Michael Balk | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | Queensland University of Technology |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Producer, Television Presenter |
| Years active | 2000–present |
Michael Balk is an Australian actor, television presenter, radio announcer [1] and producer. [2]
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]
References
- ^ "Announcers". 4MBS Classic FM 103.7. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ "Michael Balk". IMDb. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Dirtgirlworld creators win AFI". Northern Star. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ Apps, Lesley. "Australia going bananas for Dave". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Michael Balk: Education". LinkedIn.
- ^ "Australian film's right-hand man". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Eric Hearnshaw", Wikipedia, 8 April 2020, retrieved 12 April 2020
- ^ "Logie nomination for dirtgirlworld". Coffs Coast Advocate. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Valley's dirtgirlworld success". Coffs Coast Advocate. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ LukeMortimer. "Local kids will Get Grubby in Dirtgirlworld spin-off". Northern Star. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Airdate: Smashhdown!". TV Tonight. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ Apps, Lesley. "Grafton actor's newest roles of a lifetime". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ Kellar, Jim (9 January 2016). "MAKING HER OWN BREAKS". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ Blake, Elissa (11 January 2016). "Costa Georgiadis gets grubby on stage". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Second fiddle to a whopper". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Balk hops into mockumentary". Queensland Times. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "TV: Mouse a must for preschoolers". www.couriermail.com.au. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Tough fight for actors and entertainers before the curtain rises again". InQueensland. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ "Our Committee | Actors' & Entertainers' Benevolent Fund of QLD Inc". Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Equity Foundation".
- ^ "Michael Balk elected new MEAA Federal President". MEAA. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Matilda Awards", Wikipedia, 9 April 2020, retrieved 12 April 2020
- ^ "Logie nomination for dirtgirlworld". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Logie nomination for dirtgirlworld". Tweed Daily News. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Dirtgirlworld creators win AFI". Daily Mercury. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "dirtgirlworld nominated for BAFTA". TV Tonight. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Dirtgirlworld a celebration of outdoors fun for children". The West Australian. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Cate McQuillen". Screenworks. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "ABC TV's dirtgirlworld cleans up at Digital Emmys". About the ABC. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
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^ Howard, Lesley Apps, Tim.
"Clarence Valley's most influential people #18-15". Daily Examiner. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
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