TVNZ Takes Clean Sweep Of Top Honours

A clean sweep of the top honours for TVNZ at the Qantas Media Awards held in Auckland tonight.

TVNZ scooped the top six awards in News and Current Affairs and ONE NEWS has been voted Best News Programme for the fifth consecutive year by an international judging panel, which called it a "world class news service." TVNZ won 26 of the annual Qantas Media Awards for television, 23 of which were for News and Current Affairs, including the Supreme Award for Excellence in Journalism.

In this evening's awards, the judges concluded that ONE NEWS "showed ability and a commitment to report and explain important issues and to do so in a way that holds a viewer's interest. While providing in-depth, comprehensive coverage of major stories, ONE NEWS did not allow them to dominate to the detriment of other topics in a day's news agenda."

ONE NEWS won a total of fourteen awards, including Best Senior Reporter CHARLOTTE GLENNIE, who went on to win the Supreme Award for her reporting of the tsunami in Asia. The judges said of the international correspondent, she won for "her consistently high quality work, in particular her informative and compassionate coverage of the tsunami disaster."

The TVNZ News and Current Affairs stable again dominated the television section of the 2005 Qantas Media Awards, winning the most prestigious awards including Best News programme, Best Current Affairs programme, Best News Reporter, Best Current Affairs Reporter, Best Documentary and Best Presenter as well as the Supreme Award.

The coveted prize of Best Presenter was awarded to CLOSE UP's SUSAN WOOD. The judging panel were impressed by Susan's skills as a "good interviewer [who is] persistent when necessary." The panel also commentated on her "good studio and location technique," and her ability to be "articulate and adapt[s] well to subject matter."

TV One's flagship Current Affairs show SUNDAY continued to shine in the annual awards winning Best Current Affairs programme along with Best Current Affairs Reporter, MIRIAMA KAMO, who now fronts TV2's new 20/20 programme. In their comments, the judging panel believed Miriama "demonstrated excellent reporter/talent rapport with strong interest and emotional content."

ONE NEWS awards included: Best Business, Finance and Economics story; Best Crime and Justice story; Best Health and Medicine story; Best Human Relations story; Best Maori Issues story; Best Other (Pacific Islands issues) story; Best Sport story and Best Arts story. It is worth noting that investigative reporter Phil Kitchin picked up his second Qantas Award this year for his reporting on the Police pack rape allegations – having simultaneously covered the story for ONE NEWS and The Dominion Post, winning the top Qantas Print Award for 2005.

In the Current Affairs field, SUNDAY won in the categories of: Best Editing; Best Health and Medicine story; Best Political story and Best Arts feature.

The Qantas Media Awards also recognise the best in craft and ONE NEWS again took the majority of awards; winning in Best Editing (News) and Best Editing (Current Affairs).

SIMON MERCEP of FAIR GO also winning the esteemed Best Scripting Award.

Once again, TVNZ has been well represented in the Best Television programming category, winning Best Coverage of a Sporting Event for SHELL HELIX MOTORSPORT (ONE SPORT); Best Documentary for the story on Ahmed Zhaoui, ENEMY OF THE STATE (ONE NEWS INSIGHT) ; Best magazine /Lifestyle programme for TASTE NEW ZEALAND (TVNZ) and Best Sports programme for THE BROWN FACTOR (AKA PRODUCTIONS).

For further information please contact: Zara Potts (TV ONE PUBLICIST) on 09 916 7294 or 021 416 706.

The full list of awards for TVNZ is as follows:

Supreme Award for Excellence in Television:

CHARLOTTE GLENNIE

Best News Programme:

ONE NEWS

Best Current Affairs Programme:

SUNDAY

Best Presenter:

SUSAN WOOD

Best Senior Reporter:

CHARLOTTE GLENNIE

Best Current Affairs Reporter:

MIRIAMA KAMO

NEWS

Best News:

ONE NEWS

Best Senior News Reporter:

CHARLOTTE GLENNIE (ONE NEWS)

Finalist: EWART BARNSLEY (ONE NEWS)

Best Junior News Reporter:

Finalist: ERIN CONROY

Best Business Report:

OWEN POLAND (ONE NEWS) (Origin Pacific Financial Crisis)

Best Crime and Justice Report:

PHILIP KITCHIN and CHRIS HARRINGTON (ONE NEWS) (Police Pack Rape – News special)

Best Health and Medicine Report:

LORELEI MASON (ONE NEWS) (The Gift of Sound)

Best Human Relations Report:

LISA OWEN (ONE NEWS) (Unknown Warrior)

Best Maori Issues Report:

TINI MOLYNEUX (ONE NEWS) (Hikoi)

Best Pacific Islands Issues Report:

BARBARA DREAVER (ONE NEWS) (Adoption Ring)

Best Sport DB BREWERIES Award:

MICHAEL HOLLAND (ONE NEWS) (Cycle Gold)

Best Arts Report – CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND – Award:

MIKE JASPERS (ONE NEWS) (Oscars Triumph)

Best Other Report:

BARBARA DREAVER (ONE NEWS) (Pensioner Housing Scam)

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Best Current Affairs:

SUNDAY

Finalist: FRONTSEAT (GIBSON GROUP)

Best Television Current Affairs Reporter:

MIRIAMA KAMO (SUNDAY)

Best Environment and Conservation report:

BRENT FRASER (HOLMES) (Clover Horses – Pip Keane, Producer)

Best Health and Medicine Report:

MIRIAMA KAMO (SUNDAY) The Lost Children – Chris Harrington, Denise Montgomery, Producers)

Best Political Report:

PETER CRONSHAW (SUNDAY) (Return to Sender – John Keir, Producer)

Best Arts-CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND- Award:

MARK CRYSELL (SUNDAY) (Sharp Focus- Jane Skinner, Producer)

CRAFT

Best Presenting:

SUSAN WOOD (CLOSE UP)

Finalists:

MARK SAINSBURY (CLOSE UP)

KATE HAWKESBY (TONIGHT)

Best Camera News – Senior:

Finalists:

CHRIS BROWN (ONE NEWS)

EDWARD WI (TONIGHT)

Best Camera News – Junior:

Finalists:

JASON HULL (ONE NEWS)

JARED MASON (ONE NEWS)

Best Editing – News:

PAUL SPARKES (ONE NEWS)

Finalist: DAVID RANGI (TONIGHT)

Best Editing – Current Affairs:

MARK SLEEMAN (SUNDAY)

Finalist: SIMON BECK (HOLMES)

Best Scripting:

SIMON MERCEP (FAIR GO)

Finalists:

MIRIAMA KAMO (SUNDAY)

LISA OWEN (ONE NEWS)

Best Interviewing:

Finalist: SUSAN WOOD (CLOSE UP)

TELEVISION PROGRAMMES

Best Coverage of a Sporting Event:

SHELL HELIX MOTORSPORT (ONE SPORT) (NZ V8 International – David Turner, Stephen Coates, Producers)

Finalist:

ONE SPORT NETBALL (ONE SPORT) (NZ v Australia 3rd Test – Stephen Coates, Barbara Mitchell, Producer & Director)

Best Documentary:

ENEMY OF THE STATE (ONE NEWS INSIGHT) (Ahmed Zhaoui – Alex van Wel, Reporter. Mike Valintine, Director)

Finalists:

NEW FACES NEW FEARS (BATES PRODUCTIONS

FROM LEN LYE TO GOLLUM: NEW ZEALAND ANIMATORS (COBALT VFX)

COLIN McCAHON: I AM (SCREENTIME LTD)

Best Magazine/Lifestyle Programme:

TASTE NEW ZEALAND (TVNZ) (Ireland)

Finalist:

HEADLINERS (ONE NEWS) (NZ Idol Special)

Best Sports Programme:

THE BROWN FACTOR (AKA PRODUCTIONS)

Finalist:

SHELL HELIX MOTORSPORT (ONE SPORT) (2004 Australian Grand Prix – David Turner, Producer)

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