Focus Live Earlier: Join NZ Herald’s Will Trafford and Sinead Corcoran as they bring you all the red carpet action from the National TV Awards 2019. Video / Leon Menzies / TVNZ / History
New Zealand's best and brightest TV stars were honoured at the industry's annual celebration tonight.
At a glittering ceremony hosted by comedian Alice Snedden at Auckland's Aotea Centre, the stars of Westside, Wellington Paranormal and Shortland Street were among the big winners at the Huawei Mate30 Pro New Zealand TelevisionAwards.
Anika Moa, Hilary Barry and Matty McLean were other popular personalities acknowledged.
It was a big night for TVNZ, which nabbed half the 26 awards presented in front of a 700-strong crowd.
And it was a successful night for production company South Pacific Pictures. Not only does it make TVNZ 2's Shortland Street — which became the first show to land the Television Legend Award, but it also co-produced In Dark Places, the hard-hitting Teina Pora story that won best drama feature and best drama director. The TVNZ 1 film explored the story of the man who was wrongfully convicted of murdering Susan Burdett when he was 17, and of ex-police officer Tim McKinnel attempts to secure his freedom.
In his speech for winning best director, In Dark Places director Michael Bennett spoke of the time he first met Teina Pora in 2011.
He went home and thought "what happened to this guy is f*****," and says he knew making the drama was "going to be the most important thing he did in his career." Bennett said he bought his first suit especially for the TV awards.
"It's been an extraordinary thing. It's changed our world forever," Bennett said backstage.
Mike Puru, Stacey Morrison and Anika Moa glam up the red carpet. Photo / Getty Images
"What we're always going to be most grateful for is being able to tell our friend [Teina's] story," he said.
Appropriately, South Pacific's third big win was Three's Westside, landing best drama series for the third year in a row.
Comedy — and two shows on TVNZ 2 — won the day in the acting awards. Breakfast host Matty McLean was crowned the 2019 Personality of the Year, which was decided by a public vote.
Danielle Cormack won best actress for her portrayal of Lulu in twisted black comedy Fresh Eggs, while Wellington Paranormal's deadpan male lead Mike Minogue was named best actor for his work as Officer Minogue.
Anika Moa, who also co-hosts the Hits radio drive show, won the award for best entertainment presenter for the second season of TVNZ OnDemand show Anika Moa: Unleashed.
Speaking to the Herald, she says the win was a relief.
"I'm happy to just be here, because I love the TV industry...and also I already know I'm awesome, I don't need an award to tell me that. I'm the bomb." The presenter explained.
The Casketeers, a TVNZ 1 series about the day-to-day running of a funeral business, won best original reality series and best Māori programme. Waka Hui best reo programme.
Hilary Barry and her husband Mike Barry attend the 2019 NZ Television Awards. Photo / Getty Images
Other big wins for Three were Dancing With The Stars NZ, chosen as the year's best format reality series, and the Funny Girls Suffragette Special, which won best comedy/ entertainment programme.
Uncharted with Sam Neill, a series exploring the impact of Captain Cook's arrival in Aotearoa, which screened on Prime, was awarded best factual series.
Coverage of the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque attacks dominated the current affairs awards.
Hilary Barry won best presenter, 1 News won best live event coverage for the national memorial service and Three's Newshub won best news coverage for its wider work. Away from Christchurch, Newsroom Investigates won best current affairs programme.
Barry says it was "lovely" to win the award.
"To break bad news to people...it's a difficult thing to do but it's also a really important thing to get right."
Best web series was won by Jessica's Tree, a frank and powerful story about youth suicide with a hopeful message directed and presented by Jazz Thornton.
Backstage, Thornton said the win was "completely unexpected."
"To have the series win...I definitely did not expect this at all."
Jessica's Tree producer Alex Reed says "the series was made with so much care, and Jazz was at the centre of that."
The series was made by Augusto and broadcast by NZME, publisher of the Herald.
Full list of winners:
NZ On Air Best Drama Series Mark Beesley, Kelly Martin, Chris Bailey, James Griffin Westside South Pacific Pictures (Three)
Images & Sound Best Feature Drama Michael Bennett, Jane Holland, Chloe Smith, Kelly Martin, Chris Bailey In Dark Places South Pacific Pictures and 10000 Company (TVNZ 1)
Best Factual Series Owen Hughes - Uncharted with Sam Neill Frame Up Films (Prime TV)
NZ On Air Best Documentary Gaylene Preston, Catherine Madigan My Year with Helen Gaylene Preston Productions (Three)
Best Original Reality Series Carmen J Leonard, Susan Leonard, Annabelle Lee-Mather, Philip Smith The Casketeers Great Southern Television (TVNZ 1)
Stage & Screen Travel Services Best Format Reality Series John McDonald, Hayley Cunningham, Charlotte Hobson Dancing with the Stars S8 MediaWorks NZ (Three)
Best Lifestyle Programme Piri's Tiki Tour Hokianga Pango Productions (Māori Television)
Best Current Affairs Programme Melanie Reid, Paul Enticott, Mark Jennings, Tim Murphy Newsroom Investigates Newsroom
Best Web Series Jazz Thornton, Alex Reed, Cass Avery Jessica's Tree Augusto (NZME)
NZ On Air Best Children's Programme Phil Brough, Matt Heath, Orlando Stewart Welcome to Cardboard City Vinewood Animation Studio (TVNZ HEIHEI)
Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Programme Carmen J Leonard, Susan Leonard, Annabelle Lee-Mather, Philip Smith The Casketeers S2 Great Southern Television (TVNZ 1)
Te Māngai Pāho Best Reo Programme Kereama Wright, Mana Epiha, Megan Douglas Waka Huia - Rereata Makiha Scottie Productions (TVNZ 1)
NZ On Air Best Pasifika Programme Tuki Laumea, Lisa Taouma 1918: Samoa & The Talune - Ship Of Death Tikilounge Productions (The Coconet)
Best News Coverage Newshub News Team Christchurch Mosque Shootings MediaWorks NZ (Three)
Monstavision Best Sports Programme Brian Hitchcock, Dean Pooley, Gareth Thorne, Simon Head, Mark Malaki-Williams Keeping the Faith: 25 Years of the Warriors Ep 1 Sky Sport (Sky NZ)
