The Aotearoa Film and Television Awards were dominated by tributes to the people of Christchurch, and honours were mostly split between the two major news networks TVNZ and TV3.
At the star-studded event, One News won top honours for Best News, for the fourth year in a row, while network journalists Amanda Millar, Joanne Mitchell, Mark Crysell and Kate McCallum took out reporting awards.
Senior TV3 bosses had discussed boycotting last night’s Aotearoa Film Television Awards, furious their coverage of the Christchurch earthquake was ruled ineligible for the top news award.
The broadcaster had had to change its entry for the Qantas Best News Award after judges said that their rolling coverage of the February 22 quake fell outside of “daily news programme” criteria.
The highlights package TV3 had entered had been broadcast around the world. So it was some comfort that TV3 cleaned up the individual awards, taking home five top awards including Best News or Current Affairs Presenter to Hilary Barry, Journalist of the Year and best news reporting to Hamish Clark.
“Hilary Barry has had a huge year, presenting and reporting from Christchurch during the earthquake, the African famine and the Rena grounding. The way she anchored the breaking news coverage during the earthquake was truly world class and she deserves this award very much,” says director of news and current affairs, Mark Jennings.
3 News presenter Hilary Barry said the win was tinged with sadness, as her entry had been centred around her coverage of February’s earthquake. “It’s hard to accept an award for work that was done that day,” she said.
The network coverage of the Christchurch earthquake featured strongly across all the news categories, and all the winners paid tribute to the city and its people. Barry said the region is “very much still in our hearts and in our minds”.
TV3’s Campbell Live also won investigation of the year for its exposure of a tsunami aid money scam.
“We’re delighted. We’re really proud,” John Campbell said.
“The Campbell Live team carried out many investigations this year. Their look into where the aid money given to Samoa after the Tsunami went…..or rather didn’t go, was one of the most important and John Campbell ‘s ability to hold people to account fills me with pride and admiration,” says Jennings.
In the entertainment categories, long overdue wins for 7 Days saw Jeremy Corbett take home Best Comedy and Best Presenter gongs.
Love Story cleaned up with three gongs and Michelle Ang won best actress for her role in My Wedding And Other Secrets.
Madeleine Sami won best television actress for her satirical show Super City.
“To think just months ago I was hanging out with my friends smoking weed and plotting criminal activity,” she joked.
Shortland St’s Rena Owen won best supporting actress, and Outrageous Fortune writer James Griffin won best script.
“It was such an intense, wonderful six years of fun and frivolity and to be recognised at the end of it feels great,” says Griffin.
TV One’s This is Not My Life was nominated for seven awards and won best production design and best image and sound.
Masterchef took out top prize in the reality category.
Maori Television’s Native Affairs got the gong for best current affairs series – beating 60 Minutes and Sunday.
Full list of winners
Qantas Best News: ONE News
Best News or Current Affairs Presenter: Hilary Barry, (3 News, Christchurch Earthquake)
Journalist of the Year: Hamish Clark, (3 News, Christchurch Earthquake)
Best News Reporting: Hamish Clark, (3 News, Christchurch Earthquake)
Best Current Affairs Reporting for a weekly programme or one-off current affairs special: Amanda Millar & Joanne Mitchell (TV1, Sunday: Innocent)
Best Current Affairs Reporting for a daily program me: Mark Crysell & Kate McCallum, (TV1, Close Up: Webster)
Best Current Affairs Series: Native Affairs (Maori TV)
Investigation of the Year: John Campbell, Pip Keane & Claudine MacLean, (Campbell Live (TV3) The Tsunami Aid Money Investigation)
GENERAL TELEVISION
Images & Sound Best Drama Programme: This Is Not My Life
NZ On Air Best Comedy or Comedy Series: 7 Days
Maori Language Commission/Te Mangai Paho Best Maori Language Programme
E Tu Kahikatea
Best Children’s/Youth Programme: Kaitangata Twitch
Best Information Programme: Whare Maori
Auckland Council Best Entertainment/Factual Entertainment Programme
MasterChef New Zealand
Kordia Best Multi-cam Broadcast: Rise Up Christchurch – Global Telethon
Best Observational Reality Series: The Secret Lives of Dancers
Best Constructed Reality Series: Missing Pieces
Best Performance by an Actress: Madeleine Sami, Super City
Best Performance by a Supporting Actress: Rena Owen, Shortland Street
Best Performance by an Actor: Mark Mitchinson, Bloodlines
Best Performance by a Supporting Actor: Craig Hall, Bloodlines
Best Presenter – Entertainment/Factual: Jeremy Corbett, 7 Days
Best Script – Drama/Comedy: James Griffin, Outrageous Fortune
Images & Sound Best Director – Drama/Comedy: Peter Burger, Bloodlines
Best Director – Entertainment/Factual: Dean Cornish & Nick Dwyer, Making Tracks
DOCUMENTARY
Best Popular Documentary or Documentary Series: Jesus The Cold Case
Best Arts/Festival/Feature Documentary: I Am The River
Best Director Documentary: Annie Goldson, Brother Number One
FILM
Best Feature Film: Love Story
Outstanding Feature Film Debut: Josh McKenzie, The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell
Best Director in a Feature Film: Florian Habicht, Love Story
Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film: Rawiri Paratene, The Insatiable Moon
Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film: Michelle Ang, My Wedding And Other Secrets
Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film: Greg Johnson, The Insatiable Moon
Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film: Sara Wiseman, Matariki
Best Screenplay for a Feature Film
Roseanne Liang & Angeline Loo, My Wedding And Other Secrets
Best Short Film:Ebony Society
The following categories were awarded at the AFTA Craft Awards luncheon.
Images & Sound Best Sound in a Feature Film
Dick Reade & Gethin Creagh, After the Waterfall
Best Editing in a Feature Film: Peter O’Donoghue, Love Story
Best Original Music in a Feature Film: Plan 9, Predicament
Best News Camera: Cameron Williams, (3 News, Niger Series/Airline Investigation)
Best Current Affairs Camera: Martin Anderson, (20/20: Rite of Passage, TV2)
Best Cinematography Documentary/Factual: David Paul, The Banker, The Escorts, and The $18 Million
Best Editing Documentary/Factual: Annie Collins, The Waterfall
Images & Sound Best Editing Drama/Comedy: Allanah Milne, Stolen
Best Cinematography Drama/Comedy: Kevin Riley, Legend of the Seeker
Best Original Music: Don McGlashan, This Is Not My Life
Outstanding Technical Contribution to a Short Film: Maria-Elena Doyle, Meniscus
Best Screenplay for a Short Film: Tammy Davis, Ebony Society
Kordia Best Multi-camera Direction: Darryl McEwen, MasterChef New Zealand
Best Contribution to Design: Jane Holland, Legend of the Seeker
Best Production Design in a Feature Film: John Harding, Predicament
Best Costume Design in a Feature Film: Lesley Burkes-Harding, Predicament
Best News Editing: Paul Sparkes, ONE News Special Report CCTV
Best Current Affairs Editing: Nick Reid, 20/20: Sitting on a Killer
Best Performance in a Short Film: Peter Hawes, BIRD
Best Sound Design: Chris Burt, Legend of the Seeker
Best Production Design: Tracey Collins, This Is Not My Life
Best Make-Up Design in a Feature Film: Angela Mooar, Predicament
Best Visual Effects in a Feature Film: Sauce VFX, Predicament
Best Cinematography in a Feature Film: Simon Raby, Predicament
