09 Oct 2020
Every year, the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Awards celebrate innovation and excellence in Pacific arts in Aotearoa.
While the news around COVID-19 alert levels was welcomed this week, Creative New Zealand has made the difficult decision to not have a live in-person event for this year’s Arts Pasifika Awards, but have an online announcement and an intimate ceremony with the recipients on Wednesday 21 October.
Arts Council of New Zealand Deputy Chair Caren Rangi says, “as we continue to work to address the impact of COVID-19 on our people, our whānau, our communities and our organisation, it’s also really important that we continue to celebrate and uplift our Pasifika artists.”
“We know that our community love the chance to come together every year to celebrate Pasifika excellence, but in the context of COVID-19, the health and safety of our community and our recipients is a top priority.”
The change in approach this year provides Creative New Zealand an opportunity to continue to deliver the Pacific Arts Strategy in this changing environment, while ensuring the mana of the awards and the recipients are still upheld.
Under the VA pou, the strategic focus of activating and utilising the online space, or the #DigitalMoana, ensures that an innovative and networked Pacific arts environment exists, and that Pacific arts are strengthened for future success in a digital age.
The recipients will be announced online Wednesday 21 October, and Creative New Zealand is planning an intimate awards ceremony with the recipients and the Arts Council.
The Arts Pasifika Awards showcase the diversity and richness of high-quality Pacific arts in Aotearoa in seven award categories:
- Senior Pacific Artist Award
- Pacific Toa Award
- Pacific Heritage Arts Award
- Contemporary Pacific Artist Award
- Special Recognition Award
- Emerging Pacific Artist Award
- Iosefa Enari Memorial Award
Previous recipients have included Eteuati Ete, Parris Goebel, Anapela Polataivao and the inaugural recipient of the 2019 Pacific Toa award Pati Umaga. The full list of previous recipients can be found here
For media queries please contact:
Paul Lisi
Senior Communications Adviser - Pacific
Creative New Zealand | Toi Aotearoa
Mob: +64 27 218 6382
E: paul.lisi@creativenz.govt.nz | W: creativenz.govt.nz
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