Mo Awards Explained

Mo Awards
Awarded For:Achievement in Live Entertainment
Location:Australia
Year:1975
Year2:2016

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were last awarded in 2016.

Lucky Grills, actor and comedian came up with the idea to create an awards show to celebrate Australian Variety, during a meeting in 1975.

The Mo Awards, initially were founded as the Star Awards and were a state honour in New South Wales only, local entertainers started the awards to promote the live entertainment industry in [1] New South Wales.

Johnny O'Keefe became chairman in 1976, and decided the awards should become an Australia-wide national awards program. Entertainer Don Lane then proposed the awards be renamed the Mo Awards in honour of Australian comedian and vaudevillian Roy Rene, who was famous for the character "Mo McCackie."[1]

Categories

The award categories were reviewed annually and adapted to new trends in the Australian entertainment sector; categories included awards in: musical theatre, opera, Classical music, dance, comedy, rock music, jazz, country music, plays and variety shows.[1]

Award winners

The Award winners are listed below.[2]

1975: NSW Star Awards

The NSW Star Awards took place on 10 November 1975 at South Sydney Seniors Leagues Club – Redfern. It was compered by Frank Newall.

1976: 1st Mo Awards

The first MO Awards took place on 13 October 1976 at Revesby, New South Wales Revesby Workers Club. It was compered by Don Lane. This year the ceremony was telecast by the Nine Network.

1977: 2nd Mo Awards

The second MO Awards took place on 16 November 1977 at Revesby, New South Wales Revesby Workers Club.

1978: 3rd Mo Awards

The third MO Awards took place on 14 February 1979 at Revesby, New South Wales Revesby Workers Club. It was compered by Jimmy Hannan.

1979: 4th Mo Awards

The fourth MO Awards took place on 13 February 1980 at Revesby Workers Club. It was compered by Barry Crocker.

5th Mo Awards

Technically, there was no 5th awards. Following the 1979 awards in 1980, the organisation updated the numbering to reflect the 1975 Star Awards were the 1st, thus renumbering following ceremonies.[1]

1980: 6th Mo Awards

The sixth MO Awards took place on 23 February 1981 at Regent Theatre (Sydney). It was compered by Barry Crocker.

1981: 7th Mo Awards

The seventh MO Awards took place on 17 March 1982 at Bankstown Town Hall. It was compered by Toni Stevens & Steve Raymond

1982: 8th Mo Awards

The eighth MO Awards took place on 16 March 1983 at Regent Theatre (Sydney). It was compered by Barry Crocker

1983: 9th Mo Awards

The ninth MO Awards took place on 21 March 1984 at Sydney Town Hall.

1984: 10th Mo Awards

The tenth MO Awards took place on 1 May 1985 at the Sydney Opera House.

1985: 11th Mo Awards

The eleventh MO Awards took place on 30 April 1986 at the South Sydney Junior Leagues Club. The show was directed by Ian Tasker.

1986: 12th Mo Awards

The twelfth MO Awards took place on 25 March 1987 at Bankstown Sports Club. The show was directed by Bruce Henries.

1987: 13th Mo Awards

The thirteenth MO Awards took place on 13 April 1988 at Rooty Hill RSL Club.

1988: 14th Mo Awards

The fourteenth MO Awards took place on 22 February 1989 at AJC Royal Randwick. It was compered by Kerri-Anne Kennerley.

1989: 15th Mo Awards

The fifteenth MO Awards took place on 21 February 1990 at AJC Royal Randwick. It was compered by Ray Martin.

1990: 16th Mo Awards

The sixteenth MO Awards took place on 17 February 1991 at State Theatre (Sydney). It was compered by Ray Martin, Maggie Kirkpatrick, Brian Doyle and Steve Vizard.

1991: 17th Mo Awards

The seventeenth MO Awards took place on 4 June 1992 at Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was compered by Geraldine Doyle, Terry Willesee and Larry Emdur.

1992: 18th Mo Awards

The eighteenth MO Awards took place on 9 June 1993 at Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was compered by David Reyne and Marty Rhone.

1993: 19th Mo Awards

The nineteenth MO Awards took place on 14 June 1994 at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney It was compered by John Mangos.

1994: 20th Mo Awards

The twentieth MO Awards took place on 28 June 1995 at Regent Hotel, Sydney. It was compered by Alan Jones.

1995: 21st Mo Awards

The twenty-first MO Awards took place on 18 June 1996 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was compered by Kerri-Anne Kennerley.

1996: 22nd Mo Awards

The twenty-second MO Awards took place on 18 June 1997 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was compered by Susie Elelman.

1997: 23rd Mo Awards

The twenty-third MO Awards took place on 23 June 1998 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was compered by Don Lane.

1998: 24th Mo Awards

The twenty-fourth MO Awards took place on 22 June 1999 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was compered by Neil Hanson, Liz Taylor and Chris De Havilland.

1999: 25th Mo Awards

The twenty-fifth MO Awards took place on 20 June 2000 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was compered by Don Lane.

2000: 26th Mo Awards

The twenty-sixth MO Awards took place on 9 July 2001 at the Sydney Town Hall. It was compered by Vince Sorrenti.

2001: 27th Mo Awards

The twenty-seventh MO Awards took place on 24 June 2002 at the Tumbalong Park Ballroom. It was compered by Liz Taylor and Peter Cousens.

2002: 28th Mo Awards

The twenty-eighth MO Awards took place on 16 June 2003 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was compered by Frankie J Holden.

2003: 29th Mo Awards

The twenty-ninth MO Awards took place on 28 June 2004 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was compered by Jean Kittson.

2004: 30th Mo Awards

The thirtieth MO Awards took place on 28 April 2006 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was presented by Ken Laing, Tommy Tycho and Geoff Harvey.

2005

There were no awards for 2005.

2006: 31st Mo Awards

The thirtieth-first MO Awards took place on 28 August 2007 at the Bankstown Sports Club. It was presented by Rodney Marks, Darren Carr, Liz Layton, Kenny Graham and Johnny Pace.

2007: 32nd Mo Awards

The thirtieth-second MO Awards took place on 17 June 2008 at the Bankstown Sports Club. It was compered by Donnie Sutherland;.

2008: 33rd Mo Awards

The thirty-third MO Awards took place on 15 June 2009 at the Bankstown Sports Club. It was compered by Donnie Sutherland.

2009: 34th Mo Awards

The thirty-fourth MO Awards took place on 11 May 2010 at the Bankstown Sports Club. It was compered by Donnie Sutherland.

2010: 35th Mo Awards

The thirty-fifth MO Awards took place on 24 May 2011 at the Bankstown Sports Club. It was compered by Donnie Sutherland, Susie Elelman, John Mangos and Barry Crocker.

2011: 36th Mo Awards

The thirty-sixth MO Awards took place on 29 May 2012 at the Bankstown Sports Club. It was compered by Donnie Sutherland, Susie Elelman, John Mangos and Vince Sorrenti.

2012: 37th Mo Awards

The thirty-seventh MO Awards took place on 28 May 2013 at the Bankstown Sports Club. It was compered by Bobby Bradford, Adam Scicluna and Neil Hanson.

2013: 38th Mo Awards

The thirty-eighth MO Awards took place on 27 May 2014 at the Bankstown Sports Club. It was compered by Andrew O'Keefe, John Mangos, Judy Stone and Marcia Hines.

2014: 39th Mo Awards

The thirty-ninth MO Awards took place on 28 July 2015 at the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club. It was compered by Darren Carr, Maria Venuti, Craig Bennet, Helen Zerefos and Vince Sorrenti.

2015: 40th Mo Awards

The fortieth MO Awards took place on 17 August 2016 at the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club. It was compered by Darren Sanders and Darren Carr.

2016: 41st Mo Awards

The forty-first MO Awards took place on 20 March 2018 at the Liverpool Catholic Club. It was compered by John Kerr.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History. The Mo Awards. 14 March 2022.
  2. Web site: Award Winners. Mo Awards. 14 March 2022.