Pike River leads NZ Screen Awards finalists as co-productions lead television
Robert Sarkies' Pike River, a drama about the 2010 West Coast mine disaster, leads the finalists for the 2026 New Zealand Screen Awards with 15 nominations, the awards organisers said this month.
Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm play Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse. Osborne lost her husband in the explosion and Rockhouse lost her son, and the two women went on to lead a years-long fight for justice. Both actors are finalists for Best Performance by an Actor in a Female Role: Feature. Lisa Harrow, nominated for Caterpillar, is the third. Sarkies is up for Best Director: Drama Feature and Fiona Samuel for Best Script: Feature.
Cinematographer Gin Loane, who won Best Cinematography: Feature last year, has both of her nominations in that category again, for Mārama and Pike River. Hair and makeup designer Stefan Knight has three individual nominations: for the local feature Pike River, the feature Went Up The Hill and the co-production The Ridge.
Pike River is also a finalist for the New Zealand Film Commission Best Feature Film award, against Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant and Kiri & Lou Go Raa!
The organisers said there were almost 600 entries across 57 categories.
Television is led by two international co-productions. Bust Up, made with German partners, has 12 nominations. The Ridge, a New Zealand–Scottish co-production, has nine. Both screen on Sky Open and Neon, and both are finalists for the NZ On Air Best Drama Series award. Their only rival is Tangata Pai from Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions, which screens on Three and ThreeNow and has four nominations overall.
Then there's Spartacus: House of Ashur, an American series filmed in New Zealand and streamed here on ThreeNow. Its seven nominations recognise New Zealand practitioners, including Robyn Grace, who is a finalist for Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama Series.
Between them, the three foreign-backed shows have 28 nominations.
Documentary goes the other way. All three Best Feature Documentary finalists are local stories. Prime Minister follows Jacinda Ardern's time in office. Tenor: My Name is Pati is about the singing brothers Pene and Amitai Pati. Tearepa Kahi's Sgt Haane tells the story of Māori Battalion veteran Sergeant Haane Manahi and his service in North Africa during World War II.
The organisers said Prime Minister and Tenor both entered the top five highest-grossing local feature documentaries of all time at the New Zealand box office during the eligibility period. Anyone who missed Tenor can now stream it: Flicks lists it arriving on Neon on 12 October, with Caterpillar following on 13 October.
For Best Performance by an Actor in a Male Role: Feature, the finalists are Dacre Montgomery for Went Up The Hill, Derek Jacobi for Moss & Freud and Matt Whelan for Workmates. The shortlist also includes a father and daughter. Erroll Shand is a supporting performance finalist for Pike River, and Anais Shand for Caterpillar.
In news, the Reporter of the Year finalists are Paula Penfold of ThreeNews, Michael Morrah of the NZ Herald and Jack Tame of Q+A with Jack Tame and 1News. Tame is also up for Best Presenter: News and Current Affairs for the second year running, against Samantha Hayes and Paddy Gower. Gower's own show, Paddy Gower Has Issues, is a Best Current Affairs Programme finalist alongside Q+A and Mata Reports.
Elsewhere, Once Were Gardeners, made by Black Iris for Whakaata Māori, is up for Best Factual Series against Hyundai Country Calendar, Moving Houses and George Clarke's Homes In The Wild. The Best Reality Series finalists are Celebrity Escape, The Traitors New Zealand: Season 3 and Game On.
Two announcements are still to come. The organisers said the Screen Legend Award recipient and the finalists for Personality of the Year will be named later this month. Personality of the Year is the only category decided by public vote.
The ceremony is on Thursday 19 November at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre, hosted by entertainment journalist Kate Rodger. Rodger said: "I know what it takes to get our stories – factual and fictional – onto the big and small screen, and the enormous drive, dedication and sacrifice our screen creatives and craftspeople mainline into bringing those stories to life."