Toni Lamond to receive Equity Lifetime Achievement Award

Veteran performer Toni Lamond will receive the 2014 Equity Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lamond, who has decades of performing across stage and screen was announced as the recipient of the Foxtel-sponsored award at the ASTRA Conference today in Sydney.

Lamond’s career began at the age of 10 singing on the radio and touring with her parents’ variety shows and has since encompassed musical comedy, straight plays, recordings, film and cabaret. Her television credits include The Graham Kennedy Show, Division 4, Number 96, Spicks and Specks, and US shows The Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, Highway to Heaven, Eight is Enough, The Bob Newhart Show, Starsky & Hutch, Punky Brewster and The Pirates of Penzance.

She was nominated by Australian performers and selected from many nominees by the Actors Equity National Performers Committee.

Actors Equity president Simon Burke said: “Toni’s name came up time and time again when we asked Australian performers who they most admire and respect.

“Toni is a truly legendary Australian performer whose phenomenal career has spanned vaudeville, musical theatre, television and cabaret. She is also a wonderful human being who has given back to her community, to her colleagues and to her industry in every way she can. I’m truly delighted she is the recipient of the 6th annual Equity Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Brian Walsh, Executive Director of Television at Foxtel, said: “Foxtel is delighted to be associated yet again with the Equity Lifetime Achievement Award. We are especially pleased because this year’s winner is a true ornament to Australian stage and television. Toni Lamond has been delighting audiences for years, it’s hard to think of anyone more worthy of an accolade such as this.”

Past recipients of the award include Peter Carroll, Bob Hornery, Maggie Dence, Ron Haddrick, Kevan Johnston and Jill Perryman.

An awards ceremony will be held at the Sydney Theatre in October.