New Zealand Television Awards Announces 2024 Finalists

(Auckland - October 15, 2024) The 2024 New Zealand Television Awards are shaping up to be an exciting event, showcasing a diverse array of talent and programming from across the country. With a remarkable 121 nominations from over 490 entries, the finalists reflect a rich tapestry of storytelling and creativity in local television.

This year’s nominees span a range of content aired on local free-to-air networks including TVNZ 1 & 2, Three, Sky Open (formerly Prime), and Whakaata Māori, as well as New Zealand-made programming on pay TV, digital, and streaming platforms such as Neon, TVNZ+, ThreeNow, Newsroom, Stuff, RNZ, and Coconet TV.

Leading the nominations is Lingo Pictures’ and Luminous Beast’s critically acclaimed TVNZ drama series After The Party, which received nine nominations, including Best Actress (Robyn Malcolm), Best Actor(Peter Mullan), and NZ On Air Best Drama.

Other contenders for the NZ On Air Best Drama award include South Pacific Pictures’ comedy-drama Far North, which earned six nominations, including nods for Best Actor (Temuera Morrison), Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama/Comedy (David White), and Best Cinematography: Drama/Comedy as well as TVNZ’s bold drama about a wealthy family at the helm of a megachurch, Testify which is also a finalist in four craft categories.

In the news and current affairs group, Newshub shines, with all nominations for Best Reporter of the Yeargoing to its journalists, Michael Morrah, Alexa Cook, and Lisette Reymer.

Recognised for their significant contributions to the industry, the nominations for the Best Presenter: News and Current Affairs category include Julian Wilcox from The Hui, Jack Tame for Q+A, Radio New Zealand’s Guyon Espiner for 30 with Guyon and Patrick Gower for Paddy Gower Has Issues.

TVNZ news has secured two nominations in the Best News Coverage category for its 1 News coverage on Election Night and Cyclone Gabrielle: One Year On, while Newshub rounds out the nominations with its coverage of the Auckland Shooting.

An entertaining mix of original programming make up the Best Original Reality Series finalists list this year, TVNZ 2’s Down For Love from Attitude Pictures, and Perpetual Entertainment’s Cooks On Fire and Great Southern Television’s The Casketeers, both for TVNZ 1.

In the Factual and Documentary categories, Escaping Utopia, the three-part series on New Zealand’s most extreme religious cult, Gloriavale, has received four nominations including Best Factual Series and Best Director: Documentary/Factual. Also in contention is Black Coast Vanishings for Three and Scotty Morrison’s deeply personal journey, Origins (S2) for TVNZ.

In the performance categories, Friends Like Her lead Morgana O’Reilly and After The Party’s Robyn Malcolm, have been given the nod alongside Chelsie Preston Crayford for Dark City: The Cleaner and Bree Peters for her role in Great Southern Television’s local comedy Spinal Destination.

For Best Supporting Actress, nominees include Awa Puna for The Boy, The Queen, And Everything In Between, Tara Canton for After The Party, Tess Haubrich for Friends Like Her, and Roxie Mohebbi for Miles From Nowhere. In the Best Actor category, Cohen Holloway is recognized for his role in Dark City: The Cleaner, alongside esteemed actors Temuera Morrison for Far North and Peter Mullan for After The Party.

Vying for the Best Supporting Actor trophy are Jay Ryan, who has been nominated for his role in black comedy series Creamerie, alongside Jarod Rawiri for Friends Like Her and Elz Carrad for After The Party.

The New Zealand Television Awards 2024 Television Legend and finalists in the publicly voted 2024 Television Personality of the Year category are yet to be announced.

The New Zealand Television Awards will be held at Auckland’s Aotea Centre on Friday November 22. 
Comedian Pax Assadi has been announced as host of the 2024 event.

New Zealand On Air Best Drama

Testify
Philippa Rennie, Sharlene George
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

After The Party
Helen Bowden, Liz DiFiore, Peter Salmon
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Friends Like Her
Sarah-Kate Lynch, Philip Smith, Kathleen Anderson Annabelle Lee-Mather, Steven Zanoski,
Great Southern Television Limited / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Best Comedy

Miles From Nowhere
Ahmed Osman, Gary Scott, & Sam Wilton
Gibson Group & Homegrown Pictures / Neon / Sky Open

Kid Sister
Emily Anderton
Greenstone TV / TVNZ+

7 Days
Rob Brown, Thom Watts, 
The Downlow Concept / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

The Motherhood Anthology - Give Me Babies
Ankita Singh, Calvin Sang and Briar Collard
Eyes and Ears / Oriental Maidens / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Best Factual Series

Origins
Te Wakahuia Bernard, Tash Christie, Meg Douglas
Scottie Douglas Productions / Greenstone TV / TVNZ+

Black Coast Vanishings
Cass Avery & Nicola Smith
Augusto / Kindred Films / Story Time Productions / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Escaping Utopia
Philippa Rennie & Natalie Malcon
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

New Zealand On Air Best Documentary

Ruamata: It's More Than Hockey 
Kereama Wright, Mahanga Pihama, Riria Morgan, Arthur Rasmussen, Peter Lee, Matua Houltham
Mairanga Media / RNZ

Hīkoi Speaking Our Truth
Whatanui Flavell
Haututū Creatives / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Family Faith Footy: A Pasifika Rugby Story
Adrian Stevanon, Gregor Paul, Abba-Rose Vaiaoga-Ioasa, Philip Smith
Great Southern Television Limited / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Best Original Reality Series

Cooks On Fire Season 2
Nick Ward, Brendan Dahill, Richard Fletcher & David Arlich
Perpetual Entertainment NZ / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Down For Love Season 2
Rachel Jean
Attitude Pictures / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

The Casketeers
Vivienne Wigby-Ngatai, Annabelle Lee Mather, Philip Smith
Great Southern Television Limited / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Best Current Affairs Programme

Q+A with Jack Tame
Alex Braae and the Q+A team
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Paddy Gower Has Issues
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Sunday - The Final Episode
Sunday Team
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Newsroom Investigates with Melanie Reid
Newsroom.co.nz

New Zealand On Air Best Children's Programme

Island of Mystery: Te Wā o Matariki
Andrea Kahukiwa
Adrenalin

Fresh Fairytales 2
Hope Papali’i and Eileen Lee
Coconet TV

Kiri & Lou
Fiona Copland
Kiri and Lou Ltd / Sky

KEA Kids News
Luke Nola and Kendall Kanoa Kukahiko
Luke Nola & Friends

Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Programme

NZ Wars: Stories of Tauranga Moana
Mihingarangi Forbes, Annabelle Lee-Mather
Aotearoa Media Collective / RNZ / TVNZ+

Hīkoi Speaking Our Truth
Whatanui Flavell
Haututū Creatives / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Origins
Te Wakahuia Bernard, Tash Christie, Meg Douglas
Scottie Douglas Productions / Greenstone TVNZ1 & TVNZ+

Te Māngai Pāho Best Reo Māori Programme

Waka Huia
Meg Douglas, Whatanui Flavell
Scottie Douglas Productions Limited / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Te Karere – Nationwide Activation Day
Rapaera Tawhai and the Te Karere team
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Ruamata: It's More Than Hockey 
Kereama Wright, Mahanga Pihama, Riria Morgan, Arthur Rasmussen, Peter Lee, Matua Houltham
Mairanga Media / RNZ

New Zealand On Air Best Pasifika Programme

Still Here
Ursula Grace Williams, Josh Yong, Torisse Laulu
Four and Five Films Ltd / Re:News / TVNZ+

Untold Pacific History
Damon Fepulea'i and Tuki Laumea
Coconet TV

Family Faith Footy: A Pasifika Rugby Story
Adrian Stevanon, Gregor Paul, Abba-Rose Vaiaoga-Ioasa, Philip Smith
Great Southern Television Limited / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Best News Coverage

Cyclone Gabrielle – One Year On
1News at Six
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Auckland Shooting
Newshub
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Election Night
1News at Six
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Best Sports Programme

All Blacks: In Their Own Words
James Gemmell, Tim Dale-Fuller, Jon Wild
Whisper Films / NZR+

Ruamata: It's More Than Hockey 
Kereama Wright, Mahanga Pihama, Riria Morgan, Arthur Rasmussen, Peter Lee, Matua Houltham
Mairanga Media / RNZ

Relentless
Alex Bradshaw, Tara Durrant
Fire Fire / TVNZ+

Best Live Event Coverage

Anzac 2024
Ngatapa Black, Wayne Leonard, Sean Murphy
Whakaata Māori / MĀORI+

Super Rugby Final 2024 - Blues v Chiefs
Marcus Kennedy, Mark Kearns, Will Meiklejohn
Sky Sport NZ / Sky Sport 1

Ngā Tohu Matariki o te Tau 2023
Ngatapa Black
Whakaata Māori / MĀORI+

Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa
Ngatapa Black, Kereti Rautangata, Kororia Taumaunu
Whakaata Māori / MĀORI+

Best Entertainment Programme

New Zealand Today
Bronwynn Bakker, Guy Williams, Matt Cooke, Cam Bakker
Kevin & Co / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Code - The Reunion
Joe Whitehead, Bailey Mackey
Pango Productions / Whakaata Māori / MĀORI+

Taskmaster NZ
Cam Bakker, Bronwynn Bakker
Kevin & Co / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Best Director: Documentary/Factual

Laurie Clarke
Our Country’s Shame
SunPix Ltd

Sophie Musgrove & Siddharth Nambiar
Dynamic Planet
NHNZ Worldwide / NEON / Sky Open / Sky Go

Natalie Malcon, Justin Pemberton & Britta Hawkins
Escaping Utopia
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Megan Jones & Candida Beveridge
Black Coast Vanishings
Augusto / Kindred Films / Story Time Productions / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama / Comedy Drama

Calvin Sang
The Motherhood Anthology - Give Me Babies
Eyes and Ears / Oriental Maidens / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

The 8 Pan-Asian Women Directors of Kāinga
Kāinga
Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions Ltd / RNZ

David White
Far North
White Balance Pictures / South Pacific Pictures / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Peter Salmon
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Best Actress

Bree Peters
Spinal Destination
Great Southern Television / Whitiora Productions / Sky

Chelsie Preston Crayford
Dark City - The Cleaner
Endeavour Ventures Ltd / Neon & Sky Open

Robyn Malcolm
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Morgana O’Reilly
Friends Like Her
Great Southern Television Limited / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Best Supporting Actress

Tara Canton
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Tess Haubrich
Friends Like Her
Great Southern Television Limited / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Awa Puna 
The Boy, The Queen, And Everything In Between
Lucky Legs Media Ltd / TVNZ+

Roxie Mohebbi
Miles From Nowhere
Gibson Group & Homegrown Pictures / Neon & Sky Open

Best Actor

Cohen Holloway
Dark City - The Cleaner
Endeavour Ventures Ltd / Neon & Sky Open

Peter Mullan
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Temuera Morrison
Far North
White Balance Pictures / South Pacific Pictures / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Best Supporting Actor

Jarod Rawiri
Friends Like Her
Great Southern Television Limited / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Elz Carrad
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Jay Ryan
Creamerie Season 2
Kevin and Co. / Flat 3 Productions Ltd / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Reporter of the Year

Alexa Cook
Newshub
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Lisette Reymer
Newshub
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Michael Morrah
Newshub
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Best Presenter: Entertainment

Guy Williams
New Zealand Today
Kevin & Co / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Dave Letele
Heavyweight with Dave Letele
Heavyweight Media / South Pacific Pictures / TVNZ+

Jeremy Wells and Paul Williams
Taskmaster NZ
Kevin & Co / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Karen O’Leary
Paddy Gower Has Issues
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Best Presenter: News And Current Affairs

Julian Wilcox
The Hui
Great Southern Television Limited / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Jack Tame 
Q+A with Jack Tame
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Guyon Espiner
30 with Guyon Espiner
RNZ

Patrick Gower
Paddy Gower Has Issues
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Best Editing: Documentary or Factual

Tori Bindoff, Carl Budden
Escaping Utopia
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Margot Francis and James Brown
Black Coast Vanishings
Augusto / Kindred Films / Story Time Productions / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Toby Longbottom
The Long Game
Stuff Circuit

Chris Anderton
NZ Wars: Stories of Tauranga Moana
Aotearoa Media Collective / RNZ / TVNZ+

Best Editing: Drama / Comedy Drama

Allanah Bazzard
Dark City - The Cleaner
Endeavour Ventures Ltd / Neon & Sky Open

Eric de Beus
Testify
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Denise Haratzis
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Best Camerawork: Documentary or Factual

Mark Chamberlin
The Hui
Great Southern Television Limited / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Chris Watkins
WTF is Crypto?
Reel Factory / TVNZ+

Dean Cornish and Mark Russell
Troy Kingi’s Desert Hīkoi
Tavake / TVNZ+

Best Director: Multi-Camera

Matt Barrett 
Anzac 2024
Whakaata Māori

Marcus Kennedy
The Rugby Championship - All Blacks v South Africa
Sky Sport NZ / Sky Sport 1

Matt Quin
NRL playoffs - Warriors v Knights
Sky Sport NZ / Sky Sport 1

Mark Kearns
Super Rugby Final 2024 - Blues v Chiefs
Sky Sport NZ / Sky Sport 1

Images & Sound Best Cinematography: Drama / Comedy Drama

Dave Cameron NZCS ACS
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Simon Tutty
Testify
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Adam Luxton
Far North
White Balance Pictures / South Pacific Pictures / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Best Contribution to a Soundtrack

Pinnacle Post Sound Team
Our Flag Means Death - Season 2
Neon & Sky Open

Tom Miskin, Alan Kidd, Mike Bayliss, Steve Finnigan
Far North
South Pacific Pictures / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Bruce Langley
Dark City - The Cleaner
Endeavour Ventures Ltd / Neon & Sky Open

Images & Sound Best Original Score

Karl Sölve Steven & Rob Thorne
Black Coast Vanishings
Augusto / Story Town / Kindred Films / Warner Bros. Discovery / Studiocanal
Three & ThreeNow

Moniker
Far North
White Balance Pictures / South Pacific Pictures / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Andrew Keoghan, Reb Fountain
Escaping Utopia
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Best Post Production Design

Erin Woolhouse
The Motherhood Anthology - Give Me Babies
The Rebel Fleet / Eyes and Ears / Oriental Maidens / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Alana Cotton
Testify 
Warner Bros New Zealand / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Jemma Lee
Motherhood - Ahi and the Stars
Caravan Park Films / Stella Maris / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Best Production Design

Andy Currie
The Motherhood Anthology - Give Me Babies
Eyes and Ears / Oriental Maidens / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Neville Stevenson
Dark City - The Cleaner
Endeavour Ventures Ltd / Neon & Sky Open

Melissa Spicer
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Riria Lee
Kāinga
Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions Ltd / RNZ

Best Costume Design

Sarah Aldridge
Testify
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Briar Vivian
Miles From Nowhere
Gibson Group & Homegrown Pictures / Neon & Sky Open

Briar Vivian
Far North
White Balance Pictures / South Pacific Pictures / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Best Makeup Design

Janene Cissi
The Boy, The Queen, And Everything In Between
Lucky Legs Media Ltd / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Maya Bailey
Far North
White Balance Pictures / South Pacific Pictures / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

Joseph Kalepo & Andrew Kalepo
Motherhood
KOHA Productions / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+

Best Script: Comedy

Pax Assadi
Raised by Refugees Season 2
Kevin & Co / Sky Open

Simone Nathan
Kid Sister
Greenstone TV / TVNZ+

Mohamed Hassan
Miles From Nowhere
Gibson Group & Homegrown Pictures / Neon & Sky Open

Best Script: Drama

Dianne Taylor
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+

Paul Cleave
Dark City - The Cleaner
Endeavour Ventures Ltd / Neon & Sky Open

Sarah-Kate Lynch
Friends Like Her
Great Southern Television Limited / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow

About the New Zealand Television Awards

The New Zealand Television Awards recognise excellence in television, and honour the special skills and unique talents of the companies and individuals who create, produce, and perform in television programmes in New Zealand.  The Awards are open to traditional, subscription and digital broadcast platforms. The New Zealand Television Awards are owned and produced by janda.

https://www.nztvawards.co.nz/

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