Upper Hutt Performer Jason Henderson NY-Bound
Upper Hutt singer Jason Henderson, 30, is heading to New York City to spend two years studying acting at the Neighbourhood Playhouse School of Theatre, where he will follow in the footsteps of Robert…
Tag Archives: Stuff
Emma Rigby First New Zealander to Win UK Award
Rotorua woman Emma Rigby, 41, has become the first ever New Zealander to receive the British Citizens Award, which she was presented with at the Palace of Westminster in London last week, Stuff reports. The award…
Edmund Hillary Fellows Encourage Bold and Humble Leaders
“A verdant Burning Man with lots more global utopianism” is how American business columnist and Elon Musk biographer Ashlee Vance describes on Bloomberg.com the experimental New Zealand Global Impact Visa. Helmed by Illinois…
Pua Magasiva, Actor (1980-2019)
Popular television actor Pua Magasiva died on May 11, 2019 aged 38. Born in Samoa but raised in New Zealand, Magasiva played the Red Ranger in 2003’s Power Rangers Ninja Storm as well…
World’s First Māori Woman Bishop Elected
The Archbishops of the Anglican Church in New Zealand have elected the world’s first Māori woman Bishop, Radio New Zealand reports. Archdeacon Waitohiariki Quayle has been appointed Bishop of Te Ūpoko o Te Ika. She…
Kelsey Birse Creates a Career from Gaming
When Kelsey Birse was given an Xbox as a Christmas present, he never anticipated a future fulltime career in esports, Stuff reporter Oskar Howell writes. Birse, who goes by in-game name ‘Colourhex’, puts his…
Menstrual Company Hello Cup Expands into US
New Zealand menstrual cup brand Hello Cup, co-founded by Robyn McLean and best friend Mary Bond, has signed a deal with American clothing brand Urban Outfitters. From the end of this month, Hello Cup will…
Garden Designer Bayley LuuTomes Wins in Melbourne
New Zealand garden designer Bayley LuuTomes has ticked a career goal off his bucket list and won a bronze medal in the process at this year’s Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show – the…
Dunedin Film Crew Gets Their Dream Job
A small team of filmmakers from Natural History New Zealand (NHNZ) has made it their mission to tell the stories of Indonesia’s orphaned orangutans in a new documentary called, Orangutan Jungle School. Cameraman Alex Hubert…
CoAqua Snapped Up by Gywneth Paltrow’s Goop Store
New Zealand coconut water brand, CoAqua has caught the eye of actor Gwyneth Paltrow and her team at Goop, her international “lifestyle” store. The store, which offers “cutting-edge wellness advice from doctors, vetted travel recommendations,…
Distance Runner Bill Baillie Finishes the Race
Nelson-born athlete William “Bill” Baillie, who once held world records in the now obscure 20,000m and one-hour running events, has died in Auckland. He was 84. At the time Baillie broke the records they had…
New Zealand Tech Companies Making It Big in US
As Peter Jackson has shown, it’s perfectly possible to do things on a global scale from New Zealand. But the big money, support and collaboration with other scientists overseas can be a powerful lure,…
Jilly James Earns Spot at Renowned LA Acting School
Aspiring Timaru actress Jilly James, 17, is the first New Zealander to win a globally contested acting scholarship in Hollywood. In February, James will travel to Los Angeles where, along with 15 self-funded students from…
New Zealanders Win Prestigious German Design Awards
Christchurch designer Davinia Sutton of Detail by Davinia Sutton has just won a massive three German Design Awards for Interior Architecture 2019, for two kitchens and a bathroom. And Wellington designer Damian Hannah of…
New Zealand Wins Bronze at FIFA U-17 World Cup
New Zealand has beaten Canada 2-1 to bring home bronze at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Canadian women found themselves down just 15 seconds after the opening kickoff with New…
GirlBoss Founder Wins Facebook Leadership Award
“GirlBoss New Zealand founder Alexia Hilbertidou is the first and only Kiwi to be selected for the social media network’s Community Leaders Program,” writes Brittany Keogh in an article for
Peter Macky Renews Historic German Train Station
Aucklander Peter Macky, a former lawyer, has nearly completed a 10-year restoration of the first Kaiserbahnhof train station in Halbe, Germany. Macky, who lives six months of the year in Germany, says he stumbled upon…
Javelin Thrower Holly Jones off to Special Olympics
Paeroa woman Holly Jones has being selected to represent New Zealand at the Special Olympics World Games, to be held in Abu Dhabi in March. Jones, who has dyspraxia and mild cerebral palsy, will compete…
WWE Rising Star Dakota Kai a Wrestling Trailblazer
Thirty-year-old Aucklander Dakota Kai signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) more than a year ago but every now and then, she still has to pinch herself. It’s easy to see why. Kai is breaking new…
Skateboard Photographer Jake Darwen Takes Off
Skateboard photographer Jake Darwen, 25, who grew up on Auckland’s North Shore and is now based in Los Angeles, shoots for the likes of New Balance and Element, often travelling to offbeat destinations in…
Scientist Harjinder Singh Wins Illustrious US Award
After 30 years of research in the dairy industry, a distinguished service award was well deserved for Massey University professor and food scientist Harjinder Singh, 60, who last month became the first New Zealander…
Young Surfer Ariana Shewry off to California
In October, Oakura surfer Ariana Shewry will fly to Huntington Beach in California to represent New Zealand at the world junior champs. The 15-year-old recently took visual journalists Andy Jackson and Simon O’Connor on…
Dance Prodigy Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson in Houston
The past year has been a whirlwind of events for professional ballet dancer Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson, Jonathan Guildford writes for Stuff. The Christchurch-born ballet prodigy has started his first professional job with the Houston Ballet company…
Photographer Derek Henderson Is in Demand
Photographer Derek Henderson rates his career shooting fashion, travel and art photography as mediocre, but a quick look at his credentials and it’s plain to see he’s being coy. Laura Baker interviews the New…
Kim Chambers Swims Like No Other
Kim Chambers, a former ballerina who grew up on a sheep farm in the King Country has done what no other woman has yet achieved: swum the world’s most difficult ocean swim, from the…
Mitchell McClenaghan to Star in Netflix Series
Former Black Cap Hastings-born Mitchell McClenaghan, 31, will be among the players featured in a new Netflix reality series on the most successful team in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Mumbai Indians. The streaming…
US-Based Radio Exec Andrew Jeffries Loves LA
Private shows by the likes of Ed Sheeran and Coldplay are all in a day’s work for Los Angeles based New Zealander Andrew Jeffries, who is executive vice president for programming across the West…
New Zealand in Time-Lapse
New Zealand’s striking and incredibly diverse landscape has helped it become the setting for many famed film series that include the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, Travel + Leisure magazine reports, and…
Ice Sculptor Tatiana Zimina Competes in China
New Zealander Tatiana Zimina has recently returned from northeast China where she competed in ice and snow sculpting with her partner and two friends in the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. The…
Ollie Dale Aims to Help Solve Earhart Mystery
Auckland filmmaker Ollie Dale is joining former US Navy intelligence officer Guy Noffsinger to investigate how Pan Am flight 229 inexplicably vanished over the Pacific in 1938 – and how the plane’s disappearance may…
Harley Neville’s Wild Shave Gets Him on Ellen Show
Two years ago, Aucklander Harley Neville shaved off half the hair on his body and photographed the result for his followers on social media. The picture sat on the internet, gestating, clicks multiplying like…
Kyle Glogoski Signs with Philadelphia Phillies
Auckland-born pitcher Kyle Glogoski, 18, has signed a contract to play with the Philadelphia Phillies in America’s Major League Baseball (MLB). Glogoski, who currently pitches for the Sydney Blue Sox in the Australian Baseball League,…
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 used to the industry’s eyes…
Courageous Soldier Melanie Childs Awarded
Lieutenant Colonel Melanie Childs, who took charge of soldiers and police to lead refugees to safety through a battle zone in South Sudan, has been named the New Zealand Defence Force Person of the…
New Zealand Women Thrash England in World Cup Semis
England’s women were beaten 52-4 by New Zealand in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup semi-finals at the Southern Cross Group Stadium in Sydney. Tara-Jane Stanley ran over England’s only try in the 21st minute…
New Zealand Beat India by 40 Runs
Pacer Trent Boult took four wickets to help New Zealand beat India by 40 runs in the second T20 in Rajkot, India. New Zealand levelled the three-match series 1-1 with the comprehensive victory. Chasing 197-run…
Dig This an Invercargill Playground for Adults
“A New Zealand attraction has just opened that will allow you to rip, push and pull to your heart’s content using heavy machinery. Dig This Invercargill is first heavy equipment playground, and while it…
NZ Acting Coach Miranda Harcourt Gets Emmy Shout Out From Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman has thanked Wellington acting coach Miranda Harcourt in her heartfelt acceptance speech after winning an Emmy for her role on the TV series Big Little Lies, as reported…
Sam Neill Nominated for Another Emmy
A few days out from the Emmy Awards, where Sam Neill, 70, has been nominated in the outstanding narrator category for his work on documentary series Wild New Zealand, the actor showed he was…
Timmy Chiew Wins Top International Gaming Prize
Timmy Chiew, 25, from Auckland has taken out the top spot at an international gaming tournament beating 10 of the world’s best Yu-Gi-Oh players, in a New Zealand first. Chiew, who has been playing card…
Photographer Gavin O’Neill Shoots for the Stars
Earlier this year, 46-year-old Gavin O’Neill, who left New Zealand in 1996 to pursue fashion photography, received an email from the personal assistant of Kim Kardashian West. She had found his work on Instagram, the…
How Rugby Helped Jared James In Japan
For a Japanese national, the question of why a person from the West would come to Japan is a fascinating one, so much so that there’s even a TV show about it: You wa…
Kharl WiRepa a Vogue Designer of the Future
Fashion designer Kharl WiRepa is set to have his designs featured in British Vogue’s September issue, his clothing line selected among the magazine’s top 22 ‘Designers of the Future’. WiRepa is the first designer of…
Brown Kiwi Hatches at Zoo in Virginia
A little brown kiwi chick has hatched at The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia, United States. Zoo staff had been monitoring the egg closely the previous week after signs it would…
Wainui Chemist Selected as Finalist for PhD Prize
Victoria University PhD candidate Ryan Schwamm, 26, has become the first New Zealander to be nominated for the prestigious Reaxys PhD Prize in chemistry, which recognises the best work being…
Karaka Kitchen Makes Prestigious London Awards
A Karaka kitchen designed by Shane George is one of just two international entries to make the finals of the SBID International Design Awards in the KBB Design category. Winners…
Shearer Rowland Smith Beats World Record
Thirty-year-old New Zealander Rowland Smith has beaten the world record for the number of sheep sheared in an eight-hour period. Smith, who is from the Hawke’s Bay, sheared 644 sheep from four farms in Devon…
Producer Joel Little Dominates Billboard Charts
Auckland-born writer and producer Joel Little, 34, has his name in the Billboard music charts next to three different albums in the top 15, Stuff reports. Little worked on tracks on Lorde’s Melodrama album, Imagine…
Jane Wynyard’s Change of Pace in East Africa
Just a year ago, 48 year-old Auckland-born Jane Wynyard was a public relations maven in London with a career and lifestyle many of us would envy, Kelly Ana Morey writes for Stuff. She completed…
Whangarei Highland Dancer off to Tattoo
Seventeen-year-old Whangarei student Shannon Vesey will be the only New Zealander to dance as part of the Tattoo Highland Dancers at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on in August. Vesey will join 49 dancers…
Trap Shooter Natalie Rooney Ranked No 1 in World
Timaru trap shooter Natalie Rooney, 28, has been ranked world No 1 by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), the first New Zealander, man or woman, to hold the top spot in any of…
Lucky Planet Hunters Discover Super-Earth
NASA is adopting a planet hunting technique created by New Zealand scientists. Called gravitational microlensing, it helped Auckland and Massey University scientists Associate Professor Ian Bond and Dr Nick Rattenbury find a new giant…
Palmerston North Med Student Heading to Yale
Palmerston North-based medical student Josh Smith is heading to American Ivy League institution Yale University to learn a technique that could shape the future of healthcare. Smith is in the final year of his medical…
Wellington Gets the Scarlett Johansson Effect
Ghost in the Shell star Scarlett Johansson, who spent several months in Wellington filming the classic eighties sci-fi remake, says the capital is one of the best cities she has worked in. In a press…
Nathalie Boltt Joins KJ Apa in Riverdale
Wellington-based actress Nathalie Boltt has been missing fish and chips on the beach with her husband and son. The Riverdale star (she plays Penelope Blossom) is originally from South Africa but its her adopted…
Meet The Rock’s Body Double Kelly Mcnaught
Kawerau chef Kelly Mcnaught was serving up food at a Gold Coast café when a customer asked if he could photograph him. “Then I got a Facebook message from an agent asking if I’d…
