Hon Carmel Sepuloni

Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage

Associate Minister for Pacific Peoples

24 October 2018

EMBARGOED UNTIL 8PM

PĀNUI PĀPĀHO

MEDIA STATEMENT

The immense talent in the Pasifika arts sector was celebrated tonight at the annual Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Awards, held at Parliament.

“The Arts Pasifika Awards, which acknowledge established and emerging artists across a range of disciplines including art, music, writing, dance and drama, display the wealth of talent in the Pasifika community in New Zealand,” said Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and Pacific Peoples Carmel Sepuloni.

“Congratulations to all the winners. Their work highlights how heritage and contemporary Pacific Arts are thriving in Aotearoa and on the international stage.

“The Awards have celebrated excellence and innovation in Pacific Arts since 1996 and I was honoured to host them at Parliament this year.”

“I am delighted that artist, curator and researcher Rosanna Raymond received the Senior Pacific Artist Award.

“The 2018 Pacific Heritage Arts Award was presented to Tongan tapa cloth artists Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies, while the Special Recognition Award was made to director, dancer, choreographer and community advocate, Iosefa Enari.

“The Contemporary Pacific Artist Award was presented to visual artist Angela Tiatia.

“Awards were also made to emerging playwright Leki Jackson-Bourke, who received the Emerging Pacific Artist Award, and opera singer Benson Wilson who received the Iosefa Enari Memorial Award to support the career development of a Pacific musician or composer.

“The awards also celebrated Creative New Zealand’s new Pacific Arts Strategy, which will guide the Government’s increased investment in Pacific Arts over the next five years,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

Since the inception of the awards in 1996, prize-winners have included opera singer Jonathan Lemalu, poet and writer Albert Wendt ONZ CNZM, artist Michel Tuffery MNZM, producer and director Lisa Taouma, singer-songwriter Annie Crummer and dancer and choreographer Parris Goebel and many other ground breaking Pacific artists.

Photos of the awards will be available for download here from 7.40pm.

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