Lana Walters Photo: Zahn Trotter
Comedian and writer Lana Walters has won the Billy T Award for 2024, New Zealand’s premiere comedy award. Walters was presented the award on stage at the Last Laughs comedy showcase by 2023 winner Abby Howells. The award, named after Māori comedian Billy T James, comes with $5000 from the NZ Comedy Trust.
The soon-to-be mother of two has been given the prestigious yellow towel for comedy festival show Don’t Lick That. The one-hour stand-up details a hilarious family trip to Armenia for a traditional wedding and a holiday to Azerbaijan and Georgia. With a near illegal border crossing, a dodgy-sounding petting zoo and a Stalin museum - it’s not the first vacation you’d imagine with a toddler.
Walters previously worked as a writer for The Project NZ and has been a regular fixture on television comedy show 7 Days. Celebrating her win, Walters says “it means the hustle paid off.”
She joins Perlina Lau for Fast Favourites on Culture 101.
