Sammy Awards Explained

The Sammy Awards were Australian television and film awards held annually between 1976 and 1981, initially supported by the TV Times and the Seven Network.^[1]

1976

Held at the Sydney Opera House on Friday 8 October 1976.^[2]

• Gold Sammy: Helen Morse, Gary McDonald
• Best drama series: Power Without Glory
• Best lead actor in a television series: John Waters for Rush
• Best lead actress in a television series: Penny Hackforth-Jones for Tandarra
• Best actor in a single television performance: Hugh Keays-Byrne for Rush (ep: 'A shilling A Day')
• Best actress in a single television performance: Maggie Millar for Homicide (ep: 'The Life and Time of Tina Kennedy')
• Best new talent: Mark Holden
• Best comedy series: The Norman Gunston Show
• Best comedy television series writer: Bull Harding
• Best variety performer: Don Lane
• Best current affairs series: Four Corners
• Best daytime series: The Mike Walsh Show
• Best documentary series: A Big Country
• Best light entertainment series: This Is Your Life
• Best musical series: Countdown
• Best film: Picnic At Hanging Rock
• Best film actor: Peter Cummins for The Removalists
• Best film actress: Helen Morse
• Best film supporting actor: Reg Lye for Sunday Too Far Away
• Best film supporting actress: Jacki Weaver for Caddie
• Best juvenile film performance: Robert Bettles

1977

^[3]

• Gold Sammy: Harry Butler, Caroline Jones
• Best actor in a television series: Martin Vaughan for Power Without Glory
• Best actress in a television series: Lorraine Bayly for The Sullivans
• Best supporting actor in a television series: Andrew McFarlane for The Sullivans
• Best documentary series: In the Wild
• Best current affairs series: Four Corners
• Best film: The Devil's Playground
• Best film actor: Nick Tate for The Devil's Playground
• Best film actress: Ruth Cracknell for The Singer and the Dancer

1978

^[4]

• Gold: Mike Walsh, June Salter
• Chips Rafferty Memorial Award: Ken G Hall
• Best Actor in a Single TV Performance: Tony Bonner for End of Summer
• Best Actress in a Single TV Performance: Davina Whitehouse for The Night Nurse
• Best Actor in a TV Series: George Mallaby for Cop Shop
• Best Actress in a TV Series: Lorraine Bayly for The Sullivans
• Best Variety Performer: Julie Anthony
• Best Variety Program: Julie Anthony's First Special
• Best Comedy Program: The Norman Gunston Show
• Best Drama Series: The Sullivans
• Best TV Play: End of Summer
• Best News Coverage: Brisbane shoot-out (QTQ9)
• Best Documentary: A Big Country
• Best Current Affairs Program: Four Corners 'Utah' report
• Best Children's Series: Wombat (BTQ7)
• Best Sports Coverage: Australian Open Golf 1977
• Best Light Entertainment Program: The Mike Walsh Show
• Best Writer TV Series: Tony Morphett for The Sullivans
• Best Writer TV Play: Cliff Green for End of Summer

1979

Held in Sydney at the Seymour Centre on 17 October 1979.^{[5] [6]}

• Gold Sammy: Marcia Hines, Mike Walsh
• Chips Rafferty Memorial Award: Stanley Hawes
• Best drama series: Against the Wind
• Best TV play: The Plumber
• Best actor in a single TV performance: John Hargreaves for A Good Thing Going
• Best actress in a single TV performance: Belinda Giblin for Say You Want Me
• Best actor in a TV series: Gerard Kennedy for Against the Wind
• Best actress in a TV series: Kerry McGuire for Against the Wind
• Best television variety performer: Marcia Hines
• Best new talent: Mel Gibson
• Best film: Cathy's Child
• Best film actress: Michele Fawdon for Cathy's Child
• Best film actor: Alan Cassell for Cathy's Child
• Best light entertainment program: Parkinson in Australia
• Best comedy program: Tickled Pink (episode: 'Neutral Ground')
• Best variety program: TV Follies (episode: 'Hollywood')
• Best documentary: The Last Tasmanian
• Best news coverage: Pentridge Riot (GTV9 Melbourne)
• Best current affairs program: 60 Minutes
• Best sports coverage: Australian Open Golf (Nine Network)
• Best children's series: Top Mates
• Best costume design: Claire Griffin for Against the Wind
• Best art direction: Quentin Hole for Ride On Stranger
• Best writer (TV series): Peter Yeldham for Run From the Morning
• Best writer (TV play): Peter Weir for The Plumber
• Best television editing: Michael Balson for Mutiny on the Western Front
• Best film direction: George Miller for Mad Max
• Best sound: Mad Max
• Best special effects: Mad Max
• Best film editing: Mad Max
• Best theme music: Mad Max

1980

Held in Sydney on 17 October 1980.^[7]

• • • Gold Sammy: Bert Newton, Caroline Jones Chips Rafferty Memorial Award: Hector Crawford Best Actor in a Single TV Performance: Richard Moir for Players to the Gallery
• Best Actress in a Single TV Performance: Robyn Nevin for A Toast to Melba.
• Best Actor in a TV Series: Peter Adams for Cop Shop
• Best Actress in TV Series: Sheila Florance for Prisoner
• Best Film Actor: Jack Thompson for Breaker Morant
• Best Film Actress: Judy Davis for My Brilliant Career
• Best Supporting Film Actor: Robert Grubb for My Brilliant Career
• Best Supporting Film Actress: Wendy Hughes for My Brilliant Career
• Best Variety Performer: Garry McDonald
• Best New Talent: Tracy Mann
• Best Drama Series: Cop Shop
• Best Short Drama Series: Players to the Gallery
• Best Comedy Program: Kingswood Country
• Best TV Play: Burn the Butterflies
• Best Variety Program: The Royal Charity Concert
• Best Film: Breaker Morant
• Best Short-Length Film (factual): Now You're Talking
• Best Short-Length Film (fiction): Gary's Story
• Best Animated Film: no award but a judges' commendation for The Little Convict
• Best Documentary Program: Song for Melbourne
• Best News Coverage: Moreton Bay Rescue BTQ7 Brisbane
• Best Current Affairs Program: 60 Minutes
• Best Sports Coverage: Seven's Big League (ATN 7 Sydney)
• Best Children's Series: Young Ramsay
• Best Light Entertainment Series: Parkinson in Australia
• Best Cinematographer (film): Vincent Monton for Thirst
• Best Cinematographer (TV): Ross Berryman for The John Sullivan Story
• Best Art Direction (TV): Guhar Jurjans, Paul Cleveland, Alwyn Harbott for Lucinda Brayford
• Best Art Direction (film): John Dowding for Thirst
• Best Writer Feature Film: Eleanor Witcombe for My Brilliant Career
• Best Writer TV Series: Denise Morgan for Prisoner
• Best Writer TV Play: Keith Thompson for Gail
• Best Theme Music: Peter Sculthorpe for Manganinnie
• Best Editing (film): Bill Anderson for Breaker Morant
• Best Editing (TV): Colin Grieve for Time for a Commercial
• Best Special Effects (film): Conrad Rothman for Harlequin
• Best Direction (film): Bruce Beresford for Breaker Morant
• Best Direction (TV): Alan Burke for A Toast to Melba
• Best Sound (film): Adrian Carr, Garry Wilkins for Harlequin
• Best Costume Design: Anna Senior for My Brilliant Career

1981

Held in Sydney on 21 August 1981.^{[8] [9]}

• Gold: Michael Parkinson, Judy Davis
• Chips Rafferty Memorial Award: Enid Lorimer
• Best actor in a single television performance: Rade Serbedzija for The Liberation of Skopje
• Best actress in a single television performance: Michelle Fawdon for Spring and fall
• Best film actor: John Hargreaves for Hoodwink
• Best film actress: Judy Davis for Winter of Our Dreams
• Best actor in a television series: David Cameron for Water Under the Bridge
• Best actress in a television series: Robyn Nevin for Water Under the Bridge
• Best supporting film actor: Bill Kerr for Gallipoli
• Best supporting film actress: Cathy Downes for Winter of Our Dreams
• Best variety performer: John Farnham
• Best new talent: Mark Lee for Gallipoli
• Best drama series: The Sullivans
• Best short drama series: I Can Jump Puddles
• Best comedy program: Kingswood Country
• Best television play: No award
• Best variety program: Poo Over Brisbane
• Best film: Gallipoli
• Best short-length film (factual): Life Begins at Forty
• Best short-length film (fiction): The Uninvited
• Best animated film: No award
• Best documentary program: Please Don't Leave Me
• Best news coverage: The Belfast riots (HSV 7)
• Best current affairs program: Scoop (0-28)
• Best sports coverage: Hardie Ferodo 1000 (ATN 7)
• Best children's series: The Patchwork Hero
• Best light entertainment series: The Mike Walsh Show
• Best cinematographer (film): Russell Boyd for Gallipoli
• Best cinematographer (TV): Dan Burstall for Water Under the Bridge
• Best art direction (TV): Logan Brewer for Water Under the Bridge
• Best art direction (film): Herbert Pinter and Wendy Weir for Gallipoli
• Best Writer Feature Film: David Williamson for Gallipoli
• Best writer TV series: Ian Jones and Bronwyn Binns for The Last Outlaw
• Best writer TV play: No award
• Best theme music: Bruce Smeaton for The Timeless Land
• Best editing film: Edward McQueen Mason for Roadgames
• Best editing (TV): Gary Albery for 60 Minutes
• Best special effects (film): Monty Fieguth, Chris Murray and Vic Wilson for The Survivor
• Best direction (film): Peter Weir for Gallipoli
• Best direction (TV): George Miller for The Last Outlaw
• Best sound (film): Greg Bell, Don Connolly and Peter Fenton for Gallipoli
• Best costume design: Roger Kirk for Farnham and Byrne

Notes and References

1. News: Sammy TV awards to Newton, Jones . . 55 . ((16,459)) . Australian Capital Territory . 18 October 1980 . 4 June 2022 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
2. News: First film and TV awards given . . 51 . 14,504 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 8 October 1976 . 18 June 2022 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: 11 October 1977 . Top awards to ABC performers . 52 . 3 . . ((14,903)) . Australian Capital Territory . National Library of Australia . 5 June 2022.
4. Web site: 2008-10-25 . 1978: October 28-November 3 . 2022-06-05 . Television.AU . en-AU.
5. News: Hines, Walsh awarded gold Sammys . . 54 . ((16,094)) . Australian Capital Territory . 18 October 1979 . 5 June 2022 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
6. Web site: 2009-11-11 . 1979: November 3-9 . 2022-06-05 . Television.AU . en-AU.
7. News: Gold Sammy award winners . . 55 . ((16,459)) . Australian Capital Territory . 18 October 1980 . 4 June 2022 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: 'Gallipoli' wins eight awards . . 55 . ((16,766)) . Australian Capital Territory . 22 August 1981 . 4 June 2022 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
9. News: Australian film and TV awards . . 55 . ((16,766)) . Australian Capital Territory . 22 August 1981 . 4 June 2022 . 7 . National Library of Australia.