Like Australia's major TV awards, the Logies, The King Of Pop Awards were inaugurated and run by the Packer-owned TV WEEK magazine. Like the Logies they were decided by reader polls. The awards began in in 1967. The awards ceremony was televised by the 0-10 Network from 1967 to 1975, and from 1976 to 1978 they were handled by the Nine Network.

Singer Normie Rowe won for the first two years. He was succeeded by singer Johnny Farnham, who won the award for five consecutive years from 1969 to 1973. The "Queen Of Pop" title was added in 1972 although there had been a "Best Female Artist" award since 1969. There were also other awards such as "Best DJ" and Most Popular Group". Detailed information on these categories is still being researched.

In 1979 the awards were overhauled, the now old-fashioned "King Of Pop" title was dispensed with, and they were renamed the "TV Week Countdown Awards" and were screened on the ABC in conjunction with the ABC pop show of the same name. The Countdown Awards were eventually discontinued in the '80s, some time before Countdown was axed in 1989. By this time, the peer-voted ARIA awards were becoming recognised as the major award for popular music.

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King of Pop Awards
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