Booker Prize Winner Keri Hulme Always a Storyteller
Keri Hulme, the New Zealander whose 1984 novel The Bone People won the Man Booker Prize, has died at her home in Waimate, South Canterbury. She was 74. Hulme worked as a tobacco picker,…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Podcast Explores Vibrant Roots of Our Hip Hop Scene
In podcast Aotearoa Hip Hop: The Music, The People, The History, Phil Bell aka DJ Sir-Vere talks to some of the genre’s most iconic figures and unsung heroes, exploring how music helped Māori and…
Pop Artist Billy Apple Defied Parochialism
In an article for New York-based magazine Artforum, contributing editor Thomas Crow looks back on the life of New Zealand artist Billy Apple, who died aged 85 in 2021. “Though he was much else besides,…
Dreaming up 1925 Montana with Grant Major
Oscar-winning Palmerston North-born production designer Grant Major has transitioned from The Lord of the Rings to the wilds of 1925 Montana for The Power of the Dog, director Jane Campion’s acclaimed western drama that,…
Newsreader Oriini Kaipara Presents World-First
Newshub broadcaster Oriini Kaipara has made the headlines herself in Britain with the Evening Standard reporting the Whakatane-born journalist is the first person to present a prime time news programme with a moko kauae. Kaipara,…
Predator Free 2050 a Force for Nature
“Across the world conservation groups, researchers and volunteers are working to combat the key drivers of biodiversity loss identified by scientists,” Max Benato writes for The Guardian in a story that looks at “five…
Rose Matafeo Arguably Breakout Star of 2021
After winning a New Zealand international comedy festival award for stand-up in 2007, at the age of 15, Rose Matafeo has conquered just about everything she has ever attempted, Stuart Heritage writes for The…
Invivo Launches World’s First Winery Airline
Before the pandemic halted in-flight booze service aboard a majority of airplanes, airplane drinks used to be something many passengers looked forward to. With select airlines slowly bringing that service back, New Zealand-based winery…
Lorde Is Learning to Put Real Life First
Lorde was thinking the other day about the strange fact that she is a pop star. ‘I wonder if part of it is because pop happened to be the medium that I was interested…
World Jockey of the Year is James McDonald
Never mind Frankie Dettori or Irad Ortiz, Christophe Lemaire or Joel Rosario. And never mind Ryan Moore, who has just been named the Longines World’s Best Jockey. No, the Jockey of the Year for…
Batsman Will Young Winning Hearts in India
He’s the Black Cap Indians are obsessed with. After an awkward call on the field in the first test between New Zealand and India in November, Will Young has caught the attention of the…
On the Hunt for Lost South Island Kōkako
Birdwatchers around the world are being called on to turn detective and help in a search for some of the rarest birds on Earth, including New Zealand’s South Island kōkako, last seen in 2007. The…
Should the World Follow NZ in Banning Tobacco?
“If you’re a smoker who wants to indulge your habit while gazing over the mountains of the South Pacific, you’d do well to move fast. New Zealand has announced plans to become the first…
Political Activist Rewi Alley Remembered
The 124th anniversary of the birth of Rewi Alley was marked on 2 December, a New Zealand man who first stepped foot on China’s mainland nearly 100 years ago. “His birthday is still significant…
How Peter Jackson Became a Local Hero after LOTR
When Amazon announced in August 2021 that its billion-dollar Lord of the Rings TV series would shift production to England, fans were stunned. Though J.R.R. Tolkien was British and though the settings are fictional,…
We Are Writing Our Own Food History
In an article for UK newspaper The Independent, New Zealander Molly Codyre, editorial assistant and food and drink writer for the publication, decides to find out what New Zealand cuisine really is. “This is a…
On the Stunning Visuals in The Power of the Dog
“The incredible natural landscapes of The Power of the Dog provide an unsettlingly beautiful backdrop to Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. Nary a frame in Western tragedy, shot by fast-rising cinematographer…
Tesco Picks Up Alistair King’s Pet Food Nood
Co-founder of New Zealand pet food brand Nood, Alistair King, 22, who has just launched the premium product range at Tesco in the UK, speaks to Business Matters about the inspiration behind the brand…
Civil Liberties in the Covid Age Discussed
“Vaccines, their mandates and certificates have ignited heated debate about civil liberties in New Zealand. Add MIQ, climate change, the government’s Three Waters policy and proposed hate speech legislation, and it’s easy to see…
Riyadh Sculpture Prize for Artist Anna Korver
Taranaki sculptor Anna Korver has been awarded first place at the 2021 edition of Tuwaiq Sculpture for her work entitled, ‘The Lighthouses triptych’. “Her masterful work fuses abstract geometrical forms with multiple cultural associations, suggesting…
Parris Goebel in Nike Dance as Sport Campaign
New Zealand dancer Parris Goebel is the creative mastermind behind some of the best choreography from your favourite pop stars, Maria Bobila reports for Nylon. So it’s no surprise, Bobila writes, that Nike recently…
Musical in Pipeline about Surgeon Archibald McIndoe
The story of the pioneering Dunedin-born surgeon Archibald McIndoe who developed a host of new treatments during the Second World War to help heal disfigured airmen and shaped the field of plastic surgery for…
Space Man Peter Beck Makes Annual Bloomberg 50
“In high school a guidance counsellor told Peter Beck that a career building rockets was ‘absurdly unachievable’. And it did take the New Zealander a while to realise his teenage dream. For more than…
Turning New Zealand into 1925 Montana
The Power of the Dog’s production designer Grant Major built the film’s ranch from the ground up on location in Jane Campion’s native New Zealand, which, thanks to its remoteness, was perhaps more convincing…
Commonwealth Games CE Katie Sadleir Has Big Plans
The Commonwealth Games could undergo “dramatic change” by the middle of the next decade, according to its new chief executive, New Zealander Katie Sadleir, BBC sports editor Dan Roan reports. Future hosts will be given…
Haast’s Eagle’s Hunting and Eating Habits Examined
For more than a century, scientists have wondered whether New Zealand’s huge carnivorous Haast’s eagle, that went extinct around 600 years ago, was more of a predatory eagle or a gut-raiding vulture. Now we…
Floeting Rings In A Revolutionary Diamond Setting
“A New Zealand jeweler has invented a way to put more sparkle in an engagement ring,” writes Forbes Watches & Jewelry contributor Carol Besler. The new Floeting Diamond created by veteran Wellington master jeweler…
Returning to the ‘96 Crowded House Farewell
Twenty-five years ago, much-loved band Crowded House bid farewell to the world, performing a free concert at the Sydney Opera House to a crowd of more than 100,000 people. The Sydney Morning Herald has…
With the Release of Time Flies Ladyhawke Opens Up
New Zealand dance pop artist Pip Brown, better known as Ladyhawke, talks to Belinda Quinn at NME about cancer, homophobia in the music industry and her new album Time Flies. After a long history of…
Antarctic Explorers’ Logbook Found at MetService
“Priceless” artefacts linked to Antarctic explorers Ernest Shackleton and Captain Robert Falcon Scott have been unearthed in a surprise discovery within a dark storage room of New Zealand’s meteorological service, Eva Corlett reports for…
Zoë Robins in Big Fantasy Show The Wheel of Time
“Fantasy and sci-fi is having a moment,” according to Vogue Australia journalist Charlie Calver. “The wave started with the debut of HBO’s Game of Thrones in 2011, grew and grew as the…
Angela Tiatia Shows at Massive Matisse Exhibition
In the accompanying exhibition to the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ new blockbuster exhibition Matisse: Life & Spirit, contemporary artists, including New Zealander Angela Tiatia, re-contextualise, challenge and complicate the modern master’s art…
Jayne Nakata Promoting Women Podcasters in Japan
Jayne Nakata is a New Zealander living in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, and the voice behind the award-winning “Transformations with Jayne” podcast. Japan Times contributing writer Louise George Kittaka interviews Nakata for…
Tenor Simon O’Neill Nominated for Grammy Awards
Ashburton-born tenor Simon O’Neill, 50, has snagged two Grammy nominations for Best Choral Performance and Best Engineered Album in Classical, Radio New Zealand reports. “I’m really thrilled, that was great news to wake up to…
Jane Campion Graces New York Times Magazine
“It has gotten easier over the years to feel comfortable with what work means to the world,” Jordan Kisner writes in a feature published in the New York Times Magazine. “She pulled…
How the All Blacks Handle Public Expectation
Every sports team has an expectation to succeed, but few do like the All Blacks, CNN reports. The burden of public opinion – as well as the high standards set by the players themselves –…
Naming NZ Aotearoa Meaningful Step for Travellers
The Māori Party has launched a petition to revert to the country’s original name of Aotearoa. In an opinion piece for Condé Nast Traveler, Māori authors Stacey and Scotty Morrison say travellers don’t need…
Mayfair Jeweller Jessica McCormack Speaks to AFR
London-based New Zealander jeweller Jessica McCormack has been designing and selling ever since her first piece which Rihanna bought – with her regular clients now including the Duchess of Sussex, Bette Midler and Victoria…
Ponsonby Period House Gets 21st Century Facelift
“An Edwardian house in the Ponsonby neighbourhood of Auckland, has been given a 21st-century facelift with a thorough redesign and a touch of minimalism – through an extension’s monolithic architecture,” Ellie Stathaki writes for…
Jiu-Jitsu Coach John Danaher Learnt from the Best
“Brazilian jiu-jitsu has been compared to chess, philosophy, even psychoanalysis. But its real appeal is on the mat,” Stephanie Hayes writes for The Atlantic in a story about influential mixed martial arts artist Royce…
Rare Sea Lions Are Back and Crashing Sports Games
After their populations were decimated by hunters, New Zealand’s sea lions are returning to the coasts – sometimes surprising locals by turning up in unexpected places, Charlotte Graham-McLay reports for The New York Times. They…
Steven Alker Gets All His Ducks in a Row
Since a Monday qualifier in the middle of August in the state of Washington, Golf magazine reports on what has happened to Hamilton-born golfer Steven Alker – six top 10s in a row, when…
Gisborne’s Where the Surf’s At
In a Condé Nast Traveler feature, pros weigh in on the best places in the world for a surf trip – whether it’s for learning the sport, testing your chops on six-foot swells, or…
Golfer Lydia Ko Takes the Trophy in Dubai
A bogey-free 65 in the final round earned a commanding five-shot victory for two-time major champion New Zealander Lydia Ko at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, earlier this month, Sky Sports reports. After equalling the…
Film-Making Set Jane Campion Free
New Zealand’s “trailblazing director” Jane Campion speaks to The Guardian’s Sean O’Hagan about how the #MeToo movement inspired her first feature in more than a decade, “revisionist western”, The Power of the Dog. That it…
Peter Jackson Takes Us into the Locked Beatles Vault
Ahead of his epic series Get Back, the New Zealand director Peter Jackson reveals the secrets of 60 hours of intimate, unseen footage of the Fab Four – and why it turns everything we…
Marie Mansfield Wins Australian Portrait Award
Ten-time finalist New Zealand-born artist Marie Mansfield has won Australia’s premier prize for female portraitists, the $30,000 Portia Geach Memorial Award, Helen Pitt reports for The Sydney Morning Herald. Mansfield won for Tilly, a painting…
Weta Digital Tech Sale has 1.65 Billion Special Effects
Unity Software, a 3D game-development platform, is expanding its VFX footprint in a big way with the US$1.625 billion acquisition of the technology division of Peter Jackson’s New Zealand-based Weta Digital, Todd Spangler reports…
McLaren Names Emma Gilmour First Female Driver
McLaren has announced Dunedin-born Emma Gilmour as its first-ever female racer, with the rally driver set to compete in the new electric Extreme E off-road series in 2022. The announcement during the COP26 climate change…
How New Zealand Used Humour to Reform Police
“Every year, American police officers kill roughly 1000 people. By comparison, New Zealand police officers kill, on average, about eight people per decade. Even if you adjust for the differences in population size, the…
Verry Ellegant Storms Home to Win Melbourne Cup
New Zealand-bred bay Verry Ellegant won this year’s A$8 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse, storming home in the final straight to win by three-and-a-half lengths from local favourite Incentivise, Reuters journalist Ian Ransom reports. The…
Victory for Bat in Bird of the Year Competition
The winner of New Zealand’s Bird of the Year 2021 contest has been announced and it’s the country’s only native land mammal – the pekapeka-tou-roa long-tailed bat. The UK’s Independent newspaper reports. The bat stole…
Big-Impact Books That Matter Most to Audette Exel
Reading for pleasure takes founder and chair of NGO Adara Group New Zealander Audette Exel to many places, but there’s one place it brings her back to most often. The regular Australian Financial…
Catching Up With Lucy Lawless On New Roles
Lucy Lawless, who currently stars in the television series My Life Is Murder, which screens in both New Zealand and the US, spoke to Forbes about doing voiceover animation, taking a leap of faith…
Wagner’s Ring Cycle Gets Bold Samoan Rework
Here is an insane undertaking: a small London-based arts collective, Gafa, run by singers of Samoan heritage, putting on a complete Ring cycle – four vast operas, almost 15 hours of music – in…
What’s On Thomasin McKenzie’s Cultural Radar?
Wellington-born actor Thomasin McKenzie, who plays the lead in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho, is interviewed for The Observer’s regular column, ‘On my radar’, one person’s snapshot of their current cultural life. Acting since…
