'Mercy Peak' the clear favourite for TV awards

It may be celebrating its 10th birthday, but Shortland Street didn't feature in the nominations for the New Zealand Television Awards yesterday.

The soap was notable for its absence from any of the categories, which in the drama sections was dominated by Mercy Peak with 12 nominations, including best drama series and five acting nods.

The other big drama nominees were Staunch, the one-off, based-on-fact drama about a young South Auckland woman who defends herself in court, with seven nominations.

Fish Skin Suit, a one-off drama from the financially troubled Kahukura Productions, got six. Clare, the dramatisation of the story of the Clare Matheson, who was at the centre of the National Women's Cervical Cancer Inquiry, was nominated five times.

The Ponsonby lawyer drama Street Legal also received five nominations, including a best actor nod for leading man Jay Laga'aia. The teen drama Being Eve also received five.

The comedy categories indicated slim pickings. The main competition was between a Mike King special, Willy Nilly and Spin Doctors.

An episode of the axed Xena: Warrior Princess also figured in the best comedy programme category.

The TV Guide-sponsored awards are announced at the Auckland Town Hall on Saturday, June 29.

DRAMA

Programme: Clare (Dave Gibson, Gibson Group); Fish Skin Suit(Larry Parr, Julian Arahanga, Kahukura Productions); Staunch William Grieve and Keith Hunter (Hunter Productions).

Series or Serial: Being Eve (Vanessa Alexander, South Pacific Pictures); Mercy Peak (John Laing, South Pacific Pictures); Street Legal series 2 (Chris Hampson, ScreenWorks).

Actress: Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell (Staunch); Robyn Malcolm (Clare); Sara Wiseman (Mercy Peak).

Actor: Jay Laga'aia (Street Legal); Tamati Te Nohotu (Staunch); Jeffrey Thomas (Mercy Peak).

Supporting Actress: Alison Bruce (Mercy Peak); Jan Fisher (Mercy Peak); Madeleine Sami (Fish Skin Suit).

Supporting Actor: Tim Balme (Mercy Peak); Stuart Devenie (Jack of All Trades, Pacific Renaissance Pictures); John Katipa (Staunch).

Juvenile Actor/Actress: Rachel Batty (Fish Skin Suit); Rose McIvor (Xena: Warrior Princess - Little Problems); Luke Tarei (Fish Skin Suit).

Script (one-off): Toa Fraser and Keith Hunter (Staunch); Briar Grace Smith (Fish Skin Suit).

Script (series): Maxine Fleming (Being Eve); Greg McGee (Street Legal); Gavin Strawhan (Mercy Peak).

Director: Geoff Cawthorn (Mercy Peak); Keith Hunter (Staunch); Yvonne MacKay (Clare).

Camera: Simon Baumfield (Street Legal, series one); John Cavill (Xena: Warrior Princess - Lyre Lyre Hearts On Fire); James Cowley (Fish Skin Suit).

Editing: Allanah Milne (Mercy Peak); Paul Sutorius (Clare); Tim Woodhouse (Staunch).

COMEDY/ ENTERTAINMENT

Programme: An Audience with the King (Mike King and Eric Derks); Spin Doctors (Tony Holden, Comedia Pictures); Willy Nilly (Judith Trye and John Gilbert, Big House); Xena: Warrior Princess - Lyre Lyre Hearts on Fire (Chloe Smith and Robert Tapert, Pacific Renaissance Pictures).

Entertainment/Comedy Performance: Sean Duffy (Willy Nilly); Mark Hadlow (Willy Nilly); Mike King (An Audience with the King).

Script: James Griffin, Roger Hall, Tom Scott (Spin Doctors); Ken Duncum, Mike Smith, Cal Wilson, Paul Yates (Willy Nilly).

Director: Jason Gunn (jessie.com); Tony Holden (Spin Doctors); Mike Smith (Willy Nilly).

Entertainment Programme: 2001 Montana Wearable Art Awards (Ron Pledger, TVNZ); Pacifica Beats 2000 (Greg Mayor, TVNZ); What Now? 20th Anniversary Special (Tony Palmer, TVNZ).

Entertainment Series: A Game of Two Halves (Nick Tapper, Touchdown Television); Mo' Show (Mark Williams and Otis Frizzell, XSTV); Polyfest 2001 (Claudette Hauiti, Front Of The Box Productions).

Director, Factual/Entertainment: Bryan Bruce (Wild About New Zealand); Nigel Carpenter (Big Comedy Gala); Mike Ritchie (What Now? 20th Anniversary Special).

DOCUMENTARY

Documentary: 1951 (John Bates, Bates Productions); Big (Philippa Mossman, Greenstone Pictures); Numero Bruno (Nicola Saker, Quardle Ardle).

Series: The Big Art Trip (Janice Finn, Screentime-Communicado); Captain's Log (Gresham Bradley and John A. Givins, Livingstone Productions); Pioneer House (Miranda Grace, Touchdown Television).

Director: John Bates (1951); Steve La Hood (Numero Bruno); Fiona Samuel (Virginity).

Factual Series: Babies (Bettina Hollings, Imagination Television); Country Calendar (Frank Torley, TVNZ); It's Your Money (Derek Stuart, Touchdown Television).

CHILDREN

Programme: jessie.com (Janine Morrell, Whitebait Productions); Pukana (Nicole Hoey and Matai Smith, Cinco Cine Film Productions); cokesmokefreerockquest (Richard Hansen, Screentime-Communicado).

LIFESTYLE

Programme: DIY Rescue (Julie Christie, Touchdown); Taste New Zealand (Leonie Mansor and Chris Wright, TVNZ); Travel.co.nz (Tash Christie, Screentime-Communicado).

SPORTS

Programme: Fight For Life (John McDonald, TV3); Shell Helix Motorsport V8 Supercars Pukekohe (David Turner, TVNZ); Netball, NZ v Australia (Stephen Coates, TVNZ).

MAORI

Programme: Someone Else's Child (Rhonda Kite, Kiwa Productions); The Truth About Maori (Rhonda Kite, Kiwa Productions); Whanau (Tumanako Productions and Greenstone Pictures).

Language Programme: Ahorangi 2000 (Derek Wooster, TVNZ); Ahorangi Ruamano (Maria Amoamo and Paora Maxwell, Te Aratai Productions); He Tohunga Whakairo (Toby Mills and Moana Maniapoto, Tawera Productions and Black Pearl Productions).

TECHNICAL CATEGORIES

Camera, Non-Drama: Swami Hansa (Kiwi Buddha); Steven Orsbourn (Tauman - Destiny in My Hands); Peter Young (Country Calendar).

Editing Non-Drama: Geoff Conway (Numero Bruno); Peter Roberts (God, Sreenu and Me); Ollie Tira'a (Polyfest 2001).

Original Music: Carl Doy (Buzz and Poppy); Joel Haines (Mercy Peak); Joost Langeveld and Victoria Kelly (Being Eve).

Contribution to a Soundtrack: Chris Burt (Cleopatra 2525 - Pod Whisperer); Suite 16, Neil Newcombe, Carl Smith, Travis Hefferen (Mercy Peak); Suite 16, Carl Smith (Being Eve).

Production Design: Robert Gillies (Jack of All Trades - Shark Bait); Robert Gillies (Xena: Warrior Princess - Devi); Brett Schwieters (Mercy Peak).

Costume Design: Janet Dunn (Clare); Jane Holland (Cleopatra 2525 - Run Cleo Run); Jane Holland (Jack of All Trades - It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Opera).

Contribution to Design: Zane Holmes (Being Eve); Larry Justice (Street Legal 2); George Port (Cleopatra 2525 - Pod Whisperer).