Posted Monday 12 Jan 2026
This award honours a production company or individual whose work makes a significant contribution to the increased use and knowledge of Te Reo Māori me ngā tikanga.
And our finalists are:
VIV WIGBY-NGATAI (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui)
Whaea Viv embodies the quiet achiever, devoted to the power of Māori stories and storytellers, very deliberately choosing to support Māori productions. That impressive career began with award-winning reo Māori shows Tūmeke & Pūkana moving through the decades bringing to life programmes Head High, Ahikāroa and many more.
TWEEDIE WAITITI (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Rongowhakaata)
Tweedie has broken new ground in Māori language film and television as an Emmy-winning producer, director and founder of Matewa Media. She set a powerhouse precedent with Disney’s Moana 2 for simultaneous indigenous and English release, all her work showcasing her gift for weaving Māori language, tikanga, dialect & worldview into global stories. Her tireless advocacy & creativity enriches the screen industry in Aotearoa, uplifting the reo and aspirations of Māori.
KIRSTIN TE WAO-EDMONDS (Te Arawa, Tainui, Samoa)
An accomplished values-led leader, Kirstin’s work has elevated the visibility, use and mana of te reo Māori & tikanga right across Aotearoa’s media landscape. In her role as Pou Ārahi - Head of Māori Strategy at Rangiata Sky, she’s worked tirelessly to embed te reo into the network’s operations, programming & identity significantly increasing the frequency of the language for key sporting moments.