2012 New Zealand Television Awards

The 2012 New Zealand Television Awards were the new name of the New Zealand television industry awards, following the demise of the Aotearoa Film and Television Awards. The awards were held on Saturday 3 November at The Great Room of the Langham hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, with highlights screening on TV ONE on Sunday 4 November. The New Zealand Television Awards took a similar format to the previous Qantas Television Awards, honouring excellence in New Zealand television and television journalism. This was the final New Zealand television awards presentation organised by Think TV, after Television New Zealand withdrew its support in 2013.

Nominees and winners
There are 46 categories, including the new categories for One-Off Drama and Breaking News. Finalists were announced on 26 September 2012. Entries cover the broadcast period of 1 August 2011 to 15 July 2012. The general television awards were dominated by true crime drama Siege, with five awards, while the news and current affairs section was dominated by TV3, with eight awards.

News and current affairs
Best Scheduled News Programme
 * 3 News
 * ONE News
 * Tonight

Best Coverage Breaking News
 * ONE News, Caterton Ballooning Tragedy
 * 3 News, Christchurch Earthquakes December 2011
 * 3 News, Ewen Macdonald Verdict

Best News OR Current Affairs Presenter
 * Julian Wilcox, Native Affairs
 * Mike McRoberts, 3 News
 * John Campbell, Campbell Live

Best News Reporting
 * Duncan Garner & Patrick Gower, 3 News
 * Amanda Gillies, 3 News
 * Heather du Plessis-Allan, ONE News

Best Current Affairs Reporting for a Weekly Programme OR One-Off Current Affairs Special
 * Mark Crysell & Julie Clothier, Sunday
 * Melanie Reid, 60 Minutes
 * Janet McIntyre, Max Adams & Chris Cooke, Sunday
 * Janet McIntyre & Carolyne Meng-Yee, Sunday

Best Current Affairs Reporting for a Daily Programme
 * Gill Higgins & Chris Lynch, Close Up
 * Tristram Clayton, Campbell Live
 * John Campbell, Campbell Live

Best Current Affairs Series
 * 60 Minutes
 * Campbell Live
 * Sunday

Investigation of the Year	
 * Melanie Reid & Eugene Bingham, 60 Minutes "The Eye of the Storm"
 * John Hudson & Chris Cooke, Sunday, "Steel Trap"
 * John Campbell and Pip Keane, Campbell Live, "Friends: John Banks & Kim Dotcom"

Journalist of the Year – Finalists are the winners of the four reporting categories
 * Melanie Reid, "The Eye of the Storm", 60 Minutes
 * Duncan Garner, "Secret Tea Tapes", 3 News
 * Julie Clothier, "Cherry Blossom Tragedy", Sunday
 * Gill Higgins, "Online Predators", Close Up

Best News Camera
 * Phil Johnson, 3 News
 * Bob Grieve, 3 News
 * James Marshall, ONE News

Best Current Affairs Camera
 * Daniel Grade, 60 Minutes
 * Chris Brown, 20/20
 * Warren Armstrong, Campbell Live

Best News Editing
 * Luis Portillo, Breakfast
 * Brent Walters, ONE News
 * Rebecca O'Sullivan, 3 News

Best Current Affairs Editing
 * Bob Grieve, 60 Minutes
 * Paul Sparkes, Close Up
 * Andrew Gibb, Close Up

Best Graphics
 * Vinay Ranchhod, "Devil in the Detail" (TV ONE)
 * Vinay Ranchhod, Gambling RP (TV ONE)
 * *Ben Ashby, Steel Trap (TV ONE)

General television
Best Drama Series
 * Go Girls, Season 4, South Pacific Pictures
 * Underbelly NZ: Land Of The Long Green Cloud, Screentime NZ Ltd
 * Nothing Trivial, South Pacific Pictures

Best One-Off Drama
 * Siege, Screentime NZ Ltd
 * BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield, MF Films
 * Rage, Tom Scott Productions

Best Comedy OR Comedy Series
 * Hounds, The Down Low Concept
 * 7 Days	MediaWorks / The Down Low Concept
 * Wilson Dixon: The New Zealand Tour, Satellite Media

Best Māori Language Programme
 * Whare Taonga, Scottie Productions Limited
 * Kia Ora Molweni, George Andrews Productions
 * Tamaki Paenga Hira, Māori Television

Best Presenter: Te Reo Māori
 * Julian Wilcox, Native Affairs
 * Pānia Papa, AKO
 * Piripi Taylor Te Kaea

Best Children’s/Youth Programme
 * Let's Get Inventin, Luke Nola'
 * Girl vs. Boy, KHF Media
 * The Erin Simpson Show, Whitebait TV

Best Information Series
 * Global Radar, Jam TV
 * Neighbourhood, Satellite Media
 * The Nutters Club, Top Shelf Productions

Best Entertainment OR Event Programme
 * Vodafone NZ Music Awards 2011, MediaWorks
 * 2012 Comedy Gala	MediaWorks
 * The Sitting, Top Shelf Productions

Best Factual Series
 * Radar Across the Pacific, Alexander Behse / Zeitgeist Productions
 * Intrepid Journeys, Jam TV
 * Funny Roots, Two Heads

Best Observational Reality Series
 * SPCA Rescue, "Christchurch Earthquake Special", Imagination Television
 * Songs From the Inside, Awa Films Ltd
 * Rescue 1, Great Southern Television

Best Constructed Reality Series
 * The Food Truck, Two Heads
 * Missing Pieces, Eyeworks New Zealand
 * Marae DIY, Screentime NZ Ltd

Best Performance by an Actress
 * Sara Wiseman, What Really Happened: Votes for Women
 * Kate Elliott, BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield
 * Amanda Billing, Shortland Street

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress
 * Miriama Smith, Siege
 * Miranda Harcourt, Tangiwai – A Love Story
 * Sarah Pierse, BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield

Best Performance by an Actor	
 * Mark Mitchinson, Siege
 * Craig Parker, Shackleton's Captain
 * Ryan O'Kane, Rage

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor
 * Mick Rose, Tangiwai – A Love Story
 * Peter Elliott, BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield
 * Mike Minogue, Rage

Best Presenter – Entertainment/Factual
 * Matai Smith, Homai Te Pakipaki
 * Andrew Lumsden, Global Radar
 * Paul Henry, Would I Lie To You?

Best Script – Drama/Comedy
 * John Banas, Siege
 * Paula Boock & Donna Malane, Tangiwai – A Love Story
 * Tom Scott and Grant O'Fee, Rage

Best Director – Drama/Comedy
 * Fiona Samuel, BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield
 * Mike Smith, Siege
 * Danny Mulheron, Rage

Best Director – Entertainment/Factual
 * Julie Christie, The Block NZ
 * Peter Young, Get Fresh with Al Brown
 * Mike Smith, Underbelly NZ: Land Of The Long Green Cloud

Best Multi-camera Direction
 * Mitchell Hawkes, Vodafone NZ Music Awards 2011
 * Robert Hagen, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: A Gala Concert
 * Mitchell Hawkes, Wilson Dixon: The New Zealand Tour

Best Cinematography Drama/Comedy
 * David Paul, Tangiwai – A Love Story
 * DJ Stipsen, Siege
 * David Paul, Rage

Images & Sound Best Editing Drama/Comedy
 * Margot Francis, BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield
 * Margot Francis, Siege
 * Jono Woodford Robinson, Rage

Best Original Music	
 * Don McGlashan, BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield
 * Joel Haines, Strongman – The Tragedy
 * Peter Hobbs, Tangiwai – A Love Story

Best Sound Design
 * Chris Burt, Siege
 * Dick Reade, Strongman – The Tragedy
 * Phil Burton, Chris Hiles, Don Paulin, Tangiwai – A Love Story

Best Production Design
 * John Harding, Tangiwai – A Love Story
 * Images & Sound, Shackleton's Captain
 * Tracey Collins, BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield

Best Costume Design
 * Sarah Voon Go Girls, season 4
 * Nic Smillie, Tangiwai – A Love Story
 * Kirsty Cameron, BLISS – the beginning of Katherine Mansfield

Best Make-Up Design
 * Linda Wall, Tangiwai – A Love Story
 * Tracey Sharman, Strongman – The Tragedy
 * Vanessa Hurley & Stefan Knight, Go Girls, season 4

Documentary
Best Popular Documentary
 * The Green Chain, Meg Douglas & Kathleen Mantel / Scottie Productions Limited
 * Rhodes, Actor Singer, Robert Hagen / Arts and Entertainment Productions
 * Inside Child Poverty, Red Sky Film & Television Ltd

Best Feature OR Drama Documentary
 * Strongman – The Tragedy, Paula McTaggart and Gaylene Preston / A Bigger Picture
 * When a City Falls – the people's story, Gerard Smyth & Alice Shannon / Frank Film
 * Shackleton's Captain, James Heyward & Andy Salek / Making Movies

Best Director Documentary
 * Gerard Smyth/Alice Shannon, When a City Falls – the people's story
 * Leanne Pooley, Shackleton's Captain
 * Bryan Bruce, Inside Child Poverty

Best Cinematography – Documentary/Factual
 * Simon Baumfield, Shackleton's Captain
 * Thomas Burstyn CSC & Chris Brokensha, Strongman – The Tragedy
 * Mark Chamberlin, Neighbourhood

Best Editing – Documentary/Factual
 * Ken Sparks, Richard Lord, When a City Falls – the people's story
 * Tim Woodhouse, Shackleton's Captain
 * Mark Albiston, Blakey