Nga Whetu o Matariki Awards 2020 function off in Tamaki Makaurau

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The Nga Whetu o Matariki Awards 2020 function, to be held in Auckland, has been cancelled as we know it.

The face-to-face component of the awards, scheduled for this weekend, was scrapped last night after the Prime Minister announced a return to Alert Level 3 for Auckland until midnight on Friday.

In a statement, Tahuhu Rangapu of Maori Television Shane Taurima said that despite the stated intention to relax alert levels before the awards were to be held, the decision was made for “the safety and wellbeing of our community”.

Gisborne woman Kiwi Campbell was travelling to the awards as a finalist in the Te Waita Award for Sport and Te Tohu Tiketike o Matariki Supreme Award categories.

She said people needed to adhere to the Government's advice to contain the coronavirus.

“The health of New Zealand is way more important than the awards . . . it's that simple.”