Finalists Announced In The 2021 New Zealand Television Awards

The New Zealand Television Awards are delighted to announce the 2021 finalists, with a total of 117 nominations from more than 530 entries across 37 judged categories.

Of this year’s finalists, content screened on TVNZ 1 received a total of 28 nods, followed by content on Three with 26 nominations, TVNZ 2 with 18, Māori Television with nine, Prime with four, Sky with three, and Choice TV with one. Nominations for programmes whose primary platform is a digital or streaming service increased in 2021. Digital platforms represented among this year’s finalists include Neon, TVNZ OnDemand, RNZ, Netflix, Stuff, YouTube, The Coconet TV and The Spinoff.

In the news and current affairs categories, 2020 Best News Coverage winner Newshub is up for five nominations this year, including two nods for Best Presenter: News & Current Affairs (Tova O’Brien and Patrick Gower), Reporter of the Year (Michael Morrah, winner of the category last year) and dual nominations in the Best News Coverage category. The Hui, produced by Great Southern Television for Three, is a finalist in four categories including Best Current Affairs Programme, Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Programme and host Mihingarangi Forbes is nominated for both Reporter of the Year and Best Presenter: News & Current Affairs, the category she won last year. TVNZ has three nominations in the news and current affairs categories including Best Current Affairs Programme (Seven Sharp) and two nods in Best Presenter: News & Current Affairs (Jack Tame and Simon Dallow). Stuff Circuit also has three nominations including Reporter of the Year (Paula Penfold), Best Editing: Documentary/Factual (Toby Longbottom) and Best Camerawork: Documentary/Factual (Phil Johnson). Māori Television’s Te Ao with Moana received two nominations including Best Current Affairs Programme and Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Programme.

Also nominated for Te Māngai Paho Best Māori programme are Great Southern Television’s RNZ documentary NZ Wars: Stories of Tainui, as well as the fourth series of 2019 category winner The Casketeers.

In the drama categories, Warner Bros NZ’s Black Hands, the TVNZ primetime series chronicling the Bain family murders and adapted from the Stuff podcast of the same name, leads the nominations with a total of 10 nods including NZ On Air Best Drama Series, Screen Auckland Best Director Drama (David Stubbs), Best Actor (Joel Tobeck), Best Editing: Drama (Allanah Bazzard), Best Contribution to a Soundtrack (Ben Sinclair, Matt Stutter, Ray Beentjes, Steve Finnigan), Images & Sound Best Original Score (Karl Steven), Best Postproduction Design (Alana Cotton), Best Production Design (Nick Williams), Best Make-Up Design (Gabrielle Jones) and Best Script: Drama (Gavin Strawhan).

The Gulf, produced by Lippy Pictures and Screentime New Zealand along with Letterbox Filmproduktion (Germany), receives six nominations. The crime drama series aired on Three in New Zealand and is a finalist in: NZ On Air Best Drama Series, Best Supporting Actress (Alison Bruce), Best Production Design (Miro Harré), and double nods in both Best Editing: Drama (Eric de Beus and Gretchen Peterson) as well as in Best Cinematography: Drama (Dave Cameron NZCS, ACS and Rewa Harré).

Rounding out the NZ On Air Best Drama Series category are Creamerie and Rūrangi which are each up for four awards in total, while Vegas, Westside, The New Legends of Monkey and Mystic received multiple nominations in the performance and craft areas.

Winner of the 2020 NZ On Air Best Pasifika category Tikilounge Productions is nominated again in 2021 with two finalists in the category: Teine Sa: The Ancient Ones which screened on Prime and The Coconet TV, and the RNZ documentary Untold Pacific History. Also nominated in the category is Kingston Productions’ Brutal Lives – Mo’ui Faingata’a for The Coconet TV, and Loimata: The Sweetest Tears, a feature documentary commissioned by Māori Television, which is also a finalist in NZ On Air Best Documentary and Best Director: Documentary (Anna Marbrook).

More than 20 years after the original Popstars series aired in Aotearoa, the series returned to TVNZ 2 in 2021 and is nominated for Best Original Reality Series alongside Workparty’s Taranaki Hard and series 2 of Warner Bros NZ’s David Lomas Investigates, both for Three. Pango Productions has two finalists in the Best Format Reality Series: National Treasures for TVNZ 1 and Match Fit for Three. Great Southern Television’s The Apprentice Aotearoa (TVNZ 1) is also nominated in the category.

New Zealand Television Awards owners and producers Justine McKay and Andy Dowding of janda Productions say: “This year’s finalists are not just representative of the excellence within Aotearoa’s television industry but also reflect the diversity of content and voices available to New Zealand viewers. We’d like to thank our event partners for their support of the Awards and look forward to coming together in the new year to celebrate the sector’s achievements.”

Finalists in the publicly voted Television Personality of the Year category and the 2021 Television Legend will be announced in the new year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 New Zealand Television Awards gala has been postponed and winners will be announced on Tuesday 1 March, 2022 at a red carpet gala event held at Auckland’s Shed 10. The ceremony will once again be hosted by actor-writer-comedian Thomas Sainsbury.

The 2021 New Zealand Television Awards finalists are:

NZ On Air Best Drama Series

Black Hands
Philippa Rennie, Robin Scholes, Tina Archibald
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Rūrangi
Craig Gainsborough, Max Currie, Cole Meyers, Melissa Nickerson, Tweedie Waititi
Autonomouse (Neon & NZME)

Creamerie
Bronwynn Bakker
Kevin & Co + Flat 3 (TVNZ 2)

The Gulf - Season 2
Paula Boock, Philly de Lacey, Christian Friedrichs, Katrin Goetter, Henning Kamm, Donna Malane
The Gulf Productions (Three)

Best Factual Series

Home, Land and Sea
Nicola Smith
Jack Media (Māori Television)

Origins
Peter Bell, Tash Christie, Meg Douglas, Megan Tucker
Scottie Douglas Productions / Greenstone TV (TVNZ 1)

Fight for the Wild
Peter Young, Tracy Roe, Dave Hansford
Fisheye Films (RNZ)

NZ On Air Best Documentary

Loimata: The Sweetest Tears
Anna Marbrook, Jim Marbrook, Dr. Tamasailau Suaalii-Sauni, Dame Gaylene Preston
Anna Marbrook Productions (Māori Television)

Six Angry Women
Megan Jones, Jill Soper, Sam Blackley
Kindred Films (TVNZ 1)

Heaven and Hell - The Centrepoint Story
Philippa Rennie, Natalie Malcon
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Best Original Reality Series

Popstars
Philly de Lacey, Tina McLaren, Jonathan Dowling, Tony Manson, Simon Fleming
Screentime New Zealand (TVNZ 2)

Taranaki Hard
Charlotte Hobson, Ian Hart, Justin Hawkes
Workparty Ltd (Three)

David Lomas Investigates – Series 2
David Lomas
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (Three)

Best Format Reality Series

National Treasures - Series 1
Bailey Mackey, Kimberley Hurley
Pango Productions (TVNZ 1)

Match Fit - Series 1
Bailey Mackey, Aaron Dolbel
Pango Productions (Three)

The Apprentice Aotearoa
Jon Wild, Philip Smith
Great Southern Television Limited (TVNZ 1)

Best Current Affairs Programme

The Hui
Annabelle Lee-Mather, Rewa Harriman, Mihingarangi Forbes, Philip Smith
Great Southern Television Limited and Aotearoa Media Collective (Three)

Te Ao with Moana
Hikurangi Kimiora Jackson, Moana Maniapoto, Colin McRae
Māori Television (Māori Television)

Seven Sharp
Paul Moor
TVNZ (TVNZ 1)

NZ On Air Best Children’s Programme

Mystic
Richard Fletcher, Simon Crawford-Collins
Libertine Pictures and Slim Film + Television (TVNZ 2)

The New Legends of Monkey
Rachel Gardner, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Robin Scholes, Peter Andrikidis
See-Saw Films and Jump Film & Television (Netflix)

Kiri and Lou
Fiona Copland
Stretchy Ltd (TVNZ 2)

Te Māngai Paho Best Māori Programme

Te Ao with Moana
Hikurangi Kimiora Jackson, Moana Maniapoto, Colin McRae
Māori Television (Māori Television)

The Casketeers - Series 4
Mahanga Pihama, Annabelle Lee-Mather, Philip Smith
Great Southern Television Limited (TVNZ 1)

NZ Wars: Stories of Tainui
Mahanga Pihama, Mihingarangi Forbes, Annabelle Lee-Mather,
Aotearoa Media Collective and Great Southern Television Limited (RNZ)

The Hui
Annabelle Lee-Mather, Mihingarangi Forbes, Lillian Hanley, Philip Smith
Great Southern Television Limited and Aotearoa Media Collective (Three)

Te Māngai Paho Best Reo Māori Programme

Te Rongo Toa
Amanda Jones, Mana Epiha
Faultline Films (Māori Television)

Waka Huia
Whatanui Flavell, Meg Douglas
Scottie Douglas Productions (TVNZ 1)

Rage Against the Rangatahi MMXX
Ngahuia Wade, Tina Wickliffe
Te Noni Ltd (Māori Television)

NZ On Air Best Pasifika Programme

Teine Sa: The Ancient One
Lisa Taouma, Maria Tanner, Karin Williams
Tikilounge Productions (Prime, Neon, The Coconet TV)

Untold Pacific History
Lisa Taouma
Tikilounge Productions (RNZ)

Loimata: The Sweetest Tears
Anna Marbrook, Jim Marbrook, Dr. Tamasailau Suaalii-Sauni, Dame Gaylene Preston
Anna Marbrook Productions (Māori Television)

Brutal Lives - Mo'ui Faingata'a
Sandra Kailahi
Kingston Productions Ltd (The Coconet TV)

Best News Coverage

Newshub Leaders Debate - Jacinda Ardern v Judith Collins | Decision 2020
Todd Symons, Sarah Bristow, Darryn Fouhy, Maryanne Ahern, Zac Fleming
Discovery (Three)

COVID-19 Testing - Michael Morrah
Angus Gillies, Kim Hurring
Discovery (Three)

1 News - NZ Election 2020
Jessica Mutch McKay
TVNZ (TVNZ 1)

Best Sports Programme

Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends – Series 2
Amber Easby, Natalie Wilson, Duncan Greive, Scotty Stevenson, Madeleine Chapman, Eddy Fifield
Hex Work Productions (The Spinoff)

Reforging the Steelers
Ra Pomare
RugbyPass, Sky Sport (Sky)

All Access: Aaron Smith
Paora Ratahi, Mark Malaki-Williams, Jack Mugford, Ross Karl
Sky Sport (Sky)

Best Live Event Coverage

Auckland Dawn Service 2021
Sean Murphy, Wayne Leonard
Māori Television

Aotearoa Music Awards 2020
John McDonald, Charlotte Hobson
Discovery (Three)

36th America’s Cup Match Day 7
Leon Sefton
America’s Cup Events (Am. Cup website/YouTube)

Best Comedy/Comedy Entertainment Programme

Wellington Paranormal - Season 3
Paul Yates, Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi
New Zealand Documentary Board Ltd. (TVNZ 2)

Educators - Series 2
Rachel Jean, Kelly Martin, Andrew Szusterman, Sally Campbell
South Pacific Pictures (TVNZ OnDemand)

Talkback
Mike Minogue, Jason Hoyte, Alexander Borgers
All Talk Productions and Righto Productions (TVNZ OnDemand)

Best Director Documentary / Factual

Anna Marbrook
Loimata: The Sweetest Tears
Anna Marbrook Productions (Māori Television)

Irene Chapple
The Eruption: Stories of Survival
Pencil Productions (Three)

Natalie Malcon & Thomas Robins
Heaven and Hell - The Centrepoint Story
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Screen Auckland Best Director Drama

David Stubbs
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Peter Salmon
INSiDE
Luminous Beast (Prime, Neon)

Roseanne Liang
Creamerie
Kevin & Co + Flat 3 (TVNZ 2)

Max Currie
Rūrangi
Autonomouse (Neon & NZME)

Best Actress

Antonia Prebble
Westside - Series 6
South Pacific Pictures (Three)

Rima Te Wiata
The Tender Trap
Greenstone TV (TVNZ 1)

Grace Palmer
Good Grief
Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions Ltd (TVNZ OnDemand)

Best Supporting Actress

Alison Bruce
The Gulf - Season 2
The Gulf Productions (Three)

Kura Forrester
Educators - Series 2
South Pacific Pictures (TVNZ OnDemand)

Sophie Hambleton
Westside - Series 6
South Pacific Pictures (Three)

Best Actor

Elz Carrad
Rūrangi
Autonomouse (Neon & NZME)

Eds Eramiha
Vegas
Greenstone TV / 10,000 Co and Steambox Film Collective (TVNZ 2)

Joel Tobeck
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Best Supporting Actor

Rick Donald
Educators - Series 2
South Pacific Pictures (TVNZ OnDemand)

Arlo Green
Rūrangi
Autonomouse (Neon & NZME)

Dahnu Graham
Vegas
Greenstone TV / 10,000 Co and Steambox Film Collective (TVNZ 2)

Reporter of the Year

Mihingarangi Forbes
The Hui
Great Southern Television Limited and Aotearoa Media Collective (Three)

Michael Morrah
Newshub (Three)

Paula Penfold
Stuff Circuit (Stuff)

Best Presenter Entertainment

Anika Moa
Anika Moa Reunited
Rogue Productions (TVNZ OnDemand)

James McOnie
The Crowd Goes Wild
Sky Sport (Prime)

Hayley Sproull
Have You Been Paying Attention?
TVNZ (TVNZ 2)

Best Presenter News and Current Affairs

Jack Tame
Q & A with Jack Tame
TVNZ (TVNZ 1)

Tova O'Brien
Newshub Nation
Discovery (Three)

Patrick Gower
Newshub
Discovery (Three)

Simon Dallow
1 News
TVNZ (TVNZ 1)

Mihingarangi Forbes
The Hui
Great Southern Television Limited and Aotearoa Media Collective (Three)

Best Editing: Documentary/Factual

Bryan Shaw
Origins
Scottie Douglas Productions / Greenstone TV (TVNZ 1)

Toby Longbottom
Deleted
Stuff Circuit (Stuff)

Simon Coldrick
Six Angry Women
Kindred Films (TVNZ 1)

Best Editing: Drama

Allanah Bazzard
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Eric de Beus
The Gulf - Season 2
The Gulf Productions (Three)

Gretchen Peterson
The Gulf - Season 2
The Gulf Productions (Three)

Best Camerawork: Documentary/Factual

Mike Single
Colours of China
Making Movies (Choice TV)

Peter Young
Fight for the Wild
Fisheye Films (RNZ)

Phil Johnson
Emma
Stuff Circuit (Stuff)

Best Director: Multi Camera

Matt Barrett
Battle of Jacks Ridge
Sky Sport (Sky)

Wayne Leonard
36th America’s Cup Match
America’s Cup Events (Am. Cup website/YouTube)

Nigel Carpenter
Aotearoa Music Awards 2020
Discovery (Three)

Best Cinematography: Drama

Marty Smith
Creamerie
Kevin & Co + Flat 3 (TVNZ 2)

Dave Cameron NZCS ACS
The Gulf - Season 2
The Gulf Productions (Three)

Rewa Harré
The Gulf - Season 2
The Gulf Productions (Three)

Dave Cameron
Mystic
Libertine Pictures and Slim Film + Television (TVNZ 2)

Best Contribution to a Soundtrack

Ben Sinclair, Ray Beentjes, Chris Sinclair, Steve Finnigan
The Sounds
South Pacific Pictures / Shaftesbury (Neon)

Ben Sinclair, Matt Stutter, Ray Beentjes, Steve Finnigan
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Brendon Morrow, Greg Junovich, Jordan Smith, Gareth Van Niekerk
Six Angry Women
Kindred Films (TVNZ 1)

Images & Sound Best Original Score

Rhian Sheehan
The Sounds
South Pacific Pictures / Shaftesbury (Neon)

Tom McLeod
Fight for the Wild
Fisheye Films (RNZ)

Karl Steven
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Best Postproduction Design

Paul Lear
Vegas
Greenstone TV / 10,000 Co and Steambox Film Collective (TVNZ 2)

Alana Cotton
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Aaron Clarke & Carl Budden
Heaven and Hell - The Centrepoint Story
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Best Production Design

Nick Williams
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Adam Wheatley
Wellington Paranormal - Season 3
New Zealand Documentary Board (TVNZ 2)

Miro Harré
The Gulf - Season 2
The Gulf Productions (Three)

Brett Schwieters & Riria Lee
Vegas
Greenstone TV, 10,000 Company & Steambox Film Collective (TVNZ 2)

Best Costume Design

Te Ura Taripo-Hoskins
Vegas
Greenstone TV, 10,000 Company & Steambox Film Collective (TVNZ 2)

Tania Klouwens
Westside - Series 6
South Pacific Pictures (Three)

Liz McGregor
The New Legends of Monkey
See-Saw Films and Jump Film & Television (Netflix)

Best Makeup Design

Susie Glass
The New Legends of Monkey
See-Saw Films and Jump Film & Television (Netflix)

Gabrielle Jones
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Kevin Dufty
Westside - Series 6
South Pacific Pictures (Three)

Best Script: Comedy

Shoshana McCallum and Roseanne Liang
Creamerie
Kevin & Co + Flat 3 (TVNZ 2)

Jemaine Clement
Wellington Paranormal - Ep302 “Te Maero”
New Zealand Documentary Board (TVNZ 2)

Melanie Bracewell
Wellington Paranormal - Ep 306 “Fatberg”
New Zealand Documentary Board (TVNZ 2)

Best Script: Drama

Gavin Strawhan
Black Hands
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand (TVNZ 1)

Riwia Brown and Kathryn Burnett
The Tender Trap
Greenstone TV (TVNZ 1)

Shoshana McCallum
INSiDE
Luminous Beast (Prime, Neon)

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