NZ Post named Overall Winner At NBR Awards

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New Zealand Post named Overall Winner at the 11th Annual NBR Awards for Sponsorship of the Arts

AUCKLAND, 31 July 2008 – New Zealand Post has won the 2008 National Business Review Awards for Sponsorship of the Arts. The Prime Minster, Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, presented the Overall Winner prize at the glittering black tie gala last night. The gala included performances by the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Tim Beveridge and his Neophonic Jazz Orchestra and the NBR New Zealand Opera’s ‘Emerging Artists’.

New Zealand Post was awarded the overall prize for its sponsorship of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The awards recognise writers and illustrators of children’s and young adults’ books. New Zealand Post has supported the awards for twelve years in association with Booksellers New Zealand. The judges said: ``The sponsorship continues to successfully promote literacy, by encouraging children to read and write. At the same time, it has made greater use of New Zealand Post channels and services, and has involved numerous New Zealand Post personnel at a grassroots community level.’’

NZ Van Lines won the 2008 Creative New Zealand Award for Bravery for its partnership with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. The removals company has provided transportation and direct cash sponsorship to the Ballet for 22 years, and in 2007 sponsored the Ballet’s tour to Shanghai.

The Edge Pathway Award went to Solid Energy, for its role as the major sponsor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and its South Island outreach and education programme.

Law firm Govett Quilliam, The Lawyers won the NBR Online Award for Best Arts Sponsorship under $20,000 for its support of New Plymouth’s Govett Brewster Gallery.

Shell New Zealand took out the Best Regional Sponsorship Award for its partnership with Puke Ariki and the 60 Springs project in New Plymouth. In addition, Special Merits were awarded to ABN Amro Craigs, AMI Insurance, ASB Bank, HSBC and Meridian Energy, New Zealand Post, Team McMillian BMW, The Dominion Post and TV3.

About the NBR Awards for Sponsorship of the Arts
The NBR Arts Sponsorship Awards, which celebrated the 11th annual gala awards night at the Auckland Town Hall, are aimed at recognising businesses that support the arts through commercial enterprise. The Awards acknowledge those partnerships between business and the arts that demonstrate a high level of creativity, commitment and vision and:
- Deliver genuine business benefits to their own organisation as well as meet the objectives of the arts partner;
- Demonstrate a high level of interaction and involvement on the part of the sponsor as well as the arts partner in the joint setting of common objectives as well as in the execution of the partnership;
- Use inherent strengths and qualities of both parties for the benefit of the partnership;
- Introduce new concepts and a creative approach to sponsorship of the arts, and set an example of excellence and innovation in the entire process of the partnership.
In particular, the judges focus on clearly defined and deliverable business benefits. Previous winners include Buddle Findlay, Meridian Energy, AMI Insurance, Ernst & Young, Vero, Bank of New Zealand, Telecom New Zealand, TOWER, and Forsyth Barr.

ENDS

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