Waleed Aly's moving Gold Logie acceptance speech

It was a speech that will go down in Logies history.

TV personality and columnist, Waleed Aly, made a powerful speech on race and acceptance in Australian society after winning the Gold Logie last night.

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"Someone who is in this room -- and I'm not going to use the name they use in the industry -- came up to me, introduced themselves and said, 'I really hope you win. My name is Mustafa. But I can't use that name because I won't get a job.'"

Waleed continued: "He's here tonight. And it matters to people like that that I am here. I know it's not because of me. I know that."

"But if tonight means anything, it's that the Australian public, our audience, as far as they're concerned, there is absolutely no reason why that can't change," Waleed said.

Confronting, intelligent and at times divisive - what is it about The Project presenter, who was publicly called a d*ck by national treasure Shane Warne, to have won TV’s biggest gong over his peers?

WHO IS WALEED ALY?

Presenting well-researched and compelling investigative TV pieces on current affairs is rare. That in itself is a given.

But the truth is, it’s not just Waleed Aly’s diverse and gripping way of telling us stories that won him gold – he’s genuinely a good bloke and (slowly but surely) changing commercial television in Australia for the better.

"I'm happy to accept this award but I accept it on behalf of our show, a show that's not afraid to make mistakes going after things, trying to tell a story in a more interesting way," he told the audience at the Logies.

"I think it's no coincidence that Carrie and I are both nominated," he continued. "This is a show that lands not only on people's television screens but in people's hearts and I can't take credit for that, but it's something I'm proud of."

HIS BACKGROUND

Born in Melbourne to Muslim Egyptian parents, Waleed went to school at Wesley College before heading off to the University of Melbourne and graduating with engineering and law (with honours) degrees in 2002. Although Waleed is known for his work in the media and the Global Terrorism Research Centre at Monash University, he worked as a family court judge's associate and as a lawyer for several firms in his younger years.

Waleed’s written for The Guardian, The Australian,The Australian Financial Review,The Sydney Morning Herald,The Age, appeared on ABC new programs, SBS, hosted radio shows, and is the head of public affairs for the Islamic Council of Victoria.

It wasn’t until he joined The Project permanently in January 2015 that Australia was finally starting to see some diversity during the commercial news hour.

WALEED GOES VIRAL

We’ve been treated to many a Waleed moment, including November last year after the Paris attacks, when Waleed schooled us on the weaknesses of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in a four-minute monologue. He criticised ISIL labeling them as "bastards" and called for Australians not to preach hate at a time when we needed love the most.

The video soon went viral.

In March 2015 the presenter was accused of racism for joking on air that he and friend 'Mustafa' would not be allowed to join a gun-happy Jewish self-defence class.

Channel 10 broadcasted the segment about the IDF training school's 'tactical shooting program' that will supposedly protect us from terrorism. During the discussion Waleed playfully said: “If I rocked up with my mates Mustapha and Hamoudi, do you reckon they'd let us train?”

The founder of the program fumed and demanded The Project host apologise for the 'racist comment'.

Everyone loves a bit of controversy but apparently Waleed’s Logie nomination angered TV insiders big time.

“What has Waleed ever done? Because he does an editorial slapping someone down every now and then, does that qualify him for a Gold Logie? And is The Project successful? No,” a TV source told News Corp.

Even Today Show hosts Karl and Lisa’s banter about Waleed’s nom was inappropriate.

__Ben: "Where is Lisa Wilkinson's Gold Logie?"
Karl: "Lisa's too white."
Ben: "Is that it?"
Karl: "That's it."
Lisa: (laughing) "I got a spray tan and everything, still didn't make it. What can you do?"
Karl: "Logies controversy. Boom."
__
Waleed may not be on social media (like, seriously, mate get onto that!) but he perfectly shrugged off haters by simply saying he has “no words.”

Class act.

Hate him or love him Waleed won his Logie fair and square. He's entertaining and he's popular. At least Lee Lin Chin thinks so!

For more visit yahoo7.com.au/Logies

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