Hilary Barry Wins Best News Or Current Affairs Presenter

Media Release
Embargoed until 9pm Saturday, November 12
Saturday 12 November, 2011

Hilary Barry Wins Best News Or Current Affairs Presenter

3 News’ Hilary Barry has won the coveted Best News or Current Affair Presenter award at the Aotearoa Film and Television Awards held tonight at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre.

The win has special meaning for Hilary, and the wider 3 News team, as it recognizes her anchoring role in TV3’s breaking news coverage of the Christchurch earthquake in February.

Hamish Clark, who was first to report from the scene in Christchurch as the aftershocks continued, won the Best News Reporting award and was named Journalist of the Year.

Director of News and Current Affairs, Mark Jennings says:

“Hilary Barry has had a huge year, presenting and reporting from Christchurch during the earthquake, the African famine and the Rena grounding. The way she anchored the breaking news coverage during the earthquake was truly world class and she deserves this award very much.

“Hamish Clark was one of a group of Christchurch reporters who risked their own safety to report live during the earthquake. The fact that his coverage was carried by every major network around the world says it all.

“The Campbell Live team carried out many investigations this year. Their look into where the aid money given to Samoa after the Tsunami went.....or rather didn’t go, was one of the most important and John Campbell ‘s ability to hold people to account fills me with pride and admiration.”

Campbell Live also won big on the night, with John Campbell, Pip Keane and Claudine MacLean sharing the prestigious Investigation of the Year award for their investigation into the use of aid money raised after the Tsunami that devastated Samoa.

TV3’s run of comedy success continued, with top-rating comedy panel show 7 Days taking home the NZ On Air Best Comedy or Comedy Series Award, and its host Jeremy Corbett named Best Presenter – Entertainment/Factual.

Madeleine Sami, star of comedy series Super City, won the Best Performance by an Actress award.

Director of Programming, Kelly Martin comments:

“In a year where New Zealanders have needed laughter more than ever, it is fantastic to have the success of TV3’s local comedy recognized across 7 Days and Super City.

“I am also very pleased that Missing Pieces and Secret Lives of Dancers have taken two of the big awards of the night – and happy to say that viewers can look forward to new series of these great shows in 2012.

“These awards are a tribute to the production teams, our commissioners, and everyone who contributes to local programming.”

Set behind the scenes of the Royal NZ Ballet, The Secret Lives of Dancers won the award for Best Observational Reality Series, while Missing Pieces was named Best Constructed Reality Series.

TV3’s other awards saw Best Director Documentary going to Annie Goldson for Brother Number One, which will screen on TV3 in 2012; James Griffin winning Best Script - Drama/Comedy for his work on the final season of Outrageous Fortune; and Best Cinematography Documentary/Factual awarded to David Paul for The Banker, The Escorts, and The $18 Million. Images & Sound Best Editing Drama/Comedy went to Allanah Milne for Stolen, and 3 News’ Cameron Williams won Best News Camera.

Dean Cornish and Nick Dwyer shared the Best Director - Entertainment/Factual award for Making Tracks, which screened on C4.

ENDS

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