The Project’s Waleed Aly has been announced as one of the seven nominees up for the TV WEEK Gold Logie Award in 2019.
This isn’t the first time the presenter has been acknowledged as a contender for Australia’s most popular television personality, either, with Waleed nominated in both 2016 and 2017, taking out the coveted award in the former.
Waleed, who is a contender for the Gold Logie alongside Rodger Corser (Doctor Doctor), Amanda Keller (Studio 10/Dancing with the Stars), Sam Mac (Sunrise), Eve Morey (Neighbours), Tom Gleeson (Hard Quiz) and Costa Georgiadis (Gardening Australia), has also been nominated for Most Popular Presenter at the TV WEEK Logie Awards. A fete he’s able to share with his co-star Carrie Bickmore, who’s also up for Most Popular Presenter.
Australians have come to respect Waleed for his ability to tackle the bigger issues on The Project, shining a light on important topics, such as diversity, terrorism and climate change. His powerful voice and monologues – some of which he’s fought tears through – has encouraged hundreds of thousands of Australians to sit up, listen, and reflect on the goings-on in society.
He garnered attention in March this year when he interviewed the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden following the Christchurch terrorist attack; their first meeting capturing more than 400,000 views on Facebook. That same week he went head-to-head with Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a 30-minute commercial-free edition of The Project, where they discussed race and religion.
WATCH: See Waleed’s powerful reaction to the Christchurch terrorist attack. Post continues after video…
Back in 2016, when he was awarded the Gold Logie, Waleed earned himself a standing ovation, delivering a speech that shone a light on discrimination within the industry. He dedicated that speech to a man named Dimitri.
“He came up to me and through gritted teeth commanded me to claim this award tonight. This really, really mattered to him. This really meant something to him.
“It matters to them for a particular reason. That reason was brought home shudderingly not so long ago when someone who is in this room – and I’m not going to use the name they use in this industry – came up to me and said, ‘I really hope you win. My name is Mustafa. But I can’t use that name because I won’t get a job.’ And it matters to people like that that I am here.”
Waleed, who’s an award-winning journalist and former rock musician, shares this moment with his wife Susan – and academic, author and UNICEF ambassador.
The secret to their 16-year-long marriage?
“I think it’s not just that we love each other, we really like each other,” she told TV WEEK back in November.
“I also think it helps that we both feel we married up. When you both think that, it tends to work pretty well.”
WATCH: Waleed Aly dedicates his Gold Logie to his wife
Meet the other nominees here.
