Logie nominees announced

Geek chic will be the dress code for the 50th annual TV Week Logie Awards, with the ABC's Andrew Denton, Adam Hills and Chris Lilley leading nominations for the top gong, the Gold Logie, awarded to the most popular personality on Australian TV. They face stiff competition from three sentimental favourites - last year's winner, the former Home And Away star Kate Ritchie, three-time winner Rove McManus and four-time winner Lisa McCune. The Neighbours star Natalie Blair and All Saints star John Howard are also nominated in the category.

Changes to the voting system to include text and online votes opens the field, though Howard suggested it may skew the results towards the younger nominees. "None of my people know how to text," he joked at a packed industry breakfast yesterday. Meanwhile, it's been revealed that there will be no single host of the ceremony again this year. "In celebration of 50 years of the Logies, we've decided to highlight the outstanding talent we have in this country by featuring many of the industry's finest to present the awards on this landmark event," executive producer Pam Barnes said in a statement. US band The Last Goodnight will perform their hit Pictures Of You at the ceremony.

Comic radio and TV duo Hamish Blake and Andy Lee return as hosts of the Green Room, interviewing stars, and Livinia Nixon, Shelly Craft and Jules Lund will host the glamorous red carpet arrivals.

ABC programs and personalities received 24 nominations in yesterday's announcement, second only to Channel Seven, with 30 nominations. Network Ten had 20 nominations, the host broadcaster (and TV Week corporate cousin) Nine had 19, SBS 13 and Foxtel 12. In a curious turn, SBS and Foxtel had a record number of nominations, signalling a possible shift in the audience's appetite away from the mainstream.

SBS received nods for the offbeat comedy Wilfred and the ethnic crime drama East West 101, with a nomination in the outstanding drama category and nominations for outstanding actor for its two stars, Don Hany and William McInnes. Foxtel's Sky News was nominated for outstanding news coverage for its work on the 2007 federal election, while TV1 received two nominations for its telemovie about Graham Kennedy, in the outstanding drama category, and outstanding actor for Stephen Curry, who played Kennedy. The winners will be announced in Melbourne on May 4.

Bindi Irwin has scored herself a nomination in the Most Popular New Female Talent category, against Charlotte Best from Home and Away, Tammy Clarkson from SBS's The Circuit, Adelaide Kane from Neighbours and Zoe Ventoura from SBS's Kick.

In the new category of Most Popular Factual Program, Ten's Bondi Rescue is up against Seven's Border Security and RSPCA Animal Rescue, Nine's RPA and ABC1's Choir of Hard Knocks.

Nine's big new show of last year, Sea Patrol, missed out being nominated for any award, except McCune's Gold Logie.

The Most Popular Australian Drama category has only one new show: Seven's City Homicide. The other contenders are stalwarts All Saints (Seven), Home and Away (Seven), McLeod's Daughters (Nine) and Neighbours (Ten).

In the industry voted category of Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie, Seven's City Homicide is the only commercial network show. The other nominees are ABC1's Curtin, SBS's East West 101, and pay television's The King (TV1) and Satisfaction (Showcase).

The winners will be announced in Melbourne on May 4.