Jim Mora
With his likeable, easy-going and erudite style, Jim Mora's career has spanned current affairs, entertainment and lifestyle shows. His TV profile alone reaches back more than 30 years and his time in radio stretches even further: from The South Tonight and Holmes, to Mucking In and hosting Radio New Zealand's Afternoons.
Lesley Vanderwalt
Kiwi hair and makeup artist Lesley Vanderwalt won an Oscar and a Bafta for her work on Mad Max: Fury Road. She also collaborated with director George Miller on Babe 2, Nicole Kidman mini-series Bangkok Hilton and the second Mad Max movie. The onetime Wellington hairdresser had makeup duties on early Kiwi classics The Governor, Skin Deep and Bad Blood, before a slew of Australian credits (Shine, Moulin Rouge!).
Trevor Haysom
Producer Trevor Haysom has worked on projects ranging from ballroom dancing to bro'Town; a four decade screen career has seen Haysom notably produce for emerging filmmakers, including Gregor Nicholas (Rushes, Hey Paris) and the late Brad McGann (In My Father's Den, Possum). Haysom formed company T.H.E Film in 1991, and took away the inaugural SPADA Independent Producer of the Year Award in 2004.
Peter Sharp
Peter Sharp is one of New Zealand's most prolific directors of screen drama. Though his directing work covers the gamut from police shows and soap satires to live performance, Sharp is best known for his work helming kidult dramas - including Maurice Gee period tales The Fire-Raiser and The Champion. He also directed award-winning mini-series Erebus: the Aftermath.
Ron Pledger
Since joining state television as a sound operator in the 60s, Ron Pledger has gone on to win a reputation for his assured coverage of a wide range of live events, from concerts to This is Your Life to the state funeral of Sir Edmund Hillary. A life long music lover, Pledger was awarded an MBE in 1992, helping recognise 40 years of service in a military band.
Keith Bracey
The late Keith Bracey's impeccable diction, dashing goatee and impish sense of humour made him a household name as presenter of Town and Around in Auckland. His interview with musician Acker Bilk (where he dressed identically) left a lasting impression on viewers. Bracey fronted the crime fighting show Police 5 from 1976 until 1986, when his familiar face and voice disappeared from television screens.
Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter is the girl from Glenfield who made the big time. Hunter won fame for her stellar career as an international supermodel, starting in the late 1980s. Her onscreen work has grown through the years with a range of television roles, from ice cream adverts to travel, talent and beauty shows — and a long list of acting credits ranging from thrillers to acclaimed dramas.
Bernie Allen
Bernie Allen, QSM, was a professional musician and teacher before beginning his TV career as musical director of popular 60s show C’mon. He continued on to Happen Inn, followed by a vast number of shows as composer or music director over the next two decades. His score for Hunter’s Gold won an APRA Silver Scroll; his arrangement of ‘Hine E Hine’ accompanied the classic Goodnight Kiwi animation.
Barrie Everard
Barrie Everard was a significant Kiwi player in the business of movies over four decades. After distributing films in a highly competitive market, he founded the Berkeley Cinema chain. Everard produced adventure movie The Leading Edge (1987) and executive produced Never Say Die. He was the first exhibitor/ distributor to sit on the board of the NZ Film Commission, and was chair from 2002 to 2006. He died on 14 November 2016.
Hayley Holt
Hayley Holt's CV showcases her eclectic skill set. The Aucklander has been a professional snowboarder and ballroom dancer, a Green Party candidate, the winner of 2007's Treasure Island: Pirates of the Pacific, and a co-host of both Breakfast and political show Back Benches. Holt appeared on sports programme The Crowd Goes Wild on and off over eight years, and was a dancer and judge on New Zealand's Dancing With The Stars. In 2017, Holt stood unsuccessfully for the Green Party in the Helensville seat. The following year she replaced Hilary Barry on Breakfast, after Barry moved to Seven Sharp.