Benny Award

Benny Award
Benny Award
Awarded for	A lifetime of excellence in variety entertainment
Date	1969
Country	New Zealand
Official website	http://www.vac.org.nz

The Benny Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed to a New Zealand variety entertainer.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] It is presented annually by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to a variety performer who has achieved a lifetime of excellence in their field of the performing arts.^[7]^[8]

Nominations for the Benny Award are accepted from VAC members and the recipient ultimately decided upon by past Benny recipients, making its presentation recognition of the highest degree by the New Zealand entertainment industry.^[3]^[9]^[10]

The Benny Award was named after its first recipient, legendary New Zealand variety performer Edgar Benyon (1902-1978) in 1969.^[11] The Benny statuette was designed and sculptured by magician Jon Zealando and features Greek muses Melpomene and Thalia - the traditional symbols of comedy and tragedy.^[12]

Recipients of the Benny Award include many New Zealand household names and figureheads of entertainment.^[3]^[13]^[14] The 2015 Benny recipient was NZ music icon Johnny Devlin.

Full list of Benny Award recipients

Shane Hales receives the Benny Award, presented by Max Cryer MBE, 2011

2016 - Suzanne Prentice OBE
2015 - Johnny Devlin MNZM
2014 - Tina Cross ONZM
2013 - Larry Morris
2012 - Marian Burns
2011 - Shane Hales
2010 - Gary Daverne ONZM
2009 - Eddie Low MNZM
2008 - Suzanne Lynch MNZM
2007 - Ray Woolf MNZM QSM
2006 - Alan Watson QSM
2005 - Elaine Bracey
2004 - Eldred Stebbing MNZM
2003 - Jim Joll
2002 - Tom Sharplin
2001 - Gray Bartlett MBE
2000 - Doug Aston
1999 - Gerry Merito
1998 - Dame Malvina Major ONZ GNZM DBE
1997 - Paul Bennett
1996 - Keith Leggett
1995 - Guy Cater
1994 - Rena Owen
1993 - Mary Throll
1993 - Rob Guest OBE
1992 - Carl Doy ONZM
1991 - Debbie Dorday
1990 - Billy T. James MBE
1989 - Sylvia Rielly
1988 - Ricky May
1988 - Alma Woods MBE
1987 - Silvio De Pra ^[15]
1986 - Johnny Bond
1985 - Toni Savage BEM QSM ^[15]
1984 - John Maybury Snr
1983 - Russell Middlebrook
1982 - Don Linden
1981 - Marcus Craig
1980 - Peter Evans
1980 - Eddie Hegan
1979 - Chic Littlewood
1978 - George Tumahai
1977 - Max Cryer MBE
1976 - Rusty Greaves
1976 - Merv Smith QSM
1975 - Philip Warren QSO
1974 - Les Andrews QSM
1974 - Peter Newberry QSO
1974 - John Rowles OBE
1973 - Ray Columbus OBE
1972 - Lou Clauson QSM
1972 - Jon Zealando
1971 - Pat McMinn OBE
1970 - Oswald Cheesman MBE
1970 - Sir Howard Morrison OBE
1969 - Edgar Benyon

External links

References

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