Awards don't make artists great - but they sure don't hurt.

Every new Knight or Dame, Oscar winner, Art Laureate or Book of the year recipient - they all had to start somewhere.  And you can bet your bottom dollar that the recognition and encouragement they received in the formative stages of their career were crucial in them building the confidence in their craft to reach higher or push further.

The start of autumn is packed with creatives being shown that faith - and it's never a bad idea to celebrate it.

Hot off the heels of the New Zealand Fringe season in Pōneke, the Dunedin Fringe wrapped up with all the warm fuzzies we've come to expect from a platform that allows artistic expression of all shapes and sizes.

As always, the end of event awards come with names to watch and proof of the impact of backing creatives to keep going. 

Among them from the Deep South edition of Fringe, Daniel Nodder is one such success story. Part of the team behind dance work Only Bones - Daniel Nodder, they collected three gongs; the Outstanding Performance/Performer Award, the Dance/Physical Theatre Award and was named Best in Fringe Runner-up.

Nodder (pictured above in performance by Armstrong Photography) told The Lowdown "We were so incredibly grateful to receive this acknowledgement of all the hard mahi that we have put into creating and touring this work. For a show so minimalist, we are blown away with how maximalist the response has been, we're so thankful for everyone that came out and supported us. 

"It is incredibly heartening to have independent, silly, experimental physical theatre art highlighted in this way, and are looking forward to continuing the touring life of Only Bones in the months and years to come. 

"We are planning a tour of Aotearoa later this year, as well as our Edinburgh Fringe debut and some Australian touring in 2026 (plus a a new solo clown work Spoon Show set to debut at next year's NZ Fringe) - so lots to look forward to!"

Explaining why being given this type of spotlight is so crucial to emerging artists, Nodder notes "As a dancer-turned-physical-theatre-artist, I have always felt that what I want to make has often fallen a little out of the mainstream. 

"Over the last five years, fringe festivals have been a much-needed haven for me to experiment, play and create the art that I have always wanted to make. Being able to have this work recognised by awards like this gives me hope that I - and the many others who want to make something a little weird or different - can thrive as artists in our sector. 

"It is so lovely to feel supported by institutions like the Dunedin Fringe, and being given these awards is an excellent reminder to keep working hard at what I do. I am extremely lucky to be in this position as an artist, it is a privilege to be making art. I feel obliged not to take these accolades lightly, and will try to be worthy of this praise again and again as I continue in my career."

another Best in Fringe nominee Harriet Moir's basking in the afterglow of her sold-out show Just Eat The Damn Sausage claiming two awards, telling The Lowdown it's "A huge achievement and a wonderful recognition of the years of hard work and experience I have under my belt."

She continues, "As a comedian all the way down here in Dunedin and a fulltime solo mum, there aren't a significant number of opportunities for me to be able to travel to perform in other centres so it can be difficult to measure where I sit with my skills. 

"Winning the Comedy Award at Dunedin Fringe was honestly just so affirming for me. It has given me the clarity and boost I really needed to know that I am on the right track and that I have what it takes to pursue stand up.

"And winning the NZ Fringe Tour Award is the most phenomenal leg up and incentive to take my show further afield. I have taken shows on tour in the past and it is so expensive. Having financial backing from the get go alleviates some of the stress of the risks involved with touring. My show also has an important message that I cannot wait to be able to share with a wider audience."

Much like Nodder, Moir's also keeping her plate full (helpful if you're throwing sausages into your audience).On top of performing and producing a number of South Island comedy events, she's taking her now award-winning show on the road to Wellington's Little Andromeda in July and hopes for it to show up in other destinations - even planning to pitch for next year's New Zealand International Comedy Fest. 

The most prolific Dunedin Fringe award winner was Nick Tipa, whose show Babyface walked awaty with three prizes

He told The Lowdown "Our season at the Dunedin Fringe has been absolutely invaluable for developing Babyface and getting it to a place where we can see the value it holds. The structure and support around the Fringe made the whole process a lot easier for us, and we are incredibly grateful for it. The marketing and promotion opportunities that were sent our way by Fringe have been incredibly useful in engaging our prospective audience.

"The awards themselves were a cherry on the top. We were beyond grateful to receive the Theatre Award, the Beyond Words awards and the Most Promising Māori Artist award. The value that these awards holds is not simply the monetary prize, but the indicator that the work we are making is connecting with people, that it is valued, and that we are on the right track.

"The Beyond Words was special to me in that it was a sign to me that maybe writing is something I should keep pursuing! The Theatre award is an indicator that all of these awards belong to a community of people that made it possible for the Babyface team to do the work they do. And the Promising Māori Artist award is for and because of my whānau."

Tipa's also excited for the year ahead after this fillip, looking to put on more seasons of Babyface and locking in a part in the ensemble for End of the Golden Weather at the Court Theatre.

Events like Fringe isn't just for those starting out in their careers - it's also a chance for those who want to get in the driver's seat of their creativity.

Tom Knowles has done that quite literally. The performer with TV credits, international theatre performances and extensive touring history as both a musician and actor under his belt was crowned Best in Fringe - as well as Outstanding Emerging Talent.

Knowles told The Lowdown "With ROADKILL:The Uber-Cool Musical being my first giant leap into the world of solo theatre and performing, I was so stoked and excited to be recognised and appreciated with the Dunedin Fringe awards. 

"It's extreme validation to win Best In Fringe as most people on this journey have thought I was nuts! People said this was a super wacky idea to create a full musical to only nine people at a time and then perform it inside of a van. Well, it seemed to prevail in Dunedin!

"I've spent years as part of big companies playing big stages and theatres and so this was much more to me about redefining what is possible, what is entertainment, what people's boundaries are, what is 'too intimate' and what is really fun for me to perform.  

"I think this show answered lots of those questions for me and has sparked my already burning fire and hunger to make new work in Aotearoa - even if it is only for nine people at a time. This of course wouldn't have been possible without amazing testing grounds and support systems like the Dunedin Fringe festival who were so supportive and helpful every step of the way. I missed touring since COVID and it can be extremely costly - unless you do it alllll yourself."

The rest of Knowles' 2025 plans show similar ambition and can-do attitude. 

"I am going in a completely random direction and have my 2 man childrens show, All The Things I Wish Could Be (with Jed Parsons) programmed in Wellington for the July School holidays. 

"I am also the guitarist and sound designer for NZ's Māori drag supergroup -The Tiwhas - and we are touring the North Island through June with a new Matariki spectacular before I launch back into bringing ROADKILL: The Uber-Cool Musical to the North island later in the year.

"In short, it's a year of making my own work, of making different work and of constantly encouraging a new audience to come along for pure entertainment- sometimes in a van!"

$10K prize a true gift

Find me an Aotearoa creative whose career couldn't use a $10,000 boost right now...I'll wait...

Two talented artists have been the latest to feel the warm embrace of the Blumhardt Foundation's annual major injection of support with makers Neke Moa and Ben Pyne the two recipients of the 2025 Dame Doreen’s Gift - named after the Foundation's late founder and namesake.

Each year, an establishing artist and a mid-career artist "whose craft/object practices are outstanding and have garnered the admiration and respect of peers, sector leaders and institutions" find their bank accounts five figures richer and it's often an emotional prize for those in the genre.

Moa's reputation is undeniable after almost two years working with stone, pounamu and locally sourced materials to make contemporary jewellery and objects. From Ōtaki Beach to Germany, Noa's work - described as “brave and bold” by the Blumhardt trustees - has had an enormous reach.  

A winner of the prestigious Herbert Hofmann Prize at Munich Jewellery Week and a McCahon House artist-in-residence, Moa's mahi can be found in the collections of Auckland Art Gallery, the Dowse Art Museum and Te Papa.

Moa's response shows what this accolade means to her.

"This gift, this kohā, this act of support and generosity is a tohu for me, that I am following the right path. That my mahi is provocative, evolving and uplifting the mana of my tipuna, my atua and my community. Ngā mihinui kia koe Whaea Doreen, ngā mihinui ki te Blumhardt foundation!! 

"This putea is so appreciated and will allow me some time and space to make without the stress of the constant hustle of a full time ringatoi to find putea!"

Auckland designer and ceramicist Ben Pyne's in the same boat, selected as the emerging artist recipient. 

“It couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I’m getting ready to do a residency at Driving Creek, am about to start building my own studio and desperately need a bigger kiln! I really can’t express enough how gratifying it is to be recognised in this way."

Pyne's leading claim to fame is 2023's Objectspace’s Courtyard Plinth commission - Mantle Overturn - and has gained praise for his experiments with clay in the design of lamps and suspended lights, modular outdoor furniture, and brickwork structures, the same trustees declaring his work “demonstrates an innovative approach to ceramics that is fresh and exciting”. 

Foundation Chair Dr Emma Bugden praises the recipients “Dame Doreen’s Gift celebrates makers who’re making an impact, and Neke Moa and Ben Pyne are both indisputably shaping our culture in different ways. Each of them is consciously creating within a lineage of prior makers but bringing their own distinctive innovation with materials and concepts.”

The Blumhardt Foundation is laying down a wero for other craft/object enthusiasts (with the means to do so) to follow the late Dame Doreen and help make it possible to include more makers in future editions of the gift.

Small but mighty

Size doesn't always matter - and the Small Sculpture Award is still a big opportunity to show off your skill.

The biannual event returned to Hamilton - an exhibition put on by the Waikato Society of Arts to celebrate the innovative and creative spirit of selected sculptors from throughout Aotearoa via small-scale sculpture art. 

The main $5,000 prize was claimed by Marion Manson for her work Recharted Realms, a paper sculpture made from repurposed Reader’s Digest World Atlas pages – once essential, now superseded by Google Maps and abundant in op shops. Dyed bamboo skewers and linen thread create structural rhythm, symboliSing connection and transformation. The upcycled piece explores the fragility of memory and the resilience of discarded materials.

Manson notes ""Winning the Small Sculpture Award is an absolute thrill - especially as it’s my first time entering a sculpture award. It’s exciting to see paper, a traditionally delicate medium, recognised in a field often dominated by hard materials. 

"This award encourages me to further explore the possibilities of the piano hinge form."

Among the other awards, Mahsa Kheirkhah honoured her roots with High Commended prize-winner The Freedom Emblem, dedidcated to women who lost their lives fighting for freedom in the Middle East, while Nicholas Males took out the Merit Award for his work Dial-up Fortune.

The winning works - along with the other 30 finalists - are on show at Hamilton's Artspost galleries until 26 April.

Upping the ante

One of the country's top short story writing awards - the Sargeson Prize - has upped its stakes, with the winning entry getting a 50% increase to reach $15,000 this year.

It's a labour of love for founder, award-winning author and University of Waikato Associate Professor Catherine Chidgey - named after great New Zealand writer Frank Sargeson - with entries open until 30 June.

This year's chief judge has also been revealed, with prolific novelist and arts Laureate Elizabeth Knox named for the role. She states “I have always read the Sargeson Prize shortlisted stories with great interest.

"I’m honoured - and intrigued - to be the one making those choices this year.” 

She could be in for plenty of reasing, with last year's competition attracting a record 1,306 entries across the Open and Secondary Schools divisions.  The extra prize money could see that record short lived.

Big boost for Māoriland

'Putting the audience first' is a regularly trundled-out mantra - but the just-concluded Māoriland Film Festival (MFF) showed what can be achieved when you stick to it.

Like a number of other creative entities, MFF has implemented a 'choose your own price' ticketing system - starting at $8 - and early box office reports show that audiences are choosing to pay more to attend screenings. 

Furthermore, this year's showcase for Indigenous cinema in Ōtaki - MFF's 12th edition - saw historic growth, with ticket sales doubling annually from 2024 and a 50% increase in audience numbers across the week.

Not bad for a film festival in a town without a cinema.

MFF director Madeleine Hakaraia de Young states “This year’s festival is proof audiences are hungry for cinema reflecting their stories and experiences. The success of Tinā, which has just surpassed $4 million at the New Zealand box office, further affirms Indigenous cinema is resonating deeply with audiences.”

All up, the event attracted over 260 film industry representatives to Ōtaki, with guests traveling from as far as Greenland, Sápmi, Canada, the United States, Hawai‘i, Australia, Sakha, and across the Pacific.

Kath Akuhata-Brown's Kōkā stood tall with the Tōtara award for Best Drama at MFF25, with Briar Pomana-directed Papa's Chair claiming the Māhuri award for Best Short Drama. In the documentary section, Standing Above The Clouds (directed by Jalena Keane-Lee) won the Rimu award while the Maota award for Best Short Documentary was handed to Reimagining our Futures: Birthing director Kimberley Benjamin.

Hakaraia de Young adds “Our audience and community are what make this festival - and they select our award winners. These films, all directed by women, portray a range of Indigenous experiences.”

Kiwi filmmakers find their edge

Another cinema favourte - the Doc Edge Festival has announced the first release of films for its proudly marks its 20th anniversary event running from June to August across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

As usual, there's a strong number of international entries in the field so far but plenty of local documentary makers are primed for their moment in the sun too.

Among the Doc Edge World Premieres from here in Aotearoa, New Zealand director Edward Sampson's Devils On Horses explores the deep bond between soldiers and their horses, Vanessa Wells debut's Mighty Indeed, following three women over four decades pushing the boundaries of science in Antartica and Shayni in the Sky, with Gabriel Garton directing the story of a Kiwi base jumper returning to the Norwegian mountain where her husband died in a tragic accident. 

Among the other films to premiere at Doc Edge with a Kiwi connection will be Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror (which of course can't be told without the iconic Richard O'Brien) and Wildboy, about a young New Zealander with ADHD and his adventures.

Doc Edge's Oscar-qualifying status has been secured for another three years, with the Awards ceremony to who makes the Academy Award consideration down for 3 July in Auckland.

Black Creative Aotearoa's big week

One of the hardest working collectives in the creative community are gearing up for a full-on few days.

Black Creatives Aotearoa are set to run BCA Makers Wiki at Auckland's Basement Theatre (8-12 April), a week-long series of 90 minute workshops with the aim of bringing together African/Black and diaspora artists & practitioners.

The aim is to help build a sense of belonging for the Afro-Kiwi and BIPOC community, with events ranging from levelling up your creative entrepreneurship skills with playwright, performer and financial whiz Estelle Chout, to music production with Warren Duncan, a 2-step dance workshop with Serenity Wise, learnign how to make your own body oils with artisan Sharl Fynn and learning how to upcycle your clothes with Jane Kelly. 

Podmore gives more

Parkin Drawing Prize-winner Connah Podmore will use her talents to help the next generation, announced as the Artist in Residence for Karori's Samuel Marsden Collegiate School for 2025.

The longstanding residence is designed to inspire students by giving them the opportunity to work alongside practising artists and engage with their creative process.

Sharing her mahi with students is nothing new for charcoal artist Podmore - who has had a number of residencies and exhibitions in recent years - as she currently works at Inverlochy Art School.

“I’m ready to begin new projects and trial making new kinds of work,” explains Podmore. “My studio is at home, so the change to a community environment where I can take in other artists’ approaches and exchange of ideas will be incredibly helpful. My goal is to experiment, take chances, and push my artwork into new directions.”

The six-week residency will see Podmore work closely with Marsden’s Visual Art students, focusing on composition and creative process.

“I hope to show students that value and importance can be found in our everyday lives, and that even simple, overlooked moments can become something significant through care and focus.”