Ainsley Gardiner has received the Te Waipuna-ā-Rangi Award for Arts and Entertainment, the latest accolade in a remarkably distinguished career.
A recipient of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film and television and the Merata Mita Fellowship at Sundance Institute, Gardiner is no stranger to success.
She is the multi-award winning producer of Two Cars, One Night, Eagle vs Shark, Boy, Pa Boys and one of the writer/directors of Waru.
In 2004, Gardiner launched Whenua Films with actor Cliff Curtis, to promote indigenous story-telling on screen.
After making two shorts with Taika Waititi, she co-produced his first two features, Eagle vs Shark and hit Boy. Working with her Miss Conception Films partner Georgina Conder, Gardiner also produced comedy The Breaker Uppers.
Runners up in the category were artist and designer Shona Tawhiao (Ngai Te Rangi, Whakatōhea, Te Whānau a Apanui) and musician Troy Kingi (Te Whānau a Apanui).
Tawhiao has made and exhibited her distinct style of raranga woven work, known as 'Harakeke Couture' for 25 years. Based in Mount Maunganui New Zealand, the mother of three was trained in traditional Maori raranga weaving techniques by renowned weaver, Digress Te Kanawa.
Kingi won the Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Artist and Best Soul/R&B Artist the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards 2018 for his second album, the psychedelic soul-infused Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron.
Based in Kerikeri, he released his first album ‘Guitar Party at Uncles Bach’ in 2016 and won the APRA Silver Scroll Maioha Award in 2015 for ‘Aotearoa’ with Stan Walker, Ria Hall and Maisey Rika.