TVNZ Wins 11 of 12 Qantas Awards For News & C.A

TVNZ WINS 11 OF 12 QANTAS AWARDS FOR NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

Saturday the 5th of September, 2009

TVNZ has won 11 of the 12 Qantas Awards in the News & Current Affairs category including the most prestigious one for Best News.

The Qantas Film and Television Award winners have been announced across two events at Auckland's Civic Theatre this weekend including the Craft Lunch yesterday and the Gala this evening.

"We're absolutely over the moon with the result," says TVNZ's Head of News and Current Affairs, Anthony Flannery.

"To win 11 of the 12 awards in our category, including Best News for the second year in a row, is a fantastic result for our staff - it doesn't get much better than that.

"We have worked very hard to bring New Zealanders a world class news and current affairs service that delivers the stories that's important to them and their families.

"We are consistently reviewing our programmes, and striving to improve the skills of all of our staff both on screen and behind the scenes.

"It's great to receive such overwhelming acknowledgement for our efforts."

TVNZ current affairs programmes Sunday, Close Up and 20/20 also had outstanding results - 20/20 won one, Close Up won two, including Journalist of the Year and Sunday won three, including Best Investigation.

"These awards are a tribute to the skill and professionalism of our current affairs programmes - the reporters, the producers, researchers, camera operators, editors...the whole team," says Flannery.

"These programmes aim to educate, inform, give a window to the world and provide a voice to those battling the odds.

"TVNZ is proud of their brilliant work."

There were several categories where TVNZ journalists and presenters were named as all 3 finalists, and were competing against each other this evening. Breakfast's Paul Henry, One News Sport Presenter, Andrew Saville and Fair Go's Kevin Milne were up against each other for Best Presenter, with veteran journalist Kevin Milne taking the title for 2009.

"It would have been a very difficult category to judge because these guys are all uniquely talented, absolute professionals and at the top of their game.

"Congratulations to Kevin, it's a tremendous accolade in the year he celebrates 25 years on Fair Go. Paul Henry and Andrew Saville are incredibly popular with their viewers and I know they will win many awards in the years to come."

Sunday morning political show Q+A won the award for Best Current Affairs Series.

"This is an amazing result for an ambitious programme that's been on-air less than a year.

"Q+A is challenging, intelligent and compelling. In its short life Q+A has broken many important stories and regularly sets the political platform for the coming week.

"Paul Holmes, Guyon Espiner and Therese Arseneau - along with their weekly panel of guests - have set a new benchmark for political programming.

"Finally, I'd like to acknowledge the very important role our viewers also play in judging us every day by using the remote - thank you for choosing to watch TVNZ News and Current Affairs."

BEST NEWS - ONE NEWS, TVNZ

Editor, Paul Patrick and his team won this award for their coverage of the US Presidential Election last November and the Napier Siege in May.

BEST NEWS or CURRENT AFFAIRS PRESENTER - KEVIN MILNE, Fair Go

Kevin Milne won this award for a Fair Go show where he presented the programme and the lead story - Classic Kevin Milne out and about battling for decent kiwis.

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING (WEEKLY PROGRAMME) - JOHN HUDSON, STEPHEN BUTLER, LEANDER SCOTT-DONELAN & PORTIA MAO, Sunday

John Hudson and his team won this award for their story BAD MILK, they risked arrest by going to China to investigate Fonterra's part in the melamine baby milk powder scandal.

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING (DAILY PROGRAMME) - ROBYN JANES, LOUISA CLEAVE, CORINNE AMBLER, Close Up

Reporters, Robyn Janes and Corinne Ambler with producer, Louisa Cleave won this award for their week long series of stories on poor maintenance in some of our schools. The series of investigations unearthed hazardous conditions that compromised children's safety and wellbeing to such an extent the Ministry of Education was forced to act. SCHOOLS was a series of stories that really did make a difference. Robyn Janes has won this award for the second year in a row.

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS SERIES - PAUL HOLMES, GUYON ESPINER, THERESE ARSENEAU, MARY-ANNE AHERN & TIM WATKIN, Q+A

Q+A won the award for its 3rd episode which included Guyon Espiner's interview with Bill English that exposed the gap between the Finance Minister and Prime Minister over their analysis of the global recession and Paul Holmes's interview with Helen Clark and her husband Peter Davis - Peter talked openly about Helen Clark's feelings of rejection after losing the 2008 election.

INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR - IAN SINCLAIR, DALE OWENS, Sunday

Ian and Dale spent weeks tracking down Dr Roman Hasil to uncover his sinister and violent past that included suspicion of murder. The story prompted Australian Police to re-open a cold case and raised serious questions about Dr Hasil's appointment at Wanganui Hospital.

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR - ROBYN JANES, LOUISA CLEAVE, CORINNE AMBLER, Close Up

(Story detail above)

Yesterday at the Craft Awards TVNZ won all four of the awards in the News Category:

BEST NEWS CAMERA OPERATOR - JARED MASON, TVNZ NEWS

Jared won this award for the pictures he beamed back to NZ from the intensity of the McCain camp on the day of the US Presidential Elections. Not only did Jared shoot the pictures he also edited them.

BEST NEWS EDITING - KIRSTEN BOLAM, TVNZ NEWS

Kirsten won this award for her unique ability to be able to tell a story with pictures and sound. She integrated two seemingly opposite concepts of concert violin playing and physical training to show an Ironwoman's breadth of talent.

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS CAMERA - CHRIS BROWN, 20/20

Chris won this award for following a kiwi in the Amazing Race through Death Valley for 38 hours showing the contrast between extreme endurance and raw beauty.

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITING - WILL KONG, SUNDAY

Will won this award for his ability to be able to edit a story with empathy and impact. Will worked with Reporter, Janet McIntyre to bring Sunday viewers the tragic story of Wanganui father Alan Hampton whose son, Geoffrey died in his arms while waiting for rescue after a boating mishap. It was Geoffrey's 19th birthday.

Seventeen of the 25 awards in the General TV category were also won by or screened on TVNZ.

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