Logies shakes up voting process

TV Week has announced major changes to its Logie Awards voting processes following consultation with the industry, viewers and TV Week readers.

Amongst the changes are:

– All Popular Awards voting will now be conducted online.

– Popular Awards voting will begin on December 6, two months earlier, running for 12 weeks instead of the previous five.

– Outstanding Awards will now be chosen by a judging panel of independent industry experts. The previous system included a mix of appointed TV executives and independent judges.

– Community TV shows are now eligible.

The change to voting process is a significant move from the magazine’s traditional value of providing a voting form, but the magazine says almost all of the 2010 voting was conducted online.

Editor Emma Nolan said: “Moving to 100 per cent online voting for the Popular Awards at the TV Week Logies in 2011 makes the voting process easier and allows us to include more shows and stars for readers to choose from. Removing the voting coupon from the magazine also allows us more space to focus on editorial, which our readers love.

“The Outstanding Awards have always represented an important and valued portion of the TV Week Logie Awards each year and we believe this evolution in the way that judges are chosen will better reflect the peer nature of these awards.”

Online voting will be conducted by Roy Morgan with links to network websites.

TV Week is yet to indicate if it will reinstate the blank “Other” category to its voting to allow viewers to add favourite shows and performers to those who are not present on its Preliminary voting list.

The 53rd Awards will be held at Crown in Melbourne on Sunday May 1st 2011.