The winners of the Ngā Manu Kōrero national competition have been announced.
Te Kanawa Wilson (Ngā Taiātea Wharekura) came first overall in the senior Māori Pei Te Hurinui Jones section. His speech – on the topic of Toitū te tiriti? Tērā pea (Long live the Tiriti? Perhaps) – showed a fluency in thought punctuated with comedic, light-hearted beats.
Tuhingaia Manihera (Whangārei Girls' High School) took the title for the senior English Korimako section with an entertaining reflection on reclaiming traditional beauty on a kapa haka stage where confidence should always trump "panda-eyes and poster-paint thighs".
Kahurere Whauwhau (Te Wharekura o Ruatoki) placed first overall in the junior Māori Te Rāwhiti Ihaka section. Her speech on 'Ngā pūrākau Māori, he kura huna kei roto' (Māori pūrākau have hidden gems) included the lofty claim that Rona – not Neil Armstrong – was the first person on the moon which drew appreciative laughs from the crowd.
Pou Ariki Hemara-Daniels (Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rangi Āniwaniwa) won the junior English Sir Turi Carroll section. Speaking on the subject 'We need more regulators', the young manu kōrero performed a wholesome and fun speech that referenced a fan-favourite, classic hip hop song, Regulate by Warren G.
For the full results, scroll down to the end of this article.
In his comments ahead of prize giving, head judge Kingi Kiriona noted the calibre of speakers in this year's Ngā Manu Kōrero.
A former notable Pei Te Hurinui Jones and Korimako winner himself thirty years ago, he said if he were to compete in this year’s event, he'd be left in the dust.
"Thank you for the privilege of sharing in your brilliance, in your collective brilliance and in your individual brilliance. It was an absolute pleasure."
He said there was a rise in the spoken word, or slam poetry, in this year's performances and suggested that if it was the future focus, then teachers and parents should review the criteria of the competition.
He finished by tasking Labour MP Peeni Henare, who was a judge, to take the matter of funding the competition to Parliament.
"It astounds me almost 60 years after the establishment or inception of Ngā Manu Kōrero that there is no baseline funding for Ngā Manu Kōrero."
The mauri of the competition was handed over to Taranaki, the region that will host the next national event.
Ngā Manu Kōrero 2024 full results
Tā Turi Kara / Junior English - Overall
3rd – Katie Watkinson – Mount Albert Grammar School / Tāmaki Makaurau ki te Waitematā
2nd - Aania Paranihi – Cullinane College / Whanganui Taranaki
1st - Pou Ariki Hemara-Daniels – Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rangi Āniwaniwa / Tai Tokerau
Taikōhine toa / Best Female Speaker - Tā Turi Kara
1st – Aania Paranihi – Cullinane College / Whanganui, Taranaki
Taitama toa / Best Male Speaker - Tā Turi Kara
1st – Pou Ariki Hemara-Daniels – Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rangi Āniwaniwa / Tai Tokerau
Te Rāwhiti Ihaka / Junior Māori - Overall
3rd – Te Kahurangi Rehia Kata Teinakore-Huaki – Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa / Waikato-Tainui
2nd – Tawari Te Hau-Grant – Hato Paora College / Manawatu Horowhenua
1st - Kahurere Whauwhau- Te Wharekura o Ruatoki / Mataatua
Taikōhine toa / Best Female Speaker – Te Rāwhiti Ihaka
1st – Kahurere Whauwhau- Te Wharekura o Ruatoki / Mataatua
Taitama toa / Best Male Speaker – Te Rāwhiti Ihaka
1st – Tawari Te Hau-Grant – Hato Paora College / Manawatu Horowhenua
Korimako / Senior English – Overall
3rd - Billy Paratene – Te Kura o Tarikākā - Onslow College / Whanganui-a-Tara ki Ōtaki
2nd - Maro Preston – Freyberg High School / Manawatu Horowhenua
1st - Tuhingaia Manihera - Whangārei Girls’ High School / Tai Tokerau
Kōrero tene / Best impromptu – Korimako
1st - Jared Lasike – Rotorua Boys High School / Te Arawa
Kōrero takatū / Best prepared – Korimako
1st - Maro Preston – Freyberg High School / Manawatu Horowhenua
Taikōhine toa / Best Female Speaker – Korimako
1st - Tuhingaia Manihera - Whangārei Girls’ High School / Tai Tokerau
Taitama toa / Best Male Speaker – Korimako
1st – Maro Preston – Freyberg High School / Manawatu Horowhenua
Pei Te Hurinui / Senior Māori - Overall
3rd equal - Te Maumahara Hape – Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Uri a Māui / Tairāwhiti rāua ko Kohae Cherrington – MANUKURA / Manawatu Horowhenua
2nd - Elite Reti – Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rangi Āniwaniwa
1st – Te Kanawa Wilson
Kōrero tene / Best impromptu – Pei Te Hurinui
1st - Tāiki Kāpara Rangipunga Pou – Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Whānau Tahi / Waitaha Te Tai Poutini Aoraki
Kōrero takatū / Best prepared – Pei Te Hurinui
1st - Te Kanawa Wilson - Ngā Taiātea Wharekura / Waikato-Tainui
Taitama toa / Best male speaker – Pei Te Hurinui
1st - Te Kanawa Wilson - Ngā Taiātea Wharekura / Waikato-Tainui
Taikōhine toa / Best female speaker – Pei Te Hurinui
1st - Hinerangi Harawira-Nicholas – Te Wharekura o Ruatoki / Mataatua
E Tipu E Rea – Most points in both English and Māori sections
1st - Manaia Huntley – Marlborough Boys College / Te Tauihu o Te Waka a Māui
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