DaiHenwood
- Comedian
- Actor
Dai Henwood's stand-up comedy career got added traction after he was named Best New Face on TV series Pulp Comedy, then took away the prestigious Billy T Award in 2002. Shock and awe music and comedy show Insert Video Here (2007) marked the first of many presenting gigs on C4. Then Henwood ventured across New Zealand and the outback for series Roll the Dai. The occasional actor — son of veteran actor Ray Henwood — was best-known for his many appearances on 7 Days, which makes comedy out of news headlines, and his work as co-host of hit show Dancing with the Stars. Henwood was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2025. In November 2026, he died after a six-year battle with cancer. He was 48.
Screenography
Awards
2025 Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM)
For services to the entertainment industry and charitable fundraising
2025 New Zealand Screen Awards / Ngā Taonga Whakaata O Aotearoa
Nominated for Best Documentary Series (with Charlotte Hobson, Hayley Cunningham, Andrew Szusterman and Kelly Martin): for Live and Let Dai
“I never wanted it to be thought there was any nepotism or I got any help, because growing up I knew casting agents — they came around for dinner parties — so I moved to Auckland and into the comedy scene, where no one knew who Dad was.”