The Pasifika take over of the NZ Screen Awards!

Pacific creatives appear across nearly every major category at the 2025 New Zealand Television Awards, marking one of the most wide-ranging years of recognition yet.

From feature films to children’s shows, comedy, sport, factual programming and performance categories, our outstanding Pasifika talent is represented in different sectors throughout the finalist list.

For the nominees, the significance of that visibility runs deeper than individual achievement. Emmy Winning Costume designer Liz McGregor, a 2025 finalist for her work on The Convert, spoke about the long road to this moment:

 “I’m really proud of what we achieved… And I absolutely love that there is so much Pasifika talent being recognised in this year’s awards. The talent pool has always been there, but the opportunities to be able to rise to positions that allow us to be recognised haven’t been.”

Her experience reflects the reality for many Pacific creatives - years of work, often behind the scenes, now reaching the wider frame of the industry.

Filmmaker Vea Mafile’o says the recognition also reinforces why Pacific storytelling must continue to be supported: “Our stories carry our language, our identity, and our humour, they keep our culture alive.”

For her, becoming a finalist with a small, deeply personal Tongan short film shows how far local audiences and the sector have come: “It means our little Tongan film has connected… and that our voices and our language are being seen.”

Humble as ever, Anapela Polataivao—recent recipient of the CNZ Senior Pacific Artist award and now nominated for ‘Best Actress’ for her stunning performance in Tinā—said, 

“I’m not really one for celebrating milestones but I understand the significance to uplift pasifika in a space where souls shape and form our stories through song, dance, theatre, paintings, poetry, music…all the things that require courage, resilience, perseverance, loyalty, alofa. The same things that permit magic and joy unique to our Pasifika vibe to flourish.”

This years NZ TV Awards marks one of the strongest years yet for Pacific storytellers, producers, directors, actors and craftspeople. Pasifika nominees below

• Pasifika Finalists 2025: 

• ‘The Brown Factory’: Best Feature for ‘Tinā’
• Vea Mafile'o, Luciane Buchanan: Best Short Film for ‘Lea Tupu'anga | Mother Tongue’
• Halaifonua Finau: Co-Producer Best Comedy Programme for 'Madam'
• Eileen Lee & Hope Papali'i Coconet TV: Best Children’s Programme for ‘First Place’
• Natasha Panui-Morris & Shimpal Lelisi Coconet TV: Best Pasifika Programme for ‘Being Niuean’
• Tuki Laumea : Best Pasifika Programme for ‘Fight For The Pacific’
• Mark Malaki-Williams: Best Pasifika Programme / Best Sports Programme for ‘We The South: The Manukau Rovers Story’
• Miki Magasiva: Best Director: Drama Feature for 'Tinā'
• Anapela Polata'ivao: Best Actress in a Feature for 'Tinā'
• Dominic Ona-Ariki: Best Supporting Actor in a Series for ‘Double Parked Season 2’
• Beulah Koale: Best Supporting Actor in a Feature for ‘Tinā’
• Indira Stewart: Reporter of the Year for TVNZ+ In-Depth
• Barbara Dreaver: Reporter of the Year TVNZ 
• Dave Letele: Best Presenter: Entertainment for ‘Heavyweight with Dave Letele’
• Andrew McGeorge: Best Cinematography: Feature Film for 'Tinā'
• Sammy Salsa: Best Costume Design - Series for ‘Madam’
• Liz McGregor: Best Costume Design - Feature for ‘The Convert’
• Miki Magasiva: Best Script: Feature for 'Tinā'
• Anapela Polata'ivao - NZ Screen Personality of the Year.