With the ASTRA Awards a distant memory – they were last held in 2015 – the sector now celebrates some of its best and brightest via the ASTRA Industry Awards for people behind the camera.
MORE: ASTRA Industry Awards 2017 winners
On-screen talent and productions from the subscription TV sector have chances to fill the trophy cabinet at the AACTA Awards and, of course, the TV Week Logie Awards.
The ASTRA Industry Awards is an event you don’t want to miss, although some managed to. Formalities are kept to a minimum (30-second max for speeches), there are only a handful of awards, there’s plenty to drink and, get this, the ASTRA tradition of the lolly bar continues.
The Awards were overseen for the last time by the soon-to-depart ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden. The event had a number of co-hosts including Fox Sports Tara Rushton, Discovery’s Jessica Bloom and Naomi Koh Belic and Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh.
Outgoing ASTRA chief executive Andrew Maiden
Fox League was the big winner on the night with CEO Patrick Delany accepting the award for Channel Brand of the Year. The broadcaster also won for three other awards:
• Most Outstanding Campaign Under $50k, Daniel Ricciardo Ultimate Track
• Most Outstanding Off-Air Promotion (the award was shared between Fox Sports and Fox League)
• Most Outstanding Public Relations Campaign, Daniel Ricciardo Ultimate Track, Fox Sports
Fox Sports’ Patrick Delany and Steve Crawley
Lifestyle’s head of marketing Brigitte Slattery was named ASTRA Creative Professional of the Year.
Sky News picked up two awards for some of its talented team – Jesse Hicks was named ASTRA Television Professional of the Year, while Thomas O’Brien was voted ASTRA Rising Star.
There were also wins for Foxtel Arts, MTV Australia, showcase, Lifestyle and The Comedy Channel.
Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh with Brigitte Slattery and co-host Tara Rushton
Sky News most-watched host Paul Murray with his ASTRA-winning EP Thomas OBrien plus Angelos Frangopoulos with his ASTRA-winning broadcast executive Jessie Hicks
Top Photo: Team Viacom at ASTRA [L-R] front row – Todd Phillips, Leah Harris, Amelia Board, Jody Malam, Rebecca Preuss and Ben Richarson. Back row – Sam Yeldham, Ebany Draper, Mitch Noakes and Simon Bates.
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This is an excerpt of the full article, which appears in the latest issue of Mediaweek magazine.
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