The Film & TV Industry of Aotearoa Shines at the 2025 New Zealand Screen Awards
The screen industry of Aotearoa came together to celebrate its brightest achievements at the 2025 New Zealand Screen Awards | Ngā Taonga Whakaata o Aotearoa. The highly anticipated awards ceremony, now celebrating excellence across all screen content - including both television and film - took place at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland, where the best in the industry was honoured for their outstanding contributions to New Zealand’s screen sector.
The dazzling red-carpet event was hosted by comedian Pax Assadi, whose trademark wit kept guests entertained throughout the evening as they celebrated a year of exceptional achievements across multiple categories.
The late Lee Tamahori’s historical drama The Convert was the standout winner securing five major honours across the evening. The film received recognition for Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand Best Director: Drama Feature, Images and Sound Best Cinematography: Feature, Best Production Design: Feature, Best Costume Design: Feature and Best Makeup Design: Feature.
The Best Director: Feature award was accepted by The Convert producers Robin Scholes and Te Kohe Tuhaka on behalf of Lee Tamahori and his whanau, acknowledging his extraordinary vision and lasting contribution to New Zealand cinema.
Taking out the award for New Zealand Film Commission’s Best Feature Film was Ka Whawhai Tonu, the critically acclaimed film about a young Māori girl who guides her people into a brutal battle against colonial British forces in 1864. The film was also awarded a trophy for Images and Sound Best Original Score: Feature.
In television, The Gone (S2), the gripping crime drama produced by Kingfisher Films / Keeper Pictures and Southern Light Films for TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+, led the series categories with four prestigious awards. Among these were New Zealand On Air Best Drama Series and Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama Series. The series’ success follows that of the show’s first season, which claimed five awards at the 2023 New Zealand Television Awards.
TVNZ’s 1 News took home the 2025 award for Best News Coverage for its exceptional reportage of the Kiingitanga Tangihanga, while Great Southern TV’s The Hui was named Best Current Affairs Programme. TVNZ also celebrated individual achievements with Indira Stewart receiving the Reporter of the Year award and John Campbell recognised as Best Presenter: News and Current Affairs.
Continuing in the programming categories, Homesteads (S2), produced by Te Imurangi Limited for Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+, was awarded the Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Programme, with Kimiora Kaire-Melbourne recognised for her work on the series.
The Te Māngai Pāho Best Reo Māori Programme was awarded to Ruamata: It’s More Than Hockey 2, a Mairanga Media production for RNZ. The win celebrates the work of Kereama Wright, Mahanga Pihama, Riria Morgan, Arthur Rasmussen and Matua Houltham, whose storytelling and commitment to te reo Māori were central to the documentary’s success.
Double Parked (S2) enjoyed a standout night in the series acting categories, with Antonia Prebble winning Best Actress in a Series and Kura Forrester receiving Best Supporting Actress in a Series. The series, produced by Kevin & Co. for Three and ThreeNow.
Feature film Tinā dominated the women’s feature acting categories, with Anapela Polata'ivao winning the Equity New Zealand Best Actress in a Feature award and Antonia Eaton receiving Best Supporting Actress in a Feature.
In other categories, Stephen Lovatt was named Best Actor in a Series for his role in New Zealand’s longest running drama series Shortland Street, produced by South Pacific Pictures for TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+, and Peter Hambleton won Best Supporting Actor in a Series for his performance in the popular musical comedy series Happiness, produced by Greenstone TV for Three and ThreeNow.
The Rule of Jenny Pen claimed both men’s feature acting awards, with John Lithgow winning Best Actor in a Feature and George Henare receiving Best Supporting Actor in a Feature.
The only publicly voted award, Screen Personality of the Year, went to TVNZ’s Te Karere host Scotty Morrison, while previously announced internationally acclaimed actor Sir Sam Neill KNZM OBE received a standing ovation as he was presented the 2025 Screen Legend Award, acknowledging his remarkable contribution to film and television both in New Zealand and abroad.
Of this year’s 56 judged categories and one publicly voted award, content screened on TVNZ channels took home 19 awards, while programmes on Three and ThreeNow collected five. Whakaata Māori secured four category wins matched by SKY with four awards. Content screened on Stuff, RNZ and The Spinoff also each claimed a win.
This year’s results highlighted the impact of public investment in local storytelling, with NZ On Air funded programmes securing 26 awards, including content supported in partnership with Te Māngai Pāho and the New Zealand Film Commission. Te Māngai Pāho also provided direct support with eight awards being won across six funded productions and the New Zealand Film Commission further underscoring its importance to the sector, having supported all but one of the films recognised at the awards.
THE 2025 NEW ZEALAND SCREEN AWARDS WINNERS ARE:
New Zealand On Air Best Drama Series
The Gone Season 2
Reikura Kahi, Timothy White, Karl Zohrab, Yvonne Donohoe & Katie Holly
Kingfisher Films / Keeper Pictures / Southern Light Films / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
New Zealand Film Commission Best Feature Film
Ka Whawhai Tonu
Thomas Toby Parkinson & Piripi Curtis
Akeake Ltd / 2024
New Zealand Film Commission Best Short Film
Rochelle
Tom Furniss & Luke Sharpe
Little Horse Films / 2024
Best Comedy Programme
Vince
Bronwynn Bakker, Jono Pryor, Cam Bakker
Kevin & Co. / Three & ThreeNow
Best Factual Series
Moving Houses
Neil Stichbury
Imagination Television Limited / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
New Zealand On Air Best Documentary - Series
Motuhaketanga
Kathleen Mantel
Black Iris Limited / Whakaata Māori / MĀORI+
New Zealand Film Commission Best Documentary - Feature
Never Look Away
Matthew Metcalfe, Tom Blackwell, Lucy Lawless
GFC Films / 2024
Best Reality Series
The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes
Ben Bayly, Adrian Stevanon, Sam Blackley, Philip Smith and Briar Coleman
Great Southern Television / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Current Affairs Programme
The Hui
Rewa Harriman, Phillip Smith, Ruwani Perera & John Boynton
Great Southern Television / Stuff
New Zealand On Air Best Children’s Programme
First Place
Eileen Lee & Hope Papali'i
Tikilounge Productions / Coconet TV / TVNZ+
Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Programme
Homesteads Season 2
Kimiora Kaire-Melbourne
Te Imurangi Limited / Whakaata Māori & MĀORI+
Te Māngai Pāho Best Reo Māori Programme
Ruamata: It’s More Than Hockey 2
Kereama Wright, Mahanga Pihama, Riria Morgan, Arthur Rasmussen, Matua Houltham
Mairanga Media / RNZ
New Zealand On Air Best Pasifika Programme
We The South: The Manukau Rovers Story
Mark Malaki-Williams, Ross Karl
Sky Sport
Best News Coverage
Kiingitanga Tangihanga
Phil O’Sullivan, Laura Barnsley, Tati Urale
1News / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Sports Programme
Grit & Glory
Robyn Scott-Vincent, Peter Brook Bell, Dan Salmon
Attitude Pictures / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Live Event Coverage
Te Raa Nehu o te Tangihanga o te Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII
Ngatapa Black & Mokotini Templeton
Waikato-Tainui / Whakaata Māori & MĀORI+
Soljans Estate Winery Best Entertainment Programme
Taskmaster New Zealand Season 5
Bronwynn Bakker, Cam Bakker, Paul Williams
Kevin & Co. / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+
Best Director: Documentary/Factual Series
Kathleen Mantel
Motuhaketanga
Black Iris Limited / Whakaata Māori & MĀORI+
Best Director: Documentary Feature
Katie Wolfe
The Haka Party Incident
Tasman Ray / RNZ / 2024
Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama Series
Peter Meteherangi Tikao Burger
The Gone Season 2
Kingfisher Films / Keeper Pictures / Southern Light Films / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand Best Director: Drama Feature
Lee Tamahori
The Convert
Jump Film and Television / Brouhaha Entertainment / 2024
Best Actress in a Series
Antonia Prebble
Double Parked Season 2
Kevin & Co. / Three & ThreeNow
Equity New Zealand Best Actress in a Feature
Anapela Polata'ivao
Tinā
The Brown Factory / 2025
Best Supporting Actress in a Series
Kura Forrester
Double Parked Season 2
Kevin & Co. / Three & ThreeNow
Best Supporting Actress in a Feature
Antonia Eaton
Tinā
The Brown Factory / 2025
Best Actor in a Series
Stephen Lovatt
Shortland Street
South Pacific Pictures / TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+
Best Actor in a Feature
John Lithgow
The Rule of Jenny Pen
Hyenas Rule Ltd / 2024
Best Supporting Actor in a Series
Peter Hambleton
Happiness
Greenstone TV / Three & ThreeNow
Best Supporting Actor in a Feature
George Henare
The Rule of Jenny Pen
Hyenas Rule Ltd / 2025
Reporter of the Year
Indira Stewart
TVNZ+ In-Depth
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Presenter: Entertainment
Brynley Stent & Kura Forrester
Bryn & Ku's Singles Club
The Spinoff
Best Presenter: News and Current Affairs
John Campbell
TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Editing: Documentary / Factual - Series
Tim Woodhouse & James Brown
Choir Games
Spacific Films / Sky Open & NEON
Best Editing: Documentary / Factual - Feature
Richard Lord
Maurice and I
Belmont Productions / 2024
Best Editing: Drama - Series
Bryan Shaw
The Gone Season 2
Kingfisher Films / Keeper Pictures / Southern Light Films / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand Best Editing: Drama - Feature
Chris Plummer & Martin Brinkler
Joika
Four Knights Film / 2024
Best Camerawork: Documentary / Factual - Series
Dominic Fryer
Live and Let Dai
South Pacific Pictures / Three & ThreeNow
Best Camerawork: Documentary / Factual - Feature
Tim Flower
Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua Two Worlds
Monsoon Pictures International / Whakaata Māori / 2025
Best Director: Multi-Camera
Marcus Kennedy
2024 Bledisloe Cup - Wellington
Sky Sport
Images and Sound Best Cinematography: Drama Series
Dave Cameron NZCS ACS
A Remarkable Place to Die
Screentime New Zealand and Real Film Berlin / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Images and Sound Best Cinematography: Feature Film
Gin Loane
The Convert
Jump Film and Television / Brouhaha Entertainment / 2024
Best Contribution to a Soundtrack: Series
Tom Miskin, Melanie Graham, Mike Bayliss, Steve Finnigan
Secrets at Red Rocks
Libertine Pictures / Sky Open & NEON
Screen Music & Sound Guild of New Zealand Best Contribution to a Soundtrack: Feature
John McKay & Matthew Lambourn
The Rule of Jenny Pen
Hyenas Rule Ltd / 2025
Images and Sound Best Original Score - Series
Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper
The Gone Season 2
Kingfisher Films / Keeper Pictures / Southern Light Films / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Images and Sound Best Original Score - Feature
Arli Liberman & Tiki Taane
Ka Whawhai Tonu
Akeake Ltd / 2024
Best Post Production Design - Series
Damian McDonnell - Colourist
Time Bandits
Piki Films / Paramount Television / Apple TV
Best Post Production Design - Feature
Carol Petrie, Jacob Leaf & Brenton Cumberpatch - VFX
Ash
GFC Films / 2024
Best Production Design – Series
John Allan
Under the Vines Season 3
Libertine Pictures & Perpetual Entertainment / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Production Design - Feature
Nick Williams & Guy Moana
The Convert
Jump Film and Television / Brouhaha Entertainment / 2024
Best Costume Design - Series
Sarah Voon
My Life is Murder
Greenstone TV / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Costume Design - Feature
Liz McGregor
The Convert
Jump Film and Television / Brouhaha Entertainment / 2024
Best Makeup Design - Series
Kevin Dufty
The Brokenwood Mysteries
South Pacific Pictures / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Makeup Design - Feature
Gabrielle Jones
The Convert
Jump Film and Television / Brouhaha Entertainment / 2024
Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society Best Script: Series
Tim Balme
The Brokenwood Mysteries
South Pacific Pictures / TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
New Zealand Writers Guild Best Script: Feature
Eli Kent & James Ashcroft
The Rule of Jenny Pen
Hyenas Rule Ltd / 2025
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