The hunt for TV Screen Personality of the Year is underway, with a public vote set to determine this year’s winner.
Ten finalists for the coveted category were unveiled today as part of the New Zealand Screen Awards, with public voting now open.
The nominees include TVNZ Breakfast host Chris Chang; Shortland Street star Alex King; David Correos for Taskmaster/Celebrity Treasure Island/The Weed Eaters; Eat Well for Less co-host Ganesh Raj and Taskmaster’s Jackie Van Beek.
The award celebrates the screen personalities who have made a lasting impression on New Zealand audiences, with viewers invited to vote for their favourite. Last year’s winner was TVNZ’s Scotty Morrison.
Public voting is open until November 13 and the NZ Screen Awards will be held on November 19 at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre.
The full list of finalists:
Rebecca Gibney: Happiness / Millionaire Hot Seat - Three & Three Now
Shaun Johnson: Ford League Lounge with Shaun Johnson - Sky Sport
Ryan Bridge: Ryan Bridge Today - NZ Herald / Three & Three Now
Chris Chang: Breakfast / FIFA World Cup 2026 - TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Alex King: Shortland Street- TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+
Shiray & Gillies Kākā: Full Noise - Whakaata Māori & Māori+
David Correos: Taskmaster / Celebrity Treasure Island - TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+ / The Weed Eaters
Ganesh Raj: Eat Well For Less - TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+
Jackie Van Beek: Taskmaster - TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+ / Educators - TVNZ+ / Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant
Turia Schmidt-Peke - Chat Her Up - Whakaata Māori & Māori+
Special Legacy award for Hyundai Country Calendar
The country’s longest running TV show has also been named the 2026 Screen Legend Award, as part of this year’s award programme.
First broadcast on March 1966, the show began as a rural news and information programme that evolved into showcasing pioneering farmers and rural innovators working the land.
Country Calendar, which marked its 60th anniversary this year, is only the second TV show to receive the Screen Legend award after Shortland Street in 2019. It is also a finalist for Best Factual Series at this year's awards.
Hyundai Country Calendar producer Dan Henry said the show had become part of the way New Zealand saw itself.
“For six decades, the programme has told the stories of New Zealand’s rural communities - their resilience, ingenuity, humour, challenges and deep connection to the land,” he said.
“While farming and rural life have changed enormously, the heart of those stories remains the same - people with a genuine passion for what they do and a willingness to share their lives with us.”
The broadcaster has five nominations across the journalism categories, with Q+A with Jack Tame a finalist for Best Current Affairs Programme.
Tame is also nominated for Reporter of the Year for a portfolio including his exclusive interview with ex-Police Commissioner Andrew Coster in the wake of the Jevon McSkimming scandal.
Tame is also nominated for Best Presenter: News and Current Affairs.
TVNZ’s coverage of the fatal shooting of fugitive father Tom Phillips in September last year and the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide in January are both finalists in the Best News Coverage category.
The New Zealand Screen Awards celebrates the best in the country’s film and TV industry, with finalists announced across 57 categories.
The feature film Pike River leads the nominations with 15, while NZ-German co-production Bust Up tops the television categories with 12 nominations, followed by NZ-Scottish co-production The Ridge with nine.
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