NZ's Pacific artists have been honoured at the Arts Pasifika Awards 2007, which encourage and celebrate excellence in Pacific arts in New Zealand. Auckland-based filmmaker, producer, director and writer Justine Simei-Barton (Samoa) was awarded the $7000 Senior Pacific Artists' Award. Awards also went to Auckland-based academic, writer, poet and performer Dr Okusitino Mahina (Tonga); theatre director Nina Nawalowalo (Fiji); visual artist Sale Pepe (Samoa); opera singer Sani Muliaumaseali'i (Samoa) and performing arts troop WakaUra Dance Group.NZ's Pacific artists have been honoured at the Arts Pasifika Awards 2007, which encourage and celebrate excellence in Pacific arts in New Zealand. Auckland-based filmmaker, producer, director and writer Justine Simei-Barton (Samoa) was awarded the $7000 Senior Pacific Artists' Award. Awards also went to Auckland-based academic, writer, poet and performer Dr Okusitino Mahina (Tonga); theatre director Nina Nawalowalo (Fiji); visual artist Sale Pepe (Samoa); opera singer Sani Muliaumaseali'i (Samoa) and performing arts troop WakaUra Dance Group.Creative New Zealand's Pacific Arts Committee Chairperson Pele Walker said the annual Arts Pasifika Awards celebrate the rich and diverse range of Pacific art in New Zealand.

"This year's award winners come from a range of artistic backgrounds - from opera to theatre, film, dance, visual art and literature. Their work illustrates not only the richness and diversity of Pacific arts, but also the valuable contribution it makes to New Zealand's profile as a creative Pacific nation," Pele Walker said.

As the owner and director of New Zealand's first Pacific independent professional film company, Tala Pasifika Productions Ltd, Justine Simei-Barto has been a mentor for young emerging indigenous theatre practitioners.

Dr Okusitino Mahina was awarded the $5000 Pacific Heritage Arts Award for making a major contribution to maintaining, reviving and promoting Tongan heritage art forms in New Zealand.

Nina Nawalowalo, from Wellington, received the $5000 Pacific Innovation and Excellence Award. Her theatre production, Vula, which has performed at the Sydney Opera house, will tour to Europe in 2008.

Sale Pepe was awarded the $3000 Salamander Gallery Award for Emerging Pacific Visual Artists. Currently studying at the Auckland University of Technology, Sale's work has been exhibited in New Zealand and Sydney.

London-based Sani Muliaumaseali'i received the $3000 Iosefa Enari Memorial Award to support the development of Pacific opera. Sani recently appeared as Froh in Das Rheingold at the Longsborough Opera Festival.

Performing arts troop WakaUra Dance Group (mixed group) of Wellington received the $3000 Emerging Pacific Artists Award. They have represented New Zealand's diverse Pacific cultural communities both here and overseas.

13/11/07