2019 Host

Sofie Formica returns as co-host for the 2019 APSAs. A well-known and respected media personality and actress, Sofie is a proud Queenslander with over 30 years of broadcast and acting experience in Australian and US markets. Sofie began her television career at the age of 14 in children’s programming and she hasn’t looked back since. Her resume boasts appearances on Wombat, Saturday Disney, Just Kidding and on Now You See It as Australia’s first female game show host. She has also appeared as an actress on Home and Away, and she was an original presenting member of Australian travel magazine series The Great Outdoors. In the US, Sofie worked as a reporter on Extra, a national entertainment magazine show and as host and producer of The Web and TV.Com for the USA Network. Sofie also starred alongside Oprah Winfrey in a 13-part series Oprah Goes Online. Sofie occasionally appears in feature films including San Andreas (2015) with Dwayne Johnson and she is a highly sort emcee and facilitator and voiceover artist Sofie was recently appointed to the Board of Brisbane Marketing, she is a passionate ambassador for the city of Brisbane and proud to be associated with honouring the diversity in filmmaking and cinematic excellence of the Asia Pacific.

The multi award-winning Deborah Mailman AM is one of Australia’s most highly respected actors on stage and screen. Her feature credits include Radiance, Rabbit Proof Fence, Three Summers, Bran Nue Dae, Oddball and the internationally acclaimed The Sapphires. On television Deborah has created some of Australia’s most enduring characters including the award-winning portrayals in Mystery Road, Redfern Now, Mabo and The Secret Life of Us as well as voicing ‘Big Cuz’ in the award-winning animation Little J and Big Cuz. Deborah has also been seen in the much-loved series Offspring, Cleverman, Jack Irish and is currently receiving generous critical appraisal for her lead role in Total Control. One of Australia’s most celebrated theatre actors, and previously a company member of the Sydney Theatre Company, Deborah’s stage performances include the Matilda Award-winning performances in Radiance and The Seven Stages of Grieving, the Helpmann Award Best Supporting Actress role in the STC production of The Lost Echo and the Helpmann Award nominated role for Best Actress in the theatre production of The Sapphires. In 2017, Deborah received the Order of Australia medal for Services to the Arts and as a role model for Indigenous performers. She is currently a Trustee of the Sydney Opera House and was appointed to the board of Screen Australia in 2019.