2015 ASTRA Awards Winners Announced, 'Wentworth' and 'Sky News' Are Big Winners

The big names of the Australian small screen came together to celebrate 20 years of subscription television in Australia. Both past stars and the new stars attended the 2015 Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association Awards at the Star Event Centre in Sydney on Thursday. The 2015 ASTRA awards, hosted by “E News” presenter Giualiana Rancic, was the best and the biggest till now, Sky News has reported.

Australian series “Wentworth" was once again named the Most Outstanding Australian Drama. The show, which is inspired by the 1970s hit "Prisoner, won the same award last year, too. Lead actress Danielle Cormack bagged the Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor Award for her role as Bea Smith in "Wentworth." Meanwhile, HBO's “Game of Thrones,” believed to be the world’s most pirated series, won the Most Oustanding Drama award in the International category.

Although “The Devil’s Playground” lost to “Wentworth” as local drama of the year, Andrew McFarlane’s portrayal as Catholic pedophile priest Father Marco Andrassi in the show was recognised as the most outstanding performance by a male actor. His performance, according to Fairfax Media reviewer Ruth Ritchie, “will stand out and stay with viewers forever."

Sky News, Australia’s top 24-hours news service, also made the headlines as it bagged its second Channel of the Year Award, having won it back in 2006. Political anchor David Speers won Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist award -- his eighth ASTRA Award -- beating colleagues Kieran Gilber, Celina Edmonds, and Ahron Young. News presenter Paul Murray also won the Most Outstanding News Program for “Paul Murray Live” as well as took home the Most Outstanding Male Presenter award. Sky News won because of its substantial coverage of politics, according to ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden. "Sky has become the benchmark for political news coverage, becoming the first and most trusted source of political news and analysis in Australia," he said.

Maiden also paid tribute to Foxtel’s long-serving director of television Brian Walsh for being “a distinguished leader in the Australian television industry, responsible for launching the careers of many of Australia’s best known and most successful personalities.” Walsh, who has been with Foxtel since its beginning 20 years ago, was given the inaugural Industry Contribution Award.

Here are the ASTRA Awards winners, as listed by The Sydney Morning Herald:

Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female

Danielle Cormack (Wentworth, Season 2: SoHo)

Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male

Andrew McFarlane (Devil's Playground: Showcase)

Most Outstanding Presenter – Female

Kelli Underwood (Back Page Live, Breaking Ground: Fox Sports)

Most Outstanding Presenter – Male

Paul Murray (Paul Murray Live: Sky News)

Most Outstanding New Talent

Phyllis Foundis (Foundis: Aurora)

Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist