(Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau – November 22, 2024) Aotearoa’s television industry came together to celebrate its brightest achievements at the 2024 New Zealand Television Awards | Ngā Taonga Whakaata O Aotearoa. The highly anticipated awards ceremony took place tonight at Aotea Centre’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in Auckland, where the best in the industry were honoured for their outstanding contributions to New Zealand television this year.
The glamorous red-carpet event was hosted by comedian Pax Assadi, who brought his signature wit and charm to the evening, keeping guests entertained as they celebrated a year of exceptional programming across a range of categories.
After The Party, the hit drama series produced by Lingo Pictures and Luminous Beast for TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+, has claimed the most awards at this year’s New Zealand Television Awards, taking home a record haul of nine prestigious accolades, beating The Luminaries which received eight awards in 2020.
After The Party, which has garnered global praise for its compelling storytelling and standout performances, tonight won New Zealand Television Awards for NZ On Air Best Drama, Images & Sound Best Cinematography: Drama/Comedy Drama (Dave Cameron NZCS ACS), Best Actress (Robyn Malcolm), Best Actor (Peter Mullan), Best Supporting Actor (Elz Carrad), Best Supporting Actress (Tara Canton), Best Editing: Drama and Comedy (Denise Haratzis) and Best Script: Drama (Dianne Taylor).
TVNZ’s 1 News took out the 2024 award for Best News Coverage for their reportage of Cyclone Gabrielle – One Year On while TVNZ’s Q+A was named Best Current Affairs Programme with Q+Apresenter Jack Tame being awarded Best Presenter: News and Current Affairs.
Lisette Reymer and Karen O’Leary have both earned top honours highlighting their exceptional talents and contributions to the industry: Newshub’s Lisette Reymer was awarded Reporter of the Year, while Karen O’Leary was named Best Presenter: Entertainment, adding to her 2023 trophy in the same category for her contribution to Paddy Gower Has Issues.
Shortland Street fan favourite Bella Kalolo won the publicly voted Television Personality of the Year and, as previously announced, multi-award-winning creator and producer Dame Julie Christie was honoured as the 2024 Television Legend with her trophy co-presented by her brother and former business partner Mike Molloy and celebrated veteran film and TV producer Robin Scholes.
Other programmes that received multiple awards this year were:
Escaping Utopia, which triumphed with Best Factual Series, Best Editing: Documentary/Factual, and Images & Sound Best Original Score.
Family Faith Footy: A Pasifika Rugby Story, which won both the NZ On Air Best Pasifika Programme and NZ On Air Best Documentary categories.
Among the evening’s winners, prestige dramas After The Party, Dark City – The Cleaner and Far Northwere recipients of Te Puna Kairangi Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund along with support from NZ On Air, while factual winner Escaping Utopia was also a Te Puna Kairangi recipient. Collectively these four productions earned 14 New Zealand Television Awards. In addition, 14 trophies were presented to programmes supported by NZ On Air, including Family Faith Footy: A Pasifika Rugby Story, Down For Love (S2), Q+A, Kiri and Lou, NZ Wars: Stories of Tauranga Moana, New Zealand Today, The Hui, Testify, The Boy, The Queen and Everything in Between, The Motherhood Anthology – Give Me Babies and Kid Sister. Of tonight’s winners, Te Māngai Pāho funded Te Karere, and Ruamata: It’s More Than Hockey which each received one award.
The 2024 New Zealand Television Awards winners are:
NZ On Air Best Drama
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Comedy
The Motherhood Anthology – Give Me Babies
Eyes and Ears / Oriental Maidens / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+
Best Factual Series
Escaping Utopia
Warner Bros. International Television Production NZ / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
NZ On Air Best Documentary
Family Faith Footy: A Pasifika Rugby Story
Great Southern Television Ltd / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Original Reality Series
Down For Love – Season 2
Attitude Pictures / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+
Best Current Affairs Programme
Q+A with Jack Tame
TVNZ / TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+
NZ On Air Best Children’s Programme
Kiri & Lou
Kiri and Lou Ltd / Sky
Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Programme
NZ Wars: Stories of Tauranga Moana
Aotearoa Media Collective / RNZ / TVNZ+
Te Māngai Pāho Best Reo Māori Programme
Te Karere – Nationwide Activation Day
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
NZ On Air Best Pasifika Programme
Family Faith Footy: A Pasifika Rugby Story
Great Southern Television Ltd / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best News Coverage
1 News at Six – Cyclone Gabrielle – One Year On
TVNZ / 1News, TVNZ 1
Best Sports Programme
Ruamata: It’s More Than Hockey
Mairanga Media / RNZ
Best Live Event Coverage
Anzac 2024
Whakaata Māori / MĀORI+
Best Entertainment Programme
New Zealand Today
Kevin & Co / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow
Best Director: Documentary/Factual
Sophie Musgrove & Siddharth Nambiar
Dynamic Planet
NHNZ Worldwide / NEON / Sky Open / Sky Go
Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama / Comedy Drama
Peter Salmon
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Actress
Robyn Malcolm
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Supporting Actress
Tara Canton
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Actor
Peter Mullan
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Supporting Actor
Elz Carrad
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Reporter of the Year
Lisette Reymer
Newshub
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow
Best Presenter: Entertainment
Karen O’Leary
Paddy Gower Has Issues
Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow
Best Presenter: News And Current Affairs
Jack Tame
Q+A with Jack Tame
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Television Personality of the Year
Bella Kalolo
Shortland Street
TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+
Television Legend
Dame Julie Christie
Best Editing: Documentary / Factual
Tori Bindoff, Carl Budden
Escaping Utopia
Warner Bros. International Television Production NZ / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Editing: Drama / Comedy Drama
Denise Haratzis
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Camerawork: Documentary / Factual
Mark Chamberlin
The Hui
Great Southern Television Ltd / Warner Bros. Discovery / Three & ThreeNow
Best Director: Multi Camera
Matt Quin
NRL playoffs – Warriors v Knights
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+
Best Contribution to a Soundtrack
Pinnacle Post Sound Team
Our Flag Means Death – Season 2
NEON & Sky Open
Images & Sound Best Original Score
Andrew Keoghan, Reb Fountain
Escaping Utopia
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Post Production Design
Alana Cotton
Testify
Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+
Best Production Design
Neville Stevenson
Dark City – The Cleaner
Endeavour Ventures Ltd / NEON & Sky Open
Best Costume Design
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+
Best Script: Comedy
Simone Nathan
Kid Sister
Greenstone TV / TVNZ+
Best Script: Drama
Dianne Taylor
After The Party
Lingo Pictures / Luminous Beast / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+.
