cancer treatment.

Pang, who hosted the awards for the previous three years, used his acceptance speech to reflect on growing up as a television viewer who never imagined he would eventually work in the industry.

The ceremony also honored Neill, who died in July at age 78. He was named best lead actor in a drama for his performance as barrister Brett Colby in the Binge and Foxtel legal thriller The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer.

Actress Heather Mitchell accepted the award on Neill’s behalf, telling the audience that the series and character had been important to her longtime friend.

Brooke Satchwell won best lead actress in a drama for Stan’s Dear Life. Simon Baker received the supporting actor award for Prime Video’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North, while Claudia Karvan was named best supporting actress for the SBS series Homebodies.

Karvan dedicated part of her speech to transgender children and their parents. Steve Bisley was named best actor in a comedy for Prime Video’s Deadloch, and Celia Pacquola won best actress in a comedy for the ABC’s Dog Park.

The ABC emerged as the night’s most successful broadcaster with eight awards. Dog Park also won best scripted comedy, while Goolagong, the broadcaster’s drama about Australian tennis champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley, was named best miniseries or telemovie.

Goolagong star Lila McGuire received the Graham Kennedy Award for most popular new talent. Other ABC winners included Muster Dogs for best structured reality program, The Assembly for best factual or documentary program, Australian Story for best current affairs program and Play School for best children’s program.

Seven Network’s RFDS was named best drama program for a second time. Other program winners included MasterChef Australia for best competition reality program, Have You Been Paying Attention? for best comedy entertainment program, Tipping Point Australia for best entertainment program and Travel Guides for best lifestyle program.

Irwin, 22, became the youngest host in Logies history. He opened the ceremony with a dance routine before delivering a monologue targeting several Australian television personalities, including former Today host Karl Stefanovic.

Irwin also collected his first Logie, winning the Bert Newton Award for most popular presenter for I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! He dedicated the trophy to his family and the Australia Zoo staff continuing the conservation work of his late father, Steve Irwin.

Jelena Dokic won the inaugural Bruce McAvaney Award for most popular sports presenter, defeating McAvaney in the category named in his honor. Ally Langdon received the Ray Martin Award for most popular news or public affairs presenter for a second consecutive year.

Nine’s Australian Open broadcast was named best sports coverage, while Seven News and Sunrise won best news coverage or public affairs report for their reporting on the Bondi terror attack.

Mailman became the first Indigenous Australian inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame. The six-time Logie winner dedicated the honor to her parents, who supported her ambitions to become an actor while she was growing up in Mount Isa.

Broadcaster and producer Andrew Denton also entered the Hall of Fame. In a speech that earned a standing ovation, the former Enough Rope host encouraged members of the industry to take creative risks, accept failure and support the success of others.

Long-running Seven drama A Country Practice was the ceremony’s third Hall of Fame inductee.