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Kimbra’s Third Album Primal Heart Out in April
Ahead of a recent show at Chicago’s Conchord Music Hall, New Zealand singer, songwriter and producer Kimbra, 27, spoke with Jim Ryan of ChicagoNow about her third studio album…
War Correspondent Kate Webb Read Her Own Obits
She was sitting on the steps of her hotel, in the middle of Saigon, when the military jeeps zipped by, headed toward the sound of gunfire. So that’s where…
Mark Bridgwater’s Breathtaking Outdoor Shot
Christchurch commercial and adventure sports photographer Mark Bridgwater’s shot of fellow New Zealander, skier Charlie Lyons flying down the slopes at Temple Basin in Arthur’s Pass, was recently included…
Vampires Get Their Teeth into Some Small Screen
A television reboot based on Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s 2014 smash hit mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows has landed a pilot-production order at American channel FX.
According…
Writer and Engineer Ben Sanders Ups the Stakes
For a couple of days a week, Ben Sanders, 28, is a mild-mannered New Zealand engineer; the rest of the time he’s dreaming crimes and mayhem on the mean…
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie’s New Role Enigmatic
Among the most anticipated films of this year’s Sundance Film Festival has been Winter’s Bone director Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace, starring 17-year-old New Zealander Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie.
Leave No…
Lorde at Home with Billboard Magazine
For a minute, it’s easy to forget that Lorde is over 13,800km away, at home in New Zealand, Billboard journalist New Yorker Brooke Mazurek writes for the magazine’s latest…
Mark Burry Recognised in Australia Day Honours
The Council of the Order of Australia has recognised New Zealand architect and educator Mark Burry, 60, in the 2018 Australia Day Honours list.
Melbourne-based Burry was appointed an Officer…
Peter Jackson Brings WWI to Life With New 3D Film
“A new 3D film by director Peter Jackson is set to bring the First World War to life in a way never seen before,” writes Laura Lambert in an…
“This Giant Papier-Mâché Boulder Is Actually Really Heavy” Excels On A Shoestring
“With an affection for nerd culture that is inversely proportional to its budget, this lo-fi sci-fi comedy is destined for laugh-filled late-night viewing,” writes Kimber Myers in a…
Julia Croft Strips the Layers Off Sexual Stereotypes
In If There’s Not Dancing At The Revolution, I’m Not Coming, New Zealander Julia Croft performs a striptease and dissects the objectification of the female body in pop culture….
Dancer Brendan Cole Readies for Belfast Shows
Ahead of his shows at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast this March, Strictly Come Dancing star New Zealander Brendan Cole, 41, tells Belfast Telegraph journalist Stephanie Bell why he…
NZ Actress One of Sundance Festival’s Breakout Stars
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie has been named one of the five breakout stars of the Sundance Film Festival in an article in The Hollywood Reporter. The New Zealand actress…
WWII Love Story by Heather Morris Reviewed
Out of one of the worst periods of human history comes an inspirational story, a beacon of light amidst the dark ruins of the Holocaust. For three years before…
Martin Henderson Reveals He’s Yet to Master Accents
He’s the Auckland-born actor best known for his role on American drama Grey’s Anatomy. But despite the show being filmed and set abroad, former Shortland Street heart-throb Martin Henderson,…
Superyacht designer Ron Holland Pens Memoir
“Given that his single-masted creation M5 is too tall to pass beneath Ron Holland had trouble holding a…
Otago Band Albion Place Head Across the Tasman
Dunedin-based indie-rockers Albion Place had a big 2017, with the group’s debut album Mascuzzi Jacuzzi released in December, and their Australian summer tour about to begin.
The release of Easier…
Praise for Anthony McCarten’s Darkest Hour
Written by New Zealand-born filmmaker, Academy Award-nominated Anthony McCarten – best known for the screenplay he wrote for The Theory of Everything – Winston Churchill biopic Darkest Hour “is…
Mural of Whero O Te Rangi Bailey Explained
Canadian artist Kevin Ledo is known for his impressive murals of portraits, and this time it’s a portrait of Whero O Te Rangi Bailey, a Maori elder from Parihaka…
Top 2018 Comedy Acts Include Two NZ Favourites
Flight of the Conchords and Rose Matafeo are two “uproarious” comedy acts Guardian readers are recommended to buy tickets for this year, included alongside the world’s biggest standup Chris…
Outsider Fair Preview of Susan Te Kahurangi King
“As the Outsider Art Fair (OAF) – which opens 18 January, and runs through 21 January – rolls into town, the specialised sector it celebrates…
Hollywood Directors Like Niki Caro a Force
Never in the history of Hollywood has more than one female filmmaker been at the helm of a feature with a budget of USD$100 million or more – until…
Beulah Koale’s Role Breakout Performance of ‘17
New Zealand actor Beulah Koale’s role in the 2017 film Thank You For Your Service has been deemed a “breakout” performance of the year by industry publication Variety.
“As more…
Anthony McCarten on the Challenge of Churchill
Darkest Hour depicts Winston Churchill in the crucial weeks that defined him as a wartime leader. Screen Daily’s Jeremy Kay talks to writer-producer, New Plymouth-born Anthony McCarten and Working…
There Are English Trees in Neil Finn’s Garden
A recent Guardian reader-curated playlist about trees includes songs from the Beach Boys, Esperanza Spalding, the Shamen and Crowded House.
“Since time immemorial trees have provided people with shelter, food,…
Jumanji Star Rhys Darby’s Profile on Rise in US
In the Jumanji sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, there’s also a cadre of non-playable characters the untested heroes must contend with, one of…
Meet the Feebles Had No Taste at All
New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson has gained the reputation of being a genuine class act, thanks to films like Heavenly Creatures, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and his…
Amazing Race Host Phil Keoghan Amasses 30 Seasons
With the cold of the Northern Hemisphere winter settling in and outdoor activities coming to a standstill, there’s nothing better to get your heart pumping than reality TV favourite…
Kimbra is Pop Music Royalty
Humility and elegance only begin to describe the essence of what makes New Zealander Kimbra such an unstoppable pop music force, according to EDM blog Magnetic Magazine.
Kimbra, 27, is…
Competition Winner Liana Roberts-Letiu Validated
As the overall winner of the 2017 Samoa Observer Tusitala short story competition, Samoan New Zealander, Liana Roberts-Letiu, 21, is as intriguing as the title of her short story…
What Will Lorde Come up With Next?
Lorde’s Melodrama has made it into the top five of the Guardian’s 50 Best Albums of 2017, an LP the UK publication considers, “a work of insight, strength and…
Robin Hammond Image Best Nat Geo Picture
Documentary photographer New Zealand-born Robin Hammond’s image of Avery Jackson, a transgender child from Kansas City in the United States, has been selected as one of the National Geographic’s…
Looking Back on a Decade of The Naked and Famous
Ten years into being a band, Auckland-formed group The Naked and Famous are finally living up to the first half of their name and baring it all – kind…
NZ Escape Octopus Immortalized In Kids Book
“How many stories about octopuses escaping from their confines can there be,” writes Jacqueline Cutler in an article published on NJ.com. When she was one page into the…
Superorganism Push Pop Into the Next Dimension
From secretive internet sensations to one of the most talked about new bands around, Superorganism’s hyper-modern approach to pop is propelling them further by the day. Superorganism, an eight-piece…
Oslo-Based Brady Daniell-Smith’s Debut a Hidden Gem
From hypnotic hip-hop to Japanese psych-rock, Observer critics pick some albums of 2017 that deserve a wider audience, including the work of New Zealand-born Brady Daniell-Smith, who produces the…
Michael Linton’s Record-Breaking Mosaic on Show
An exhibition showcasing New Zealander Michael Linton’s handmade replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, has opened in Melton, Suffolk. The 64-metre long mosaic contains 3 million tiny pieces, and took…
In the Office With Trygve and Barnie
“Following the delirious success of Kraken and Nautilus, joins forces with fellow New Zealander, Barnie Duncan (Calypso Nights), in…
Chelsea Jade and Boyboy Take Their Chances in LA
Singers Chelsea Jade Metcalf and Sam McCarthy, who goes by the moniker Boyboy, explain why leaving New Zealand and relocating to Los Angeles has made them better songwriters.
Metcalf was…
Simon O’Neill Joins Fellow New Zealanders in US
New Zealand-born tenor Simon O’Neill gave a recent recital at Hertz Hall in Berkeley, California. He was accompanied by fellow New Zealander Terence Dennis on piano. “Both O’Neill and…
Peter Jackson’s Mortal Engines Teaser Released
The first footage of Peter Jackson’s fantasy movie Mortal Engines, an adaptation of Phillip Reeve’s novel, has finally landed,” writes Jack Shepherd in an article…
Dean Wareham and Luna Cover Some Greats
“As Luna singer-guitarist Dean Wareham sings a cover of Bob Dylan’s song Most of the Time, I could swear that the New Zealander is channelling the spirit of Lou…
Royals Certifiably Diamond Rated
“Just four years after it was first released, Lorde’s breakout single Royals has been certified diamond in the US after moving 10 million units. The New Zealand-born singer-songwriter first…
Ryan McPhun on His Good Band the Ruby Suns
Always trust a man in a jumpsuit, writes Sarah Illingworth for The Huffington Post. Ryan McPhun knows how to wear one well she says, and whilst performing musical acrobatics…
Conductor Gemma New Displays Crisp Technique
American piano virtuoso Conrad Tao was on the programme with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor New Zealander Gemma New not once but twice – playing Rachmaninoff’s Paganini…
André Spicer Desperately Seeks Self-Improvement
Like a couple of lab rats, professors New Zealander André Spicer and Swede Carl Cederström have subjected themselves to every conceivable test in pursuit of perfection, hoping to become…
Shoshana Sachi Writes Inclusively from Los Angeles
Shoshana Sachi, 30, explains what it’s like for a New Zealander being a “triple threat minority” in Hollywood – an immigrant woman of colour in a Vice magazine opinion…
New Cops Ad Drives Huge Increase in Web Traffic
How do you reach a broad cross-section of potential police recruits? Adweek asks. With an entertaining video that features a broad cross-section of police spokespeople. Ogilvy did just that…
Intimate Return From Pop Newcomer Alayna
Rotorua-born R&B singer Alayna Powley, 23, who goes by the mononymous name alayna, has always wanted to make music with a certain intimacy, music that peers beneath the surface,…
Lorde Lands No 1 Guardian Spot for Green Light
England’s Guardian collates a list of the 100 best songs of 2017 as voted for by its critics, which Auckland-born singing sensation Lorde tops, with the single Green Light…
Top of the Lake Creators Get Together for a Laugh
The team behind Top of the Lake: China Girl plunges into prostitution, illegal surrogacy, motherhood – and humour. New Zealander Jane Campion and Australian collaborators co-creator Gerard Lee and co-director Ariel…
Tape Face to Perform at Norfolk’s Attucks Theatre
America’s Got Talent sensation Tape Face will be performing at the Attucks Theatre in Norfolk, UK on 20 February 2018. Sam Wills is a 39-year-old New Zealander who lives…
Luke Willis Thompson Shortlisted for Deutsche Börse
New Zealander Luke Willis Thompson, 29, is one of four to make the shortlist for the prestigious 2018 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize.
It’s the 21st year of the prize,…
Tidbits From the Late Great John Clarke
Photographing birds and tinkering with words were two of the late John Clarke’s favourite pastimes. In a Guardian article, they come together in excerpts from a new book showcasing…
Kimbra Returns on Top of the World
New Zealand singer Kimbra’s lastest single Top of the World, which will be included on her upcoming album Primal Heart, is reviewed in The Michigan Daily.
“Kimbra is growing with…
Music Producer Fis Experiments With Saplings
Experimental producer New Zealander Fis, aka Oliver Peryman, has been challenging the restrictive structures of drum & bass since 2011, channelling the genre’s gut-churning low-end and collapsing rhythms into…
