Fred Graham has been named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo: credit the NZ Arts Foundation
A pioneer of contemporary Māori art, a film producer and a writer of speculative fiction are among the recipients of New Year Honours from the world of arts.
Fred Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura) has been named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori arts.
The citation read that Graham had been a pioneer of contemporary Māori art, organising one of the first exhibitions of modern Māori painting and sculpture in Hamilton in 1966. The esteemed sculptor has represented Aotearoa at a number of international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale and Te Ao Marama/Seven Māori Artists, which toured Australia in 1986.
From her services to the screen industry, film producer Robin Scholes has also been named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Scholes was behind a range of feature films, TV shows and documentaries that brought our nation's stories and culture to the big screen, including as Crooked Earth (2001), Mr Pip (2013) and Mahana (2016). She was also recognised for her mentoring of Māori screen talent and young people.
Leading international film producer Matthew Metcalfe has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Many of his films had been screened at festivals such as the Toronto and Sundance Film Festivals. He also produced The Dead Lands, the first action film entirely spoken in te reo Māori.
Speculative fiction writer, editor and mentor Lee Murray has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit Photo: Supplied
From the field of literature, award-winning speculative fiction writer, editor and mentor Lee Murray has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She has received five international Bram Stoker Awards and is the only New Zealander to receive the Shirley Jackson Award for psychological horror. She also won the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in 2024.
For her services to music education in Christchurch, Judith Bell has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. The former specialist music teacher at Chisnallwood Intermediate co-chaired Music Education Canterbury and helped lead the children's music festival Strum, Strike and Blow since 2013, as well as big band and jazz festivals.
Southland choral conductor Sarah Rae has also become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She has been involved with the Invercargill Schools' Sing Out for 33 years, led the Southland Youth Choir from 1995 to 2004 and has directed the Southland Girls' High choir Femme since 2006, leading it to several Big Sing finals.
Ian Reid of Napier has been recognised for his services to musical theatre and becomes a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He started volunteering with community theatre in 1967 and has been involved both locally and nationally in music theatre, including the MTNZ Consortium committee, which was instrumental in bringing major big budget musicals to be staged in New Zealand.
For her services to Wairarapa's dance and musical theatre communities for more than 50 years, Sharon Stevens-Cottle also becomes a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Through her studio, she has created opportunities for thousands of students to explore physical creativity and the enjoyment of dance and musical theatre.
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