Michael Balk

Last updated

Michael Balk
NationalityAustralian
Alma materQueensland University of Technology
Occupation(s)Actor, Producer, Television Presenter
Years active2000–present

Michael Balk is an Australian actor, television presenter, radio announcer [1] and producer. [2]

Contents

Personal life

Michael grew up in the Clarence Valley in Northern Rivers New South Wales. [3] He attended primary and secondary school in Grafton [4] before moving to Brisbane to study Arts/Law at Queensland University of Technology. [5]

Balk is the nephew of acclaimed filmmaker Philip Hearnshaw, [6] and grandson of Australian Liberal Politician Eric Hearnshaw. [7]

Career

Balk is best known for his original television roles, notably scrapboy in dirtgirlworld [8] [9] & Get Grubby TV, [10] Glen Goosebump in SMASHHDOWN!, [11] and various characters on BrainBuzz. [12]

Michael appears in musicals, [13] theatre productions [14] and television commercials. [15] [16]

Between 2006 and 2010 Michael was lead presenter and producer at Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo. [17]

Michael is the president [18] of the Australian charity the Actors & Entertainers Benevolent Fund of Queensland. [19] He served as president of Actors Equity Queensland for many years, and as a board director for the MEAA. [20] Michael is currently the Federal President of the Media Entertainment Arts Alliance. [21]

Awards and nominations

Michael was nominated for Best Emerging Artist at the Matilda Awards in 2005 and 2006. [22]

In 2010 dirtgirlworld was nominated for a Logie Award in the Outstanding Children's Program category. [23] The creators of the show dedicated the nomination to key creatives on the team citing Michael Balk among them. [24]

The stars of dirtgirlworld were recognized with an AFI Award in Melbourne, Australia in 2010. [25]

dirtgirlworld also received nominations for a BAFTA [26] and Prix Jeunesse Award [27] in 2010, and for Outstanding Preschool Programme at the 2011 JAPAN prize [28] in Tokyo.

In 2013, Balk and the team from the ABC went on to win the International Digital Emmy Award in Cannes for their work on dirtgirlworld. [29]

Balk was voted in the Clarence Valley's Most Influential People of 2019. [30]

Related Research Articles

<i>Kath & Kim</i> Australian comedy television series

Kath & Kim is an Australian sitcom originally airing in the prime-time slot on ABC Television from 2002 and 2005 and subsequently on the Seven Network in 2007 and 2022. The show was produced by Riley and Turner Productions, the firm of Jane Turner and Gina Riley, who star as the titular characters of Kath Day-Knight, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and Kim, her narcissistic daughter. Additional cast members include Glenn Robbins as Kel Knight, Kath's metrosexual boyfriend ; Kim's henpecked husband Brett Craig, and her lonely "second-best friend" Magda Szubanski as Sharon Strzelecki. The series is set in Fountain Lakes, a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The series received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised the humor and cast performances, particularly of Turner and Riley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logie Awards</span> Annual Australian television awards

The TV Week Logie Awards is an annual ceremony celebrating and honouring the best shows and stars in Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine TV Week. The event is telecast live and billed as "television's night of nights". The first ceremony was hosted in 1959 as the TV Week Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deborah Mailman</span> Australian actress

Deborah Jane Mailman is an Australian television and film actress, and singer. Mailman is known for her characters: Kelly Lewis on the Australian drama series The Secret Life of Us, Cherie Butterfield in the Australian comedy-drama series Offspring, Lorraine in the Australian drama series Redfern Now and Aunt Linda in the Australian dystopian science fiction series Cleverman. Mailman portrayed the lead role of MP Alexandra "Alex" Irving on the Australian political drama series Total Control.

Simone Jade Mackinnon is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Allie Reese on Baywatch Hawaii (1999–2000) and Stevie Hall on McLeod's Daughters (2003–2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhys Wakefield</span> Australian actor

Rhys Wakefield is an Australian actor and director, known for his roles in Australian TV series Home and Away, the feature film The Black Balloon (2008) and in season 3 of HBO's True Detective in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonia Kruger</span> Australian television presenter and media personality

Sonia Melissa Kruger is an Australian Gold Logie award-winning television presenter, actress and media personality, who has been a prominent figure in the media for over 20 years. Kruger is currently the host of Big Brother Australia and a presenter on The Voice Australia. She is best known for co-hosting the popular Australian version of Dancing with the Stars and for the role of Tina Sparkle in the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom, Kruger has also been a co-host of breakfast program Today Extra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Lawson</span> Australian actor

Ben Lawson is an Australian actor. From 2006 until 2008, he played Frazer Yeats in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. The role earned him a Logie Award nomination. Lawson has since appeared in several American television series, including The Deep End, Covert Affairs, and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. In 2011, he starred opposite Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in the film No Strings Attached. From 2017 to 2018, he starred as Damien Rennett on the ABC political drama Designated Survivor. He also played baseball coach Rick Wlodimierzin in the second season of 13 Reasons Why, and Larry Hemsworth on The Good Place. Lawson portrays Lachlan Murdoch in the 2019 film Bombshell, alongside his brother Josh Lawson who played James Murdoch. Since 2021, he stars in the Netflix series Firefly Lane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kat Stewart</span> Australian actress

Katherine Louise Stewart is an Australian actress who has made numerous appearances in television series, movies and on-stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Costa Georgiadis</span> Australian landscape architect and TV presenter (born 1964)

Costa Georgiadis is an Australian author, landscape architect, environmental educator and television presenter. Costa is the third host of ABC television series Gardening Australia after Peter Cundall and Stephen Ryan, and previously appeared as 'Costa the Garden Gnome' in the ABC Kids program Get Grubby TV.

<i>Dirtgirlworld</i> 2009 multi-national TV series or program

Dirtgirlworld, stylized as dirtgirlworld, is an animated children's television series, created by Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustace of Mememe Productions. Visually designed by Jean Camden, James Hackett and Cate McQuillen, it was animated by Hackett Films in Australia and Spin Productions in Canada. The show was co-produced by Mememe Productions (Australia) and Decode Entertainment (Canada). The show has 52 eleven-minute episodes commissioned by CBeebies, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logie Awards of 2011</span>

The 53rd Annual TV Week Logie Awards was held on Sunday 1 May 2011 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, and broadcast on the Nine Network. The ceremony was hosted by Shane Bourne, while the red carpet arrivals was hosted by Shelley Craft, Livinia Nixon, James Mathison and Jules Lund. Musical performers at the event were Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Jessie J. It was the last Logies ceremony to have a host until 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logie Awards of 2013</span>

The 55th Annual TV Week Logie Awards was held on Sunday 7 April 2013 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, and broadcast on the Nine Network and simulcast of Today Network's radio stations. Public voting for the "Most Popular" categories were conducted through an online survey from late November 2012 to 10 February 2013. Nominations were announced on 11 March 2013. Network Ten's Offspring received the most nominations with eight. Hamish and Andy's Euro Gap Year, Hamish and Andy's Caravan of Courage: Australia Vs New Zealand, Home and Away, Howzat! Kerry Packer's War, and Puberty Blues each received five nominations. Television presenter Brian Henderson was inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logie Awards of 2014</span>

The 56th Annual TV Week Logie Awards was held on Sunday 27 April 2014 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, and broadcast on the Nine Network. The red carpet arrivals was hosted by Sonia Kruger and Jules Lund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logie Awards of 2015</span>

The 57th Annual TV Week Logie Awards was held on Sunday 3 May 2015 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, and broadcast live on the Nine Network. The red carpet arrivals coverage was hosted by Shelley Craft and Jules Lund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logie Awards of 2016</span>

The 58th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were held on Sunday 8 May 2016 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, and broadcast live on the Nine Network. Public voting for the Best Award categories began on 16 November 2015, and ended on 17 January 2016. Nominations were announced on 3 April 2016, along with the winners of the Outstanding Newcomer Awards.

Smashhdown! is an Australian children's sports game show on 9Go!. The show features sports challenges and trivia to find "Australia's number one junior sports all-rounder".

References

  1. ↑ "Announcers". 4MBS Classic FM 103.7. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  2. ↑ "Michael Balk". IMDb. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  3. ↑ "Dirtgirlworld creators win AFI". Northern Star. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Apps, Lesley. "Australia going bananas for Dave". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Michael Balk: Education". LinkedIn.
  6. ↑ "Australian film's right-hand man". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "Eric Hearnshaw", Wikipedia, 8 April 2020, retrieved 12 April 2020
  8. ↑ "Logie nomination for dirtgirlworld". Coffs Coast Advocate. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "Valley's dirtgirlworld success". Coffs Coast Advocate. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  10. ↑ LukeMortimer. "Local kids will Get Grubby in Dirtgirlworld spin-off". Northern Star. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "Airdate: Smashhdown!". TV Tonight. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Apps, Lesley. "Grafton actor's newest roles of a lifetime". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  13. ↑ Kellar, Jim (9 January 2016). "MAKING HER OWN BREAKS". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  14. ↑ Blake, Elissa (11 January 2016). "Costa Georgiadis gets grubby on stage". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Second fiddle to a whopper". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "Balk hops into mockumentary". Queensland Times. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "TV: Mouse a must for preschoolers". www.couriermail.com.au. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "Tough fight for actors and entertainers before the curtain rises again". InQueensland. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  19. ↑ "Our Committee | Actors' & Entertainers' Benevolent Fund of QLD Inc" . Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "Equity Foundation".
  21. ↑ "Michael Balk elected new MEAA Federal President". MEAA. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  22. ↑ "Matilda Awards", Wikipedia, 9 April 2020, retrieved 12 April 2020
  23. ↑ "Logie nomination for dirtgirlworld". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  24. ↑ "Logie nomination for dirtgirlworld". Tweed Daily News. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  25. ↑ "Dirtgirlworld creators win AFI". Daily Mercury. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  26. ↑ "dirtgirlworld nominated for BAFTA". TV Tonight. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  27. ↑ "Dirtgirlworld a celebration of outdoors fun for children". The West Australian. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  28. ↑ "Cate McQuillen". Screenworks. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  29. ↑ "ABC TV's dirtgirlworld cleans up at Digital Emmys". About the ABC. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  30. ↑ Howard, Lesley Apps, Tim. "Clarence Valley's most influential people #18-15". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 7 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.