Lecturer wins coveted MTV hosting gig

The winner of a competition to find MTV's next Kiwi presenter picked up acting tips from his cousin — Hollywood superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

At a function on Friday night, Kristian Schmidt beat thousands of contestants to be named the next MTV video journalist.

University of Auckland lecturer Schmidt, 29, said he was shocked and is determined to make the most of the opportunity.

Schmidt's new role as an MTV VJ will involve travelling around the world, interviewing celebrities and attending red carpet events.

"My first thought was, 'Man, I have to find someone to cover my indoor netball team'," Schmidt, who lectures in Pacific studies, joked.

Fronting the camera runs in Schmidt's family. He tells of the time he watched his cousin during a visit to a film set in the United States. "I'll definitely be letting him know," he said.

More than 1,000 wannabes applied to become an MTV VJ, and the numbers were narrowed down to five finalists.

"You're meeting other people and making friends, but they're your competition. I had to think straight and I had to be on my A game the whole time."

Schmidt will co-host a new show alongside Aussie MTV star and model Kate Peck.

MTV has previously launched the careers of media personalities Jay Reeve and Amber Peebles.