But his moment of glory was derailed when he was joined on stage by Molly Meldrum, the iconic music journalist he played in the television mini-series Molly.

Meldrum's speech was affectionate in its intention, but rambling.

It was also peppered with the word "f---" which, if nothing else, saw American actor Michael Cole's legendary use of the word "shit" during the 1973 Logies telecast and raised it tenfold.

Though Meldrum's words were difficult to follow, in essence he acknowledged Johnson's excellent work in Molly but noted that he had initially been uncertain of the decision to cast him.

"I wasn't sure," Meldrum said. "Was it a good idea or what?"

Meldrum said he then watched The Secret Life of Us, in which Johnson had starred, and was surprised to see his own assistant Yael Cohn in a sex scene with Johnson.

Cohn, who has been Meldrum's assistant for more than a decade, is credited as playing "Naked Girl" in the pilot telemovie of The Secret Life of Us.

"I know it's very hard to play an old drama queen like myself, and you did a great job," Meldrum added, gifting Johnson with his signature hat. "I would like to crown you also," Meldrum said. "Well done."

Before Meldrum's stage invasion, Johnson said: "I was an outlier of sorts, desperate to find my place in this world and I finally found my home in the arts, a place that celebrated difference, and encouraged me to work harder and to pursue excellence.

"I did none of that," Johnson added, wryly.

Speaking to the media after his win, Johnson said Australia's love for Meldrum partly explained the Gold Logie vote. But it was also driven by support from Love Your Sister, the cancer fundraising charity, which has 382,000 Facebook likes.

"Facebook has been swinging elections lately and we're no exception," he said.

When Johnson's name was called, his "whole brain went fuzzy, and my heart popped - and then Molly's there, and I couldn't hear him because I'm half-deaf."

He said he would likely post his full acceptance speech on Facebook.

"The Love Your Sister village had so much to do with it, and I'm so annoyed I didn't have the presence of mind to acknowledge it ... I had it all planned!

"It's about [my sister] Connie for me."

On stage, Johnson took the moment in his stride, smiling broadly as Meldrum spoke.

The incident capped off a night rich with sentiment but - until its final moments - few surprises.

Johnson's win was a shock, edging out the category's favourite Waleed Aly. The Project host won the Gold Logie last year.

Johnson defeated five other television personalities for the win: Aly, game show host Grant Denyer, actors Jessica Marais and Rodger Corser and the co-host of The Project, Peter Helliar.

Overall the telecast of the 59th annual TV Week Logie Awards, which included touching tributes to legendary comic John Clarke and television pioneer Reg Grundy, was sentimental in tone.

It also saw daytime television icon Kerri-Anne Kennerley inducted into the TV Week Logie Hall of Fame; the 63-year-old Brisbane-born personality won her first Logie award for a career spanning five decades.

In keeping with a more modern tradition and largely in order to spare them the critics' sword, the telecast had no official host, but was opened with a monologue from comedian Dave Hughes.

As it happens there was no need to worry; Hughes neatly sliced and diced the room with a spectacular set, taking no prisoners and firing barbs aimed at the subjects of recent scandals including George Calombaris, Grant Hackett and Seven Network boss Tim Worner.

Amber Harrison, the woman at the centre of the Worner scandal, even offered Hughes the best of luck via Twitter.

The prominence of women in the night's major category became something of an issue in the lead-up to the awards; the Gold Logie has been awarded to a woman only 23 times in its almost 60-year history.

One of those - veteran actress Lorrae Desmond, who was also the first woman to win a Gold Logie in 1962 - was in attendance.

Among the night's highlights was a stunning performance of David Bowie's Heroes by former Australian Idol contestant Casey Donovan.

Donovan performed the song to accompany the "in memoriam" package, which acknowledged the passing of a number of key industry personalities including sports presenters Max Walker and Rebecca Wilson, actress Chelsea Brown and actor Ross Higgins.

During another segment, presenter Peter Helliar and actress Kat Stewart clashed over the fact that both were wearing fuschia; the segment was a wry nod to the Amber Sherlock "jacketgate" scandal, in which she and two other presenters clashed over the colour of their wardrobe.

One of the night's most touching moments was Kerri-Anne Kennerley's induction to the TV Week Logie Hall of Fame.

Kennerley appeared to be settling in for a long speech - at one point she requested something to drink, and a glass of champagne was delivered by singer and television host David Campbell - and told the audience she was grateful "not to get [the Logie Award] posthumously".

Kennerley was introduced by television presenter (and Logie winner) Amanda Keller, who revealed one of her earliest jobs in television was working as a researcher on Kennerley's show, Good Morning Australia.

"Few have survived the horror of the fashion era that was the '80s, like this woman," Keller said. "Personally, I can think of no-one more deserving of this big, warm, professional hug than Kerri-Anne Kennerley."

One of the night's big winners was the pay television platform Foxtel, which swept through the outstanding drama categories.

Foxtel's The Kettering Incident won best miniseries as well as outstanding actor for its star, Henry Nixon; actors Anna Torv and Damon Herriman also won awards for their work in the Foxtel drama Secret City.

Foxtel's drama series A Place To Call Home won the award for outstanding drama.

Roughly half of the awards are jury-voted "outstanding" awards which recognise excellence in series, miniseries, performance and program genres, including entertainment, comedy, children's television, news coverage and sport.

The remainder are awarded to the most popular programs - the categories marked "best" - and are based on audience voting; voting closed for those categories in December.

with Michael Lallo

Full list of winners

Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on TV: Samuel Johnson

Gold Logie TV Week Hall of Fame: Kerri-Anne Kennerley

Outstanding Drama Series: A Place To Call Home (Showcase/Foxtel)

Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie: The Kettering Incident (Showcase/Foxtel)

Outstanding Actor: Henry Nixon (The Kettering Incident, Showcase/Foxtel)

Outstanding Actress: Anna Torv (Secret City, Showcase/Foxtel)

Outstanding Supporting Actor: Damon Herriman (Secret City, Showcase/Foxtel)

Outstanding Supporting Actress: Debra Lawrance (Please Like Me, ABC)

Outstanding Entertainment Program: Have You Been Paying Attention? (Network Ten)

Outstanding Comedy Program: Please Like Me (ABC)

Outstanding Children's Program: Little Lunch, The Nightmare Before Graduation (ABC Me)

Outstanding Sports Coverage: Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Channel Seven)

Outstanding News Coverage: Sky News Election Coverage 2016 (Sky News/Foxtel)

Outstanding Public Affairs Report: "Australia's Shame" (Four Corners, ABC)

Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program: Conviction (ABC)

Graham Kennedy Award For Outstanding Newcomer: Elias Anton (Barracuda, ABC)

Best (Most Popular) Actor: Samuel Johnson (Molly, Channel Seven)

Best (Most Popular) Actress: Jessica Marais (Love Child, Nine Network, The Wrong Girl, Ten Network)

Best (Most Popular) Presenter: Waleed Aly (The Project, Network Ten)

Best (Most Popular) New Talent: Rob Collins (Cleverman, ABC)

Best (Most Popular) Drama Program: Molly (Channel Seven)

Best (Most Popular) Entertainment Program: Have You Been Paying Attention? (Network Ten)

Best (Most Popular) News Panel or Current Affairs Program: The Project (Network Ten)

Best (Most Popular) Reality Program: The Block (Nine Network)

Best (Most Popular) Sports Program: The NRL Footy Show (Nine Network)

Best (Most Popular) Lifestyle Program: The Living Room (Network Ten)

Best (Most Popular) Factual Program: Gogglebox Australia (Lifestyle Channel/Foxtel and Network Ten)