Jump to content

Michael Balk

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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]

Personal life

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]
  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)
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Balk&oldid=1255009818"