Stuff’s Fire and Fury receives four nominations at NZ Television Awards

Stuff has picked up four nominations for the NZ Television Awards 2023, all recognising the work of Stuff Circuit’s 2022 documentary Fire and Fury.

Fronted by Paula Penfold, Fire and Fury has received a nod in the NZ On Air Best Documentary category, alongside TVNZ’s No Māori Allowed, and Three’s Inside Child Poverty Revisited.

Director and editor Toby Longbottom received two nominations in Best Director: Documentary/Factual, competing against Corinna Hunziker of No Māori Allowed and Kimiora Kaire-Melbourne of Whakaata Māori’s Homesteads.

Longbottom is also nominated for Best Editing: Documentary or Factual with No Māori Allowed’s Cushla Dillon and Emma Patterson of Kids Wired Differently.

In the Best Camerawork: Documentary or Factual category, Fire and Fury cinematographer Phil Johnson received a nod alongside Dominic Fryer of No Māori Allowed, as well as Kina Scollay and Alex Hubert of TVNZ’s Our Big Blue Backyard – Snares Island.

Fire and Fury uncovers the rise of disinformation in New Zealand, with focus on Voices for Freedom and the 2022 Wellington protests.

In 2022, Stuff Circuit took home the gong in Best Documentary for Disordered, which investigates New Zealand’s epidemic of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Penfold says the nominations are “a pretty proud moment for us, especially among such incredible company from across the industry.”

“We always try to tell important stories in a way that is visually arresting, so to get so many nominations is a hugely rewarding endorsement of our work,” she says.

“It was a controversial documentary, and we got flak from some people who didn’t want it to be made or didn’t like the way we made it. But that was massively outweighed by the overwhelmingly appreciative feedback, and huge audience figures.

“I’m especially proud of my Stuff Circuit mates Toby Longbottom for his two richly deserved nominations for Best Editing and Best Directing Documentary or Factual, and Phil Johnson for Best Camerawork Documentary or Factual. They are so, so good at what they do.”

Johnson​ previously won Best Camerawork: Documentary/Factual in 2021 for his work on Emma, a six-chapter series which tells the story of Emma Barrett’s journey to Russia to find her biological family.

Other notable nominations in the NZTA 2023 include TVNZ’s Jack Tame and Jenny-May Clarkson alongside Three’s Patrick Gower in the Best Presenter: News And Current Affairs category.

Three’s Paddy Gower Has Issues, Newsroom Investigates, TVNZ’s Sunday, and Te Ao with Moana on Whakaata Māori are nominated for Best Current Affairs Programme.

The Brokenwood Mysteries, Inky Pinky Ponky, and The Gone are nominated for NZ On Air Best Drama, while 7 Days: Season 15 Episode 18, Not Even: Season 1 Episode 4, Homebound 3.0: Season 1 Episode 1, and Educators: Season 3 Episode 1 have all received nods in Best Comedy.