Each year, a nation's storytelling instincts are held up to the light — and New Zealand's screen industry has gathered its finest offerings for the 2026 Screen Awards, spanning 57 categories from children's television to feature film. TVNZ's journalism arm stands prominently among the finalists, with reporter Jack Tame nominated three times over for work that placed him at the center of some of the country's most consequential news moments. The ceremony, set for November 19 in Auckland, will ask which stories mattered most — and who told them best.
TVNZ, Jack Tame lead NZ Screen Awards finalists across 57 categories
Coverage includes finalists for reporting on the fatal shooting of fugitive Tom Phillips and the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide.
Coverage of two major news events made the finalist cut
Mark
So Jack Tame got three nominations—that's a significant showing for one person, isn't it?
Mimi
It is. Reporter of the Year is the big one, but the fact that he's also nominated for Best Presenter and that Q+A itself is nominated for Best Current Affairs Programme shows how much his work is being recognized across different dimensions. He's not just a reporter; he's also the face of the program.
Luke
But I want to be clear on what we actually know here. The source says his Reporter of the Year nomination is for a portfolio that includes the Coster interview. We don't know if that's the only thing, or if there's a broader body of work. The source doesn't specify.
Mimi
That's fair. But the Coster interview is specifically called out as exclusive, which matters—that's the kind of reporting that typically gets noticed in these awards.
Mark
And TVNZ has five journalism nominations total. Is that a lot?
Mimi
For one broadcaster in the journalism categories, yes. It suggests their news operation is being taken seriously by the awards panel.
Luke
Though we don't know how many total journalism nominations there are across all broadcasters. Five could be dominant, or it could be one of several networks with similar numbers. The source doesn't give us that context.
Mark
The Tom Phillips shooting and Mount Maunganui landslide coverage—those are both in Best News Coverage. Are those the same entry or separate?
Mimi
The source says both are finalists in that category, which suggests they're separate pieces of coverage.
Luke
Or it could mean TVNZ submitted one entry that covered both events. The wording is ambiguous. What we know for certain is that TVNZ's coverage of both stories made the finalist list.
Mark
When's the ceremony?
Mimi
November 19 in Auckland. So we'll know the winners in about a month.
El Pulso
- Jack Tame's exclusive interview with disgraced former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, conducted in the wake of the Jevon McSkimming scandal, anchors his Reporter of the Year nomination and signals how high the stakes of accountability journalism can run.
- TVNZ's coverage of two deadly events — the fatal shooting of fugitive Tom Phillips and the Mount Maunganui landslide that claimed multiple lives — is competing for Best News Coverage, a reminder that the awards are built on real human loss.
- With five journalism nominations in total, TVNZ has positioned itself as the dominant force in the news and current affairs categories, creating pressure on rivals to match both the volume and weight of its entries.
- Beyond journalism, the broader awards field is fiercely contested — Pike River leads all productions with 15 nominations, while television co-productions Bust Up and The Ridge signal the growing internationalization of New Zealand's screen industry.
- The November 19 ceremony at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre now looms as the moment of reckoning for a remarkably wide field, from Māori-language content and Pasifika programming to documentary portraits of Jacinda Ardern and a Māori Battalion war hero.
Each year, a nation's storytelling instincts are held up to the light — and New Zealand's screen industry has gathered its finest offerings for the 2026 Screen Awards, spanning 57 categories from children's television to feature film. TVNZ's journalism arm stands prominently among the finalists, with reporter Jack Tame nominated three times over for work that placed him at the center of some of the country's most consequential news moments. The ceremony, set for November 19 in Auckland, will ask which stories mattered most — and who told them best.
The New Zealand Screen Awards revealed its finalists today across 57 categories, with TVNZ's journalism team securing five nominations and reporter Jack Tame emerging as one of the evening's most-watched contenders. Tame earned three individual nominations — Reporter of the Year, Best Presenter in News and Current Affairs, and a finalist spot for Q+A with Jack Tame in Best Current Affairs Programme — anchored by his exclusive interview with former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster following the Jevon McSkimming scandal.
The network's news coverage of two major tragedies also made the cut: its reporting on the fatal shooting of fugitive Tom Phillips and its coverage of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide in January are both finalists for Best News Coverage, grounding the awards in the human cost of the year's biggest stories.
Across the broader industry, the feature film Pike River leads all productions with 15 nominations, while the NZ-German co-production Bust Up tops television with 12 and the NZ-Scottish The Ridge follows with nine. Documentary finalists include Prime Minister, tracing Jacinda Ardern's time in office; Tenor: My Name is Pati, following opera brothers Pene and Amitai Pati; and Sgt Haane, Tearepa Kahi's portrait of Māori Battalion veteran Sergeant Haane Manahi.
TVNZ's wider television slate spans comedy, factual, children's, Māori-language, Pasifika, and entertainment categories, reflecting the network's reach across New Zealand's screen landscape. The awards ceremony takes place November 19 at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre.
The New Zealand Screen Awards announced its finalists today across 57 categories, and TVNZ's journalism operation has secured a commanding position in the running. Jack Tame, the broadcaster's senior reporter, earned three separate nominations: Reporter of the Year, Best Presenter in News and Current Affairs, and a spot on the finalist list for Q+A with Jack Tame in the Best Current Affairs Programme category. The network's journalism team collected five nominations overall in the journalism categories alone.
Tame's Reporter of the Year nomination rests on a portfolio that includes his exclusive interview with former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, conducted in the aftermath of the Jevon McSkimming scandal. That interview, along with his broader body of work, positioned him as a standout candidate in a field that recognizes the country's most accomplished reporters.
Beyond Tame's individual recognition, TVNZ's coverage of two major news events this year made the finalist cut. The broadcaster's reporting on the fatal shooting of fugitive Tom Phillips, which occurred in September of last year, is a finalist in the Best News Coverage category. So too is TVNZ's coverage of the Mount Maunganui landslide, which killed multiple people in January. Both stories represent the kind of breaking news and investigative follow-up that the awards recognize as essential to the industry.
The awards ceremony, held annually to celebrate excellence across film and television in New Zealand, drew entries from across the industry this year. The feature film Pike River leads all productions with 15 nominations. In the television space, the NZ-German co-production Bust Up tops the field with 12 nominations, while the NZ-Scottish co-production The Ridge follows with nine. The documentary categories include finalists such as Prime Minister, which chronicles Jacinda Ardern's tenure in office; Tenor: My Name is Pati, following brothers Pene and Amitai Pati from modest beginnings to international opera careers; and Sgt Haane, Tearepa Kahi's film about Māori Battalion veteran Sergeant Haane Manahi's service in North Africa during World War II.
TVNZ's television finalists span multiple genres and formats. The network's comedy entries include Educators, Warren's Vortex, and New Zealand Spy. In factual programming, Hyundai Country Calendar and Moving Houses are finalists. The broadcaster also has entries in children's programming with Baddies, in Māori-language content with Waka Huia, in Pasifika programming with 400 Weddings and a Funeral, and in entertainment with Taskmaster New Zealand Season 6 and I'm Not Racist... But. Counting the Beat earned nominations in both the Best Director category for documentary and factual series work and Best Presenter in Entertainment.
The awards ceremony will take place on November 19 at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre. The finalists represent the breadth of production happening across New Zealand's screen industry, from major feature films to specialized documentary work to genre television and children's content.
Citas Notables
Jack Tame's Reporter of the Year nomination includes his exclusive interview with former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster following the Jevon McSkimming scandal— New Zealand Screen Awards finalists announcement
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