Congratulations - 2012 Arts Awards recipients

	$405,000 was distributed to nine artists at the 2012 Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards, held last night (2 October) in the Cloud, Auckland.  Guests were welcomed by Whirimako Black, entertained by Warren Maxwell, Stuart Devenie and Black Grace Dance Company. We laughed, some cried and a fantastic time was had by all. The 2012 Macqaurie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards recipients are:

Pip Adam (New Generation Award) is a fiction writer. Her work has appeared in notable publications such as Sport, Glottis, Turbine, The Lumiere Reader, Hue & Cry, Landfall and Blackmail Press. She has also written for exhibitions at the City Gallery Wellington. Her first collection of short stories Everything We Hoped For (VUP) won the 2011 NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction. Ruia Aperahama Te Iwi Morehu, (Laureate Award) is a musician who combines a deep sense of tradition with a strong contemporary sensibility.  What's The Time Mr Wolf, written and recorded when he was in his early twenties, is recognised as an enduring New Zealand classic. He often composes in te reo Māori, has recorded several albums of original material, and has translated the songs of Bob Marley into Māori. Tony de Lautour (Laureate Award) is an artist whose work is quirky and full of dark humour.  His paintings have been included in numerous group exhibitions in public galleries, and in solo exhibitions.  Recent work explores the tension between Modernist abstraction and the contemporary context of post-‘quake Christchurch. Rachel House, Ngāi Tahu/Ngāti Mutunga (Laureate Award) is an award-winning stage performer and director with an increasing profile in film.  She has played roles in films such as Boy and Whale Rider and has played pivotal roles in the premieres of some New Zealand's classic theatre such as Woman Far Walking. In 2012 she directed the te reo Māori version of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida which played to acclaim both here and at the Globe Theatre in London. Shigeyuki Kihara (New Generation Award) is an artist and curator. She is a native of Samoa; her first solo exhibition in North America entitled Shigeyuki Kihara: Living Photographs was recently held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York following the acquisition of her works by the museum for their permanent collection. Her works are held in selected private collections internationally, including that of Giorgio Armani. Shigeyuki is this year's Paramount Award Winner of the 21st Annual Wallace Art Awards. Arthur Meek (Harriet Friedlander New York Residency) writes for stage and screen, and has worked extensively as an actor. He first came to attention whilst at university for his award-winning short film Being John Campbell. He has been awarded the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award and a slew of awards and nominations in the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. His work betrays a singular and witty contemporary voice, bold in structure and style. Cameron McMillan (New Generation Award) has been described by The Observer as one of ‘the most compelling and intelligent dancers on the world stage'.   Born in New Zealand and trained at The Australian Ballet School, Cameron is based in London. He is Associate Artist with Dance East and has enjoyed a highly successful performance and creative career spanning large-scale classical ballet, independent contemporary dance, film and fashion. Gregory  O'Brien (Laureate Award) is a poet, essayist, editor and artist.  He has been has been a busy and energetic presence in both arts and literature within New Zealand. With one foot in the literary world, the other in the visual art realm, Gregory has been a prolific and busy presence on the cultural scene for nearly three decades.  His most recent publication is a monograph on the painter Pat Hanly (2012). Fiona Samuel (Laureate Award) is an actor, writer and director. She writes for film, theatre, radio and television, and has created award-winning dramas in all these fields. Her most recent work includes the television dramas Piece of my Heart and Bliss - the Beginning of Katherine Mansfield, both of which she wrote and directed.  Her work has been called ‘succulent entertainment', ‘beautiful', ‘side-splittingly funny' and ‘achingly sad'. Top image:  Arthur Meek - good news!  Recipient of the Harriet Friedlander New York Residency.  Photo by Samuel Hartnett