New look Television Awards launched

New Zealand Television Broadcasters' Council

Monday 20 June 2005

New look Television Awards launched

New Television Awards are being launched by the free TV broadcasters which will be a first for television in New Zealand. They will be the first to recognise excellence in all main genres of homegrown television, including news and current affairs.

Chris Taylor, Chairman of the NZ Television Broadcasters' Council, said "we are establishing these new awards to celebrate the best of the thousands of hours of Kiwi television being broadcast each year. We have invited Qantas to support the awards as they have a proud tradition of supporting journalism awards."

The winners of the awards will be announced in a gala ceremony on Saturday 12 November to be held in the Auckland Town Hall which will be broadcast on TV ONE, subject to funding. Mr Taylor said that the NZTBC had decided the broadcast would be rotated annually around the three members' channels starting with TVNZ.

Bruce Wallace, executive director of the NZTBC said the call for entries opens today, Monday June 20. Further information on entering is available at www.nztbc.co.nz. The NZTBC has appointed the Conference Company as awards manager, Sharpe Events as event manager and Bridget de Launay as PR consultant.

Judging panels will be formed over the next two months with separate judging groups for news and current affairs and for all other television awards. Both New Zealand resident and international judges will be on the judging panels.

The chairman of judges for News and Current Affairs is Paul Norris, head of the Christchurch Polytechnic's NZ Broadcasting School. The chairman of judges for the Television awards (other than News/CA) is Graeme Wilson. He is Chairman of the NZ Screen Council and was Chief Operating Officer of Jupiter Programming in Japan - TV channel acquisitions, startups and operations - from 1998 to 2003 and prior to that was Managing Director, Television at TVNZ.

The NZTBC is made up of the three companies operating national broadcast television channels. They are CanWest TVWorks, Prime Television New Zealand and Television New Zealand.

New Zealand Television Awards 2005

ELIGIBILITY

Your entry is eligible for the Awards if it was broadcast on free to air television between the dates of:

General Television 01 September 2004 and 12 August 2005

News and Current Affairs 01 January 2005 and 12 August 2005

Eligible television series will be judged on one episode with the following exception:

- Best News

One programme chosen by the broadcaster plus another programme broadcast on a date to be advised by the Chairman of judges

KEY ENTRY DATES

Deadline for entries

Paying the early-bird fee 29 July by 5.00pm

Please note: no extensions will be given.

Paying the standard fee 19 August by 5.00pm

Deadline for receipt of videos/scripts 24 August by 5.00pm

AWARD CATEGORIES

Categories are divided into two sections: General Television and News and Current Affairs.

Entry is open to individuals and organisations and is not restricted to New Zealand Television Broadcasters' Council members.

ENDS

GENERAL TELEVISION

- Best Actress in a TV Drama - excellence in acting in a leading role in a series or single drama.

- Best Actor in a TV Drama - excellence in acting in a leading role in a series or single drama.

- Best NZ Comedy programme - excellence in comedy.

- Best NZ Entertainment/Reality programme with a competitive outcome - reality programme includes programmes in which the premise, circumstances or situations are constructed for the purpose of creating the programme.

- Best NZ Information/Lifestyle programme - a series. Entries could include travel, home improvement and actuality programmes. (e.g. Fair Go, Target).

- Best NZ Popular Factual unscripted programme - a series (e.g. The Zoo, Piha, Vets).

- Best NZ Drama -a drama series or single drama.

- Best NZ Documentary - excellence in research, reporting and story telling skills, creative in approach, high production values and providing appropriate context, includes authorial documentaries.

- Best NZ Sports or Event coverage - excellence in capturing the spirit and flavour of the event through commentary and coverage. Includes live and edited coverage.

- Best NZ Children's/Youth programme - excellence in communicating successfully and innovatively with specific target audiences.

- Best Maori programme - excellence in communicating predominantly in English to a specific target audience. Covers all genres of programmes.

- Best Editing (factual) - excellence in editing, combining technical skill, integration of various formats (graphics, effects) sound, style and understanding of the programme format.

- Best Editing (non-factual) - excellence in editing, combining technical skill, integration of various formats (graphics, effects) sound, style and understanding of the programme format.

- Best Camera (factual) - excellence in cinematography which makes a clear difference to the total look and feel of the programme.

- Best Camera (non-factual) - excellence in cinematography which makes a clear difference to the total look and feel of the programme.

- Best Director (drama) - excellence in television programme direction.

- Best Director (non-drama) - excellence in television programme direction.

- Best Script for a non-factual programme/series - excellence in television non-factual programme script writing.

NEWS/CURRENT AFFAIRS

- Best News - a daily news programme which demonstrates excellence in news-gathering and presentation.

- Best Current Affairs series - a daily/weekly series which demonstrates excellence in current affairs reporting, story telling, research, integrity and investigative skills.

- Best News or Current Affairs Presenter - excellence in presenting with integrity and authority on a daily/weekly series.

- Best News Reporter - excellence in news reporting by demonstrating investigative skills, story telling, integrity and ability to present effectively.

- Best Current Affairs reporter - excellence in current affairs reporting by demonstrating investigative/interviewing skills, story telling, integrity and ability to present effectively.

- Best News Report (team award) - excellence in news reporting through investigation, story telling, camerawork, editing and presentation - for a single report.

- Best Current Affairs Report (team award) - excellence in current affairs reporting through investigation, story telling, camerawork, editing and presentation - for a single report.

- Best Sports News Report (team award) - excellence in sports news reporting through investigation, story telling, camerawork, editing and presentation - for a single report.

- Best News/CA Camera - senior - excellence in camerawork which makes a clear difference to the presentation and story telling of the report.

- Best News/CA Camera - junior - excellence in camerawork which makes a clear difference to the presentation and story telling of the report.

- Best News/CA Editing - excellence in editing which shows technical skills and ability to combine formats such as graphics in a way which makes a clear difference to the presentation and story telling of a single report.

Special Excellence Awards

These two awards will be made by the judges in recognition of outstanding work from among the finalists of all News and Current Affairs categories.

- Investigation of the Year - a News/Current Affairs story/stories which causes the most profound impact in New Zealand.

- TV Journalist of the Year - excellence in journalism in either news or current affairs.

ENDS

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