ASTRA Winners Announced To Honour TV Champions

The Australian subscription television industry has announced the winners of the 2016 ASTRA Industry Awards, following a glittering industry event in Sydney last night celebrating outstanding achievements by individuals and channels.

Hosted by Australia’s Next Top Model’s Alex Perry (pictured above with Rising Star winner Ellen Dedes-Vallas), more than 200 guests applauded finalists and winners of the annual awards, which recognise excellence in marketing, advertising and promotion across Australia’s subscription television industry.

Stars who joined the celebrations included Sky News’s Helen Dalley and Jaynie Seal, E! reporter Ksenija Lukich and actors Abby Earl and Jenni Baird, from Foxtel’s drama A Place to Call Home.

“The ASTRA Industry Awards is a welcome celebration of the extraordinary individuals and teams who work tirelessly behind the scenes,” said ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden.

“The calibre of this year’s finalists and winners is impressive and demonstrates the depth of talent in the subscription television industry. These talented professionals represent the future of television, and the future is bright.”

• Australia TV ratings

Across 10 categories for both individual and team awards, FOX SPORTS was recognised with four ASTRAs (below).

Nickelodeon won two awards, while MTV and Comedy Central picked up an ASTRA each, bringing Viacom’s total to four. FX and Foxtel (Premium Entertainment Channels) each won an ASTRA.

In the individual awards, the coveted ASTRA for Television Professional of the Year was awarded to FOX SPORTS’ executive producer Ben Jones, for his leadership in managing an extensive portfolio, including FOX SPORTS NRL.

The ASTRA Creative Professional of the Year was awarded to Foxtel’s Lisa Frederickson, lead creative for the Comedy Channel, while the Rising Star award was presented to Nickelodeon Junior Producer Ellen Dedes-Vallas.

Check out the full winners and finalists list here:

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS     

Television Professional of the Year (in a role other than creative, marketing or communications)

• Ben Jones (FOX SPORTS – NRL) WINNER
• Mark Smee (BBC WORLDWIDE ANZ)
• Andrew O’Brien (FOX SPORTS)
• Jonathan Rudd (Discovery Networks)

Creative Professional of the Year (in a marketing or communications function)

• Lisa Frederickson (Foxtel, Premium Entertainment Channels) WINNER
• Guy Sawrey-Cookson (FOX FOOTY)
• Simon Greet (Universal Channel)
• Asha Burns (FOX SPORTS – Publicity)
• Tim Buhagiar (FOX FOOTY)
• Amanda Herbert (Discovery Networks)
• Marty Moynihan (FOX SPORTS)

Rising Star (outstanding individual aged under 30)

• Ellen Dedes-Vallas (Nickelodeon Australia) WINNER
• Sam Stacey (BBC WORLDWIDE ANZ)
• Thomas Dullard (FOX FOOTY)
• Sophie Ciufo (VIMN Australia)
• Sam Rix (FOX SPORTS – Marketing)
• Dan Walkington (National Geographic Channel)
• Eva Kuan (FOX SPORTS – HR)
• Anika Herbert (Disney Junior)

TEAM AWARDS

Most Outstanding Public Relations Campaign

• Launch of Comedy Central Australia (Comedy Central) WINNER
• FOX SPORTING NATION (FOX SPORTS)
• BBC FIRST Banished (BBC WORLDWIDE ANZ

Most Outstanding Campaign under $50,000

• The Walking Dead Season 6 Launch (FX) WINNER
• Red Round (FOX FOOTY)
• The Great Australian Bake Off – Create A Cake (Lifestyle FOOD)
• UKTV Pride & Prejudice (BBC WORLDWIDE ANZ)
• Shark Week (Discovery Channel)

Most Outstanding Off-Air Promotion

• FOX SPORTING NATION (FOX SPORTS) WINNER
• Outback Wrangler Season 2 (National Geographic Channel)
• The Great Australian Bake Off (LifeStyle FOOD)
• Universal Channel Heartbeat Launch (Universal Channel)
• BBC FIRST War & Peace (BBC WORLDWIDE ANZ)
• BBC FIRST The Night Manager (BBC WORLDWIDE ANZ)
• A Place to Call Home, Season 3 (SoHo)

Most Outstanding Social Media Campaign

• Dad Joke Survivors PCA (Nickelodeon Australia) WINNER
• The Lion Guard – Show Us Your Roar (Disney Junior)
• The Great Australian Bake Off – Bake Challenge (LifeStyle FOOD)
• LOUIS THEROUX INFOGRAPHIC (BBC WORLDWIDE ANZ)
• #getyourgoldon (FOX SPORTS)
• 5 Seconds of Summer: Live, Stripped & Intimate ([V] Hits)

Most Outstanding Advertising Campaign

• #MTVTRIPPERS (MTV) WINNER
• Gina, By Gina Liano (ARENA)
• The Great Australian Bake Off (LifeStyle FOOD)
• MCN, OMD and McDonald’s Create Your Taste! (MCN Activations, McDonald’s and Fuse/OMD)
• Jim Beam’s Fan-made History campaign (Multi Channel Network, FOX SPORTS and NRL.com)

Most Outstanding Innovation (use of technology)

• FOX SPORTS LAB (FOX FOOTY) WINNER
• Telstra TV
• Landmark 2016 (Multi Channel Network)
• LiveU SmartGRIP (SKY NEWS)
• THE BIG BANG THEORY Interactive Facebook game (Presto)
• Fox Shots (FOX SPORTS)

Most Outstanding On-Air Promotion

• EVERY GAME MATTERS (FOX FOOTY) WINNER
• Goldie & Bear Pop-Up Book (Disney Junior)
• NBL Image – A Chip On The Shoulder (FOX SPORTS)
• BBC FIRST War & Peace (conceptual) (BBC WORLDWIDE ANZ)
• Universal Channel | Heartbeat 100% Characters (Universal Channel)
• Shark Week (Discovery Channel)
• Comedy Image “Screens” (The Comedy Channel)
• 70th Anniversary – Hiroshima + Nagasaki (HISTORY)