Editorial: Silly season extends to gong picks

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

Awards, honours, gongs ... you can't dodge them at this time of year.

They buzz about like bees around a sweet nectar of fame, praise and esteem.

Some people think we have too many award ceremonies; that they have become devalued. I have to disagree - having been "snubbed" (again) in the new year honours and not making anyone's Top 10 list, I can only conclude that we simply don't have enough of them.

The two biggies in December were the announcement of those new year honours and the New Zealander of the Year top 10 shortlist.

As is only right and proper with such back-slapping occasions, there was a bit of controversy when it was realised that two of 2013's top Kiwis had been left out in the cold.

Eleanor Catton is on her way to pop superstardom and Lorde wrote an amazing book - or is it the other way around? Which ever way, they should have been in the running for NZ-er of the Year - except the cut-off date for nominations was ridiculously September, before either had hit the heights of success.

They won't mind too much - Catton has the Man Booker prize; Lorde may bag a Grammy and they are both doing fine bouncing some reflected glory back to Aotearoa from their international acclaim.

And the competition will now be renamed New Zealander of the First Nine Months.

In the new year honours, there were well-deserved awards for Wanganui heritage campaigner Wendy Pettigrew and former Ruapehu mayor Sue Morris. Neither are glory-seekers and their grass-roots efforts fully merit the honours bestowed.

But I did baulk somewhat at the news that frock-makers Trelise Cooper and Karen Walker had bagged top gongs - dame companion of the NZ Order of Merit and companion of same, respectively.

Something's amiss when you can be so vaunted by the establishment for making a heap of money out of dodgy clothing.