Media Releases

RNZ awarded three medals at New York Festivals Radio Awards

Released at 4:04 pm on 27 April 2022

RNZ has been awarded three medals at the prestigious international New York Festivals Radio Awards announced at a virtual gala presentation today.

RNZ Concert was awarded a silver medal for Best Live Sound for the NZSO’s world premiere of Gareth Farr’s ‘Ngā Hihi o Matariki’, Let’s be TRANSparent received bronze in the Personal Lives Podcast category and the entertaining history podcast Black Sheep added to its long list of accolades with a bronze in the Narrative/Documentary Podcast category.

RNZ Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief Paul Thompson says the New York Festivals Radio Awards are one of the pre-eminent international media awards and receiving three medals is a brilliant endorsement for the quality of the organisation’s work.

“RNZ is all about telling stories that are important to New Zealanders – it can through music like Gareth Farr’s incredible new composition for Matariki, a podcast about parenting transgender children or a series like Black Sheep that presents the less illustrious figures in our country’s history,” Thompson said.

“It’s great to see such different RNZ projects from across many facets of the organisation shortlisted for the awards this year. Congratulations to the RNZ staff and collaborators involved in our eight shortlisted entries, and especially all those involved in the three projects that were awarded medals this year. A special mention to William Ray who has received a medal for two years running for Black Sheep.”

Black Sheep is believed to be the most awarded New Zealand podcast ever, winning numerous awards over six seasons.

Last year alone Black Sheep was awarded Best Episodic Podcast at the Voyager Media Awards, two awards at the NZ Radio Awards, (Best Daily or Weekly Feature – Factual and Best Entertainment Podcast), two awards at the inaugural NZ Podcast Awards (Best Culture & Arts podcast and Best True Crime podcast) and another bronze at the NY Festival Radio Awards (History/Documentary Podcast). Ray was also acknowledged as part of the team behind The Service with two additional wins at the 2021 NZ Radio Awards (Best Documentary or Factual Talk Feature and Best News / Current Affairs Podcast. Next up for Ray is a second series of The Aotearoa History Show, out on 2 May.

RNZ Concert Senior Engineer Darryl Stack was also awarded a gold medal in 2020 for his recording of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra performance of Phoenix, written for the reopening of Christchurch Town Hall after the Christchurch earthquakes.

RNZ shortlisted entries:

News: Reports/Features

Best Investigative Reporting - Anusha Bradley

On-Air Talent

Best Talk Show Host - Jim Mora

Documentary

History - Fragments
National or International Affairs - Red Line

Podcasts

Narrative/Documentary Podcast - Black Sheep -Bronze
Personal Lives Podcast - Let's Be Transparent - Bronze
Narrative/Documentary Podcast - Red Line

Best Live Sound

Craft - Ngā Hihi o Matariki - Silver