The Convert and The Gone dominate at NZ Screen Awards
The great and the good of Aotearoa's screen industry have been recognised in a glitzy event in Auckland.
The late Lee Tamahori's The Convert has scored the most honours at the New Zealand Screen Awards, while crime drama The Gone continued its successful track record and Samoan hit film Tinā reaped the rewards in the women's acting category.
Glamour filled the Viaduct Events Centre on Friday night as stars arrived for the red carpet, hosted by Pax Assadi, and the screen sector came together to celebrate its standout achievements.
Producer and actor Te Kohe Tuhaka accepted the Best Feature Director Award for historical drama film The Convert on behalf of Tamahori and his family, acknowledging his extraordinary vision and lasting contribution to New Zealand cinema.
Lee Tamahori on location while filming The Convert in 2022.
Supplied / Kirsty Griffin
The film, which follows a soldier turned lay preacher (played by Guy Pearce) in New Zealand's 1830s, also received recognition for Best Feature Cinematography, Best Feature Production Design, Best Feature Costume Design and Best Feature Makeup Design.
Last year's major winner was the drama After The Party, with a record nine-trophy haul.
In television, the second season of crime drama The Gone led the series categories with four trophies, including Best Drama Series and Best Director: Drama Series. The show's first season, which revolved around the disappearance of an Irish couple in a rural town, claimed five awards at the 2023 New Zealand Television Awards.
The Gone series stars Richard Flood and Acushla-Tara Kupe as two detectives teaming up to find missing people.
Supplied / TVNZ
Feature film Tinā, which has surpassed the iconic Whale Rider at the box office, dominated the women’s feature acting categories, with Anapela Polata'ivao winning the Best Actress in a Feature award and Antonia Eaton receiving Best Supporting Actress in a Feature. The story touched many hearts when it was released as audiences sympathised with Mareta - a grieving mother who forms a school choir in Christchurch following the 2011 earthquakes.
Anapela Polataivao plays Mareta (right) in the film Tinā, which follows her as she grieves the death of her daughter, who is killed in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
Supplied / Madman Entertainment
The second season of Double Parked also 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.
Stephen Lovatt was named Best Actor in a Series for his role in New Zealand's longest running drama series Shortland Street, and Peter Hambleton won Best Supporting Actor in a Series for his performance in the popular musical comedy series Happiness.
The Rule of Jenny Pen - loved by legendary American author Stephen King - 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.
Psychological thriller The Rule of Jenny Pen stars John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush.
Supplied / NZ Film Commission
Taking out the award for 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 Best Original Score: Feature.
Temuera Morrison in Ka Whawhai Tonu.
Trigger Marketing / supplied
The Best Reo Māori Programme was awarded to Ruamata: It’s More Than Hockey 2, a Mairanga Media production for RNZ.
TVNZ’s 1 News took home the 2025 award for Best News Coverage for its reportage of the Kiingitanga Tangihanga.
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.
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 was presented with the 2025 Screen Legend Award.
Overall, 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.
The full list of winners
Best Drama Series - The Gone Season 2
Best Feature Film - Ka Whawhai Tonu
Best Short Film – Rochelle
Best Comedy Programme – Vince
Best Factual Series - Moving Houses
Best Documentary – Series – Motuhaketanga
Best Documentary – Feature - Never Look Away
Best Reality Series - The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes
Best Current Affairs Programme - The Hui
Best Children’s Programme - First Place
Best Māori Programme - Homesteads Season 2
Best Reo Māori Programme - Ruamata: It’s More Than Hockey 2
Best Pasifika Programme - We The South: The Manukau Rovers Story
Best News Coverage - Kiingitanga Tangihanga
Best Sports Programme - Grit & Glory
Best Live Event Coverage - Te Raa Nehu o te Tangihanga o te Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII
Best Entertainment Programme - Taskmaster New Zealand Season 5
Best Director: Documentary/Factual Series Kathleen Mantel for Motuhaketanga
Best Director: Documentary Feature Katie Wolfe for The Haka Party Incident
Best Director: Drama Series Peter Meteherangi Tikao Burger for The Gone Season 2
Best Director: Drama Feature Lee Tamahori for The Convert
Best Actress in a Series Antonia Prebble for Double Parked Season 2
Best Actress in a Feature Anapela Polata'ivao for Tinā
Best Supporting Actress in a Series Kura Forrester for Double Parked Season 2
Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Antonia Eaton for Tinā
Best Actor in a Series Stephen Lovatt for Shortland Street
Best Actor in a Feature John Lithgow for The Rule of Jenny Pen
Best Supporting Actor in a Series Peter Hambleton for Happiness
Best Supporting Actor in a Feature George Henare for The Rule of Jenny Pen
Reporter of the Year Indira Stewart, TVNZ+ In-Depth
Best Presenter: Entertainment Brynley Stent & Kura Forrester, Bryn & Ku's Singles Club
Best Presenter: News and Current Affairs John Campbell, TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Best Editing: Documentary / Factual – Series Tim Woodhouse & James Brown for Choir Games
Best Editing: Documentary / Factual - Feature Richard Lord for Maurice and I
Best Editing: Drama - Series Bryan Shaw for The Gone Season 2
Best Editing: Drama - Feature Chris Plummer & Martin Brinkler for Joika
Best Camerawork: Documentary / Factual - Series Dominic Fryer for Live and Let Dai
Best Camerawork: Documentary / Factual - Feature Tim Flower for Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua Two Worlds
Best Director: Multi-Camera Marcus Kennedy for 2024 Bledisloe Cup - Wellington
Best Cinematography: Drama Series Dave Cameron for A Remarkable Place to Die
Best Cinematography: Feature Film Gin Loane for The Convert
Best Contribution to a Soundtrack: Series Tom Miskin, Melanie Graham, Mike Bayliss, Steve Finnigan for Secrets at Red Rocks
Best Contribution to a Soundtrack: Feature John McKay & Matthew Lambourn for The Rule of Jenny Pen
Best Original Score - Series Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper for The Gone Season 2
Best Original Score - Feature Arli Liberman & Tiki Taane for Ka Whawhai Tonu
Best Post Production Design - Series Damian McDonnell - Colourist for Time Bandits
Best Post Production Design - Feature Carol Petrie, Jacob Leaf & Brenton Cumberpatch - VFX for Ash
Best Production Design – Series John Allan for Under the Vines Season 3
Best Production Design - Feature Nick Williams & Guy Moana for The Convert
Best Costume Design - Series Sarah Voon for My Life is Murder
Best Costume Design - Feature Liz McGregor for The Convert
Best Makeup Design - Series Kevin Dufty for The Brokenwood Mysteries
Best Makeup Design - Feature Gabrielle Jones for The Convert
Best Script: Series Tim Balme for The Brokenwood Mysteries
Best Script: Feature Eli Kent & James Ashcroft for The Rule of Jenny Pen
