News of New Zealanders via Global Media

Tourism NZ Pleads End to Socially-Influenced Pics

Tourism NZ Pleads End to Socially-Influenced Pics

New Zealand is really bored of your Instagram posts, Rob Picheta writes for CNN. The country has launched a new tourism campaign, urging travellers to stop mimicking photos they see online and “share something…

Elizabeth Knox’s The Absolute Book Wry and Precise

Elizabeth Knox’s The Absolute Book Wry and Precise

New Zealand author Elizabeth Knox’s 2019 novel, The Absolute Book, is reviewed alongside UK-based Everina Maxwell’s Winter’s Orbit, by Canadian writer Amal El-Mohtar for The New York Times. “Here are two novels that are, in some ways, opposites:…

Comedian Rose Matafeo’s 2021 is Shaping Up

Comedian Rose Matafeo’s 2021 is Shaping Up

With an acclaimed romcom, one-off HBO special and a new sitcom out this year, 2021 is looking good for New Zealand-born rising comic, Rose Matafeo, who is based in the UK. NME’s George Fenwick recently…

Grazia Publishes Daniel Ido’s Take on Auckland

Grazia Publishes Daniel Ido’s Take on Auckland

From the smell of the sea to mountainous ranges, there is no secret Auckland is a unique city. Drawing inspiration from his hometown, US-based Grazia guest editor and artist Daniel Ido frames exactly what…

Fifa Exec Sarai Bareman Understands the Margins

Fifa Exec Sarai Bareman Understands the Margins

From her time as a player on the Samoan women’s national team to becoming deputy secretary general of the tiny Oceania Football Confederation, few people are better suited to addressing the challenges faced by…

Popular Film Baby Done Released in UK

Popular Film Baby Done Released in UK

With New Zealand-made film Baby Done just released on digital platforms throughout the UK, the BBC’s Emma Jones writes about the film’s star, Rose Matafeo, and how the film explores misgivings about motherhood. Matafeo, 28,…

RuPaul’s Drag Race Heads Down Under

RuPaul’s Drag Race Heads Down Under

Emmy-winning production company World of Wonder is bringing RuPaul’s drag queen reality series to New Zealand and Australia, and it will be appropriately titled RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, Dino-Ray Ramos reports for Deadline. RuPaul…

Local Creatives On Navigating a Post-Covid World

Local Creatives On Navigating a Post-Covid World

In a recent online i-D magazine article, young New Zealand creatives – including photographer Apela Bell (pictured), designer Charlotte Jennings, and performers Benee and Teeks – explain to readers “what it looks like on…

German Publication Has High Praise for PM

German Publication Has High Praise for PM

For its January 2021 issue, the German magazine View has declared Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern the “best politician in the world” and features the 39-year-old on the cover, with the words: “She defeated coronavirus…

Trapped in Museums for Centuries, Maori Ancestors Are Coming Home

Trapped in Museums for Centuries, Maori Ancestors Are Coming Home

Writing for Atlas Obscura, Ye Charlotte Ming has taken an in-depth look at the ongoing process of repatriation of Maori remains from international museums, quoting poet and musician Hinemoana Baker, researcher Amber Aranui and…

Filmmaker Charlotte Larsen On Her Latest Projects

Filmmaker Charlotte Larsen On Her Latest Projects

US-based Charlotte Larsen, 38, is poised to become a household name. The New Zealand native has found success as a producer and actress on popular films like Gloria and Great Expectations. She is currently…

Artist Simon Denny Reflects on Berlin Art Programme

Artist Simon Denny Reflects on Berlin Art Programme

Co-founder of the Berlin Program for Artists (BPA) New Zealand-born Simon Denny, 39, (pictured right) explains why artists are essential to the fabric of Germany’s capital city in an article for UK art magazine, Frieze. “When…

Is Letterboxd Becoming a Blockbuster?

Is Letterboxd Becoming a Blockbuster?

Early last decade, Matthew Buchanan (pictured right) and Karl von Randow, web designers based in Auckland, were seeking a passion project, Calum Marsh writes for The New York Times. Their business, a boutique web…

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta Charts a Course

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta Charts a Course

The first Māori woman to be foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta is an experienced lawmaker known for her deep roots in Māori tribal diplomacy, Charlotte Graham-McLay writes for The Washington Post. Mahuta has her work…

Graeme James Revives Lost Art of Shipwreck Song

Graeme James Revives Lost Art of Shipwreck Song

“It’s been a while since” anything like “a gripping seafaring-disaster song” has “come along, but to that list we can now add ‘The Voyage of the James Caird’ by New Zealand singer-songwriter Graeme James,”…

London Tattooist Nikole Lowe Inks Wallpaper

London Tattooist Nikole Lowe Inks Wallpaper

New Zealand-born tattooist Nikole Lowe, 47, who lives in London and runs studio, Good Times Tattoo, has taken her skills in a new direction – wallpaper design. After the studio was closed by Covid-19,

Shearing World Record Broken by Megan Whitehead

Shearing World Record Broken by Megan Whitehead

Gore shearer Megan Whitehead, 24, recently took on a nine-hour-long challenge officiated by the World Sheep Shearing Records Society, shearing 661 strong wool lambs in the time period to beat the previous solo women’s…

New Zealand’s Sophie Devine scores 36-ball hundred, fastest-ever in women’s T20 cricket

New Zealand’s Sophie Devine scores 36-ball hundred, fastest-ever in women’s T20 cricket

Less than a month after being named in the ICC’s Women’s T20 Team of the Decade, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has made headlines again by smashing the fastest-ever Women’s T20 hundred with a…

Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks a Slam Dunk

Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks a Slam Dunk

General manager of basketball team the Brooklyn Nets, New Zealander Sean Marks, 45, ended up getting the job and producing a miracle turnaround while transforming Brooklyn into a prime destination that superstars Kevin Durant and…

Our Covid Response the Best of a Bad Year

Our Covid Response the Best of a Bad Year

Covid may have made 2020 a year to forget, but amid the gloom there were plenty of positive moments, with countries like New Zealand and led by women having “systematically and significantly better” Covid-19…

Time to Reimagine Symbols of Identity

Time to Reimagine Symbols of Identity

“What’s with those jandals, hokey pokey ice-creams, buzzy bees, Swanndris and gumboots? Far from being random and unrelated objects, these icons of so-called Kiwiana tell a story of late 20th-century nostalgia at a moment…

That Looks Like a Digitalised 90s Catalogue

That Looks Like a Digitalised 90s Catalogue

It was in The Mount as it’s known to locals, that model Becca Haeger launched what would become That Looks, which according to Zoë Kendall, reporting for Britain’s i-D magazine, presents as a shoppable…

Manukura a Blessing and a Unifying Symbol

Manukura a Blessing and a Unifying Symbol

Manukura, a rare, snow-white kiwi that inspired a children’s book and was the first of its kind ever hatched in captivity has died at the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre after multiple surgeries to remove…

World’s Top-Ranked Team Shaped by Kane Williamson

World’s Top-Ranked Team Shaped by Kane Williamson

“After beating Pakistan by an innings and 176 runs in the second Test of a series they swept 2-0, New Zealand (a country with the total population around half that of London, and a…

Benee Makes DIY’s Class of 2021

Benee Makes DIY’s Class of 2021

Riding high off the back of megahit ‘Superlonely’ and her recent celeb-featuring full-length debut LP, Hey u x, Benee’s already done the hard bit – now she’s ready to reap the rewards, Elly Watson…

Thomasin McKenzie Poised to Dominate 2021

Thomasin McKenzie Poised to Dominate 2021

“Even in a year free from Hollywood’s typical machinations – red carpets, fall festivals, movie theatres – stars could still be made seemingly overnight,” Keaton Bell writes for Vogue. “Here’s our rundown of 15…

Contact Tracing Company SaferMe Focuses on US

Contact Tracing Company SaferMe Focuses on US

Wellington-based contact tracing technology provider SaferMe, which played a role in helping New Zealand bring COVID-19 case counts down to zero, is setting its sights on Texas and the North American market, Dom DiFurio…

Cooee Keeping Tour Guides in Virtual Business

Cooee Keeping Tour Guides in Virtual Business

Cooee, a travel platform developed in New Zealand, is finding ways to keep tour guides in business during the pandemic – and let people get a view of somewhere besides their own house, Adele…

Peter Jackson Astonishes With Beatles Documentary

Peter Jackson Astonishes With Beatles Documentary

“In a brilliant move, the Beatles him to work on the 56 hours of…

Learning Te Reo Māori Is Where It’s At

Learning Te Reo Māori Is Where It’s At

New Zealanders of all stripes are signing up to learn te reo Māori, according to Amy Gunia reporting for TIME magazine. Gunia writes that experts say over the last five or so years, the…

Rachel House Counts Souls in Pixar’s Latest Outing

Rachel House Counts Souls in Pixar’s Latest Outing

Auckland-born actor Rachel House, 49, is the voice of Terry, a Great Beyond “soul counter” in Pixar’s latest animated comedy-drama, Soul. House recorded remotely for the film from New Zealand, which also stars Jamie…

Tech Sector Humming with Mergers and Acquisitions

Tech Sector Humming with Mergers and Acquisitions

Specialist in the tech area, Mark Clare of Wellington’s Clare Capital, said the level of mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and general advisory work in the industry was busier than he had ever seen…

Weta Digital Looks to Become Content Producer

Weta Digital Looks to Become Content Producer

At a time when much of Hollywood is reeling from Covid-19, Weta Digital, the Wellington visual-effects company behind Avatar and Avengers: Endgame, is looking to pull a growth story out of its magic hat,…

Rocket Lab Launches Sixth Successful Mission of ‘20

Rocket Lab Launches Sixth Successful Mission of ‘20

Rocket Lab USA Inc. has completed another mission sending a satellite into space aboard one of the New Zealand-founded company’s Electron launch vehicles, Elijah Chiland reports for the Los Angeles Business Journal. It was…

Marlon Williams’ Records with Saskatoon Soulmates

Marlon Williams’ Records with Saskatoon Soulmates

On tour a couple of years ago in Europe, Christchurch-born musician Marlon Williams was travelling with his band when Canadian folk duo Kacy and Clayton popped up on the radio. Williams knew instantly that…

Martin Henderson Isn’t Just Jack From Virgin River

Martin Henderson Isn’t Just Jack From Virgin River

Auckland-born actor Martin Henderson, 46, stars in Netflix series, Virgin River as the love interest of Mel Monroe played by Alexandra Breckenridge – “who moves to the tiny titular town in hopes of escaping…

Canada-Based Builder Rob Parsons Lauded

Canada-Based Builder Rob Parsons Lauded

New Zealander Rob Parsons a Victoria, Canada contractor known for building high-end homes and for integrity in his business dealings has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Victoria Residential Builders Association in recognition…

How Our Film Industry Boomed During the Pandemic

How Our Film Industry Boomed During the Pandemic

Thanks to its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, New Zealand is enjoying an unprecedented boom in film production, with directors seeking safe conditions, and that most elusive thing this year – a normal life,…

David Howell Talks Architecture with Ralph Pucci

David Howell Talks Architecture with Ralph Pucci

New York New Zealander David Howell and his wife and business partner Steffani Aarons talk architecture and design on the podcast of renowned American designer, gallery owner and entrepreneur Ralph Pucci. Asked by Pucci…

US TV Host Stephen Colbert Revisits 2019 NZ Trip

US TV Host Stephen Colbert Revisits 2019 NZ Trip

Stephen Colbert, host of US television’s The Late Show, has shared footage from his 2019 travels to New Zealand on a recent episode, including a Lord of the Rings-themed adventure and bungee jumping off a…

Richie McCaw World Rugby Player of the Decade

Richie McCaw World Rugby Player of the Decade

New Zealand’s two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw has been named men’s player of the decade by World Rugby, Reuters reports in an article published online by The Guardian. McCaw, 39, who led…

Kiwi YouTube gaming comedy trio levels up

Kiwi YouTube gaming comedy trio levels up

New Zealand-based YouTube comedy trio Viva La Dirt League – which is behind popular video game skit series like Epic NPC Man and Game Logic – has signed with Creative Artists…

Unilever NZ to follow lead of Perpetual Guardian to Trial 4-day Work Week

Unilever NZ to follow lead of Perpetual Guardian to Trial 4-day Work Week

Unilever New Zealand will be trialling a four day workweek for one year, representing a fundamental change in the way the company views their workforce, reports Azi Paybarah for The New York Times. All 81…

Emilia Wickstead and Royalty a Perfect Fit

Emilia Wickstead and Royalty a Perfect Fit

“Any close followers of the Duchess of Cambridge’s style will know the name Emilia Wickstead,” Ciara Sheppard writes for Harper’s Bazaar. “The New Zealand-born fashion designer is the brains behind one of the duchess’…

Harvard Activist Award for PM Jacinda Ardern

Harvard Activist Award for PM Jacinda Ardern

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has received a Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership Gleitsman International Activist Award, which was presented at a virtual ceremony on 1 December. According to the Harvard Kennedy School, the…

Vintner Jules Taylor Celebrates 20 Years

Vintner Jules Taylor Celebrates 20 Years

As a child in Marlborough Jules Taylor dreamt of another place that offered more options than the animal and vegetable/fruit farming that dominated her area in the late 1970s and 1980s, Cathrine Todd writes…

Author Chloe Gong is a New York Times Best Seller

Author Chloe Gong is a New York Times Best Seller

It’s not every day that a 21-year-old debut author lands near the top of the young adult hardcover list, Elizbeth Egan writes for The New York Times. Chloe Gong, a Shanghai native who grew…

Former Olympic Athlete Now Criteo CEO Megan Clarken Aims Ever Higher

Former Olympic Athlete Now Criteo CEO Megan Clarken Aims Ever Higher

Internet advertising company Criteo’s first female CEO, Megan Clarken, has had an illustrious career in business so far. For the past 15 years, the native New Zealander has been a champion of diversity and…

Turn Disappointments of 2020 into Forest of Hope

Turn Disappointments of 2020 into Forest of Hope

To say 2020 has been a year full of disappointments is an understatement, but New Zealand is hoping to inspire some positivity for this coming year with its Forest of Hope campaign, Jessica Poitevien…

Siouxsie Wiles Makes BBC List of Inspiring Women

Siouxsie Wiles Makes BBC List of Inspiring Women

Scientist and public health communicator Siouxsie Wiles has been named on this year’s BBC list of 100 Women, a roll call of “inspiring and inspirational women from around the world”. This year, the BBC reports,…

Furniture Design Company PLN Group Thinks Wellbeing

Furniture Design Company PLN Group Thinks Wellbeing

West Auckland-based furniture design company PLN Group has created furniture for Apple, Google and Disney to reduce sound and boost productivity – and now it hopes to use design to improve employee wellbeing in…

Ocado Retail CEO Mel Smith Takes on M&S

Ocado Retail CEO Mel Smith Takes on M&S

Mel Smith is a plain-speaking, cheery New Zealander who joined online supermarket Ocado as CEO of Ocado Retail just over a year ago from Marks & Spencer, Harry Wallop reports in a story about…

October and The Eyes Puts Together EP Collage

October and The Eyes Puts Together EP Collage

“October and The Eyes makes music that wouldn’t feel out of place on the soundtrack of an arthouse thriller. Read: dark, sexy and a little dangerous,” Fiona Hartley writes for British magazine, i-D. “After…

Henry Blake’s County Lines Draws From Youth Work

Henry Blake’s County Lines Draws From Youth Work

A thoroughly absorbing though deeply upsetting drama, County Lines is a remarkable debut feature from New Zealand-born writer-director Henry Blake. Inspired by his own experiences as a youth worker in East London, Blake hopes…

Antarctica Trip Motivates Lorde on All Levels

Antarctica Trip Motivates Lorde on All Levels

New Zealand-born singer Lorde, 24, has teased fans with more information about a new album while announcing her book, Going South, inspired by her 2019 trip to Antarctica. The Independent’s Isobel Lewis reports. The “Green Light” singer has…

Rebecca Thomas’ Polish Portraits Stand Out

Rebecca Thomas’ Polish Portraits Stand Out

“More Radical Empathy, a project by New Zealand-born photographer Rebecca Thomas, is a poignant and inspiring series of portraits of activists from the global queer community in London, bearing heartfelt slogans of resistance against…