Fourth ‘Best News’ Honour for TVNZ’s One News

Fourth ‘Best News’ Honour for TVNZ’s One News

Saturday 12th November, 2011

ONE News has won the AFTA Award for Best News following one of the biggest news years in New Zealand’s history.

It’s the fourth year in a row that TV ONE’s flagship bulletin has been awarded the prestigious title; the first time this has been achieved.

Simon Dallow has spent a bit of time in Christchurch in the last 12 months and accepted the award on behalf of ONE News, "I have mixed feelings about winning an award largely predicated on what happened to Canterbury". He finished by dedicating the award to everyone affected by the earthquakes.

TVNZ’s News Boss also spoke and paid tribute to the camera crews, editors, producers and journalists from Christchurch who reported on the earthquakes and lived through every quake and after shake too.

“To be honoured by the judges for our work over the last 12 months is very special indeed,” said Head of News and Current Affairs, Anthony Flannery.

“I am extremely proud of our teams for stepping up to the challenge - they did so with great professionalism and world class craft, and kept focus on delivering the vital information and important stories for New Zealanders during a year of such tragedy, upheaval and drama.

“I would like to pay a special tribute to the TVNZ staff in Christchurch.

“We were extremely lucky that our building just held together during February’s tragic quake so that they evacuated safely - once out they all pulled together to provide unprecedented levels of rolling coverage of the unfolding disaster.

“It’s been an exceptional year for news. Just one big story puts pressure on a newsroom, but in the last 12 months we’ve had the Christchurch Earthquakes, the Pike River Mine disaster, a Royal Wedding, Tsunami and nuclear panic in Japan, the Rena grounding off Tauranga, the Rugby World Cup and now Election 2011.

“We have thrown everything at these historic stories, and I hope we have proved beyond doubt that we are committed to bringing NZers important news where and when it matters”.

TVNZ also picked up two prestigious current affairs trophies this evening.

Close Up’s Mark Crysell and Kate McCallum won best current affairs reporting for a daily programme for their story on the tragic death of Auckland teenager, James Webster. Producer, Kate McCallum thanked James Webster's family, "for trusting us to tell their story at such an horrendous time” when she accepted the award.

Veteran journalist, Amanda Millar and producer Joanne Mitchell from SUNDAY won best current affairs reporting for a weekly programme for their revealing story on Jaden Knight and Phillip Johnston, from Lower Hutt, who were wrongly convicted and imprisoned (6 years) for the arson of the Foxton Hotel.

On Thursday at the AFTA Luncheon TVNZ won 3 of the 4 awards for News and Current Affairs Craft.

TVNZ’s NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS AFTA AWARDS 2011:

BEST NEWS – ONE NEWS

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING (Weekly) – AMANDA MILLAR & JOANNE MITCHELL, SUNDAY

SUNDAY (TV1) – Innocent

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING (Daily) – MARK CRYSELL & KATE MCCALLUM, CLOSE UP

Close Up (TV1) – Webster

BEST NEWS EDITING – PAUL SPARKES, ONE NEWS

ONE News Special Report (TV1) – CCTV

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS CAMERA – MARTIN ANDERSON, 20/20*

20/20 (TV2) – Rite of Passage

Rite of Passage followed Shortland Street actor, Kiel McNaughton and his Papua New Guinean wife, Kerry Warkia who made a promise to Kerry’s late father to bring their children up with the customs and traditions of his tribe.

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITING – NICK REID, 20/20

20/20 (TV2) – Sitting on a Killer

Sitting on a Killer told the story of two 32 year old kiwis, Jared and Claire, both dying of bowel cancer.

* The Best Current Affairs Camera is the Joe von Dinklage Memorial Award. Joe was the cameraman who drowned when a helicopter carrying Paul Holmes and a Holmes TV crew crashed into the sea at Anaura Bay in 1989.

ENDS

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