Logies 2017 live: Molly actor Samuel Johnson wins the Gold Logie

No actor from a one-off telemovie or mini-series has won Gold before, according to 2017's Gold winner Samuel Johnson.

The star of Seven's miniseries Molly said Australia's love for Meldrum partly explained his victory. But it was also driven by support from Love Your Sister, the cancer fundraising charity, with 382,000 Facebook likes. 

"Facebook has been swinging elections lately and we're no exception," Johnson said. 

When his name was called, his "whole brain went fuzzy, and my heart popped - and then Molly's there, and I couldn't hear him because I'm half-deaf".

"I was speaking to Chrissie Swan ... and she was telling me how you never forget [a win]," he said. "If you don't win, you're like, 'Man, Logies don't matter.' And when you do, you're like, 'Logies are very important.'"

Johnson said he would likely post his full acceptance speech on Facebook. 

"The Love Your Sister village had so much to do with it, and I'm so annoyed I didn't have the presence of mind to acknowledge it ... I had it all planned! It's about [my sister] Connie."
 

And that's the 59th Logie Awards done and dusted. In case you missed it, here's the full list of winners: 

Gold Logie - Samuel Johnson

Most Outstanding Drama Series - A Place to Call Home

Most Outstanding Actor - Henry Nixon, The Kettering Incident

Most Outstanding Actress - Anna Torv, Secret City

Most Outstanding Public Affairs Report - Australia's Shame, Four Corners

Most Outstanding Supporting Actress - Debra Lawrance, Please Like Me

Most Outstanding Supporting Actor - Damon Herriman, Secret City

Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie - The Kettering Incident

Most Outstanding News Coverage - Sky News Election coverage

Most Outstanding Comedy Program - Please Like Me

Most Outstanding Entertainment Program - Have You Been Paying Attention?

Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding Newcomer - Elias Anton, Barracuda

Most Outstanding Sports Coverage - Channel 7, Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Best News Panel or Current Affairs Program - The Project

Best Drama Program - Molly

Best Presenter - Waleed Aly

Best Reality Program - The Block

Best Actor - Samuel Johnson, Molly

Best Actress - Jessica Marais

Best Entertainment Program - Have You Been Paying Attention

Molly's memorable speech included the fact he knew Johnson's father. The pop culture icon also recalled the moment Johnson rang him to tell him he'd landed the lead role in Channel 7's biopic.

"He rings me from Broome, he said I've been offered this role of playing you in a mini series," he said. "I went, OK ... you want to study me? I'll teach you how to be gay. He said, f--- off!"

Molly has taken to the stage to crown Johnson with a golden version of his signature hat. 

"I know it's very hard to play an old drama queen like myself, and you did a great job," he said.

Actor Samuel Johnson took to the stage absolutely speechless. 

"Sorry, my family is all based out of a house in Preston," he began after finally finding his words. "Amongst ourselves we call it the Prestonian institute for the temporary defeated. I know you are watching in Preston, not tonight."

Molly then interrupted to say you can always tell an actor by how they always say "um" during speeches. 

"Keep going," Meldrum said. "Do yourself a f---ing favour." 

Gold Logie: Best Personality on Australian TV

Grant Denyer - All Star Family Feud, Family Feud, The Great Australian Spelling Bee
Jessica Marais - Love Child, The Wrong Girl
Peter Helliar - The Project
Rodger Corser - Doctor Doctor, The Doctor Blake Mysteries
Samuel Johnson - Molly
Waleed Aly - The Project

Winner: Samuel Johnson

Well, there you go. Hughsey did get asked to present the Gold Logie after all. 

Lawrance spoke fondly of playing Pippa in Channel Seven's long-running soapie Home and Away.

"Home and Away was important on many levels. Seven often wanted me to be thin and wear nice clothes and have nice hair. We met foster mothers - and they're not all harridans - but they're busy [and they don't look perfectly manicured].

"It gave me an entree into that world.

"And of course I met Dennis [Coard, who played Pippa's husband Michael Ross; the actors are now married]."

"I still have very deep and fond memories of it, obviously."
 

Debra Lawrance, winner of the Most Outstanding Supporting Actress award for her work in Please Like Me, said: "I think a lot of actors make the mistake of 'playing comedy'. And with certain types of comedy that really affect people, if you're really authentic [and you play it well] then people laugh or cry.

"It's really important that the audience really believe the characters.

"At the toss of a coin, you can make people really sad.

"Rose [my character in Please Like Me] has bi-polar, but she's funny. If you play it authentically, bi-polar people can be funny. At no point was Josh laughing at her. He was laughing with her. We have to remember that this was based on his mum ... it's a situation that Josh is experienced with."

Hall of Fame inductee Noni Hazelhurtst has taken a swipe at the government while accepting the Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series on behalf of A Place to Call Home. 

"Australian stories matter, they take us to the world," she said. "I hope that funding for Australian film and television stops being cut and that we continue to provide stories that resonate." 

Most Outstanding Drama Series

A Place to Call Home
Cleverman
Rake
The Code
Wentworth

Winner: A Place to Call Home

Henry Nixon tells a cute anecdote about having only ever won one award before - back in 1992, at the regional eisteddfod in Canberra. 

"We were given these little plastic kind of awards, but they were painted gold," he said, admiring his Logie. 

"I want to thank every single person whose couch, spare room, floor, mattress or garage that I've ever crashed in for rent or little rent or no rent at all in the 16.5 years of being a professional actor in Australia."

Most Outstanding Actor

Henry Nixon, The Kettering Incident
Noah Taylor, Deep Water
Richard Roxburgh, Rake
Rodger Corser, Doctor Doctor
Samuel Johnson, Molly

Winner: Henry Nixon

Most Outstanding Actress

Anna Torv, Secret City
Danielle Cormack, Wentworth
Elizabeth Dubicki, The Kettering Incident
Jessica Marais, Love Child
Marta Dusseldorp, Janet King
Yael Stone, Deep Water

Winner: Anna Torv

But wait, there's more. 

Delta Goodrem and a string of other stars have taken to their feet to clap in tune to Mauboy's second song. 

Musician Casey Donovan has described her experience performing at the Logies as "magical".

"It solidifies the reason I love to sing. Even though I was waking up this morning and shaking for three-and-a-half minutes [because I was nervous]."

Donovan confirmed she is releasing a new single on May 13th - her birthday.

As for winning I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!: "I had no inkling I would win. Getting into the helicopter on the first day was the biggest test of all. I hate flying. But I just had fun."

Jessica Mauboy has taken to the stage for tonight's final headline act. She's singing Can I Get a Moment and definitely bringing the best dance moves the stage has seen all night.