Benny Award

Benny Award
Awarded for A lifetime of excellence in variety entertainment
Date 1969
Country New Zealand
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, a non-for-profit organisation and showbusiness club, founded in 1966 and awarded to a variety performer who has achieved "A lifetime of excellence in their field of the performing arts".[7][8]

Nominations

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]

Naming

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]

Recipients

Shane Hales receives the Benny Award in 2011, presented by Max Cryer. Cryer was himself a recipient of the award in 1977.

The following is a full list of recipients of the Benny Award, since its inception in 1969.[15]

Year Recipient
1969Edgar Benyon
1970Howard Morrison
Oswald Cheesman
1971Pat McMinn
1972Lou Clauson
Jon Zealando
1973Ray Columbus
1974Les Andrews
Peter Newberry
John Rowles
1975Phil Warren
1976Rusty Greaves
Merv Smith
1977Max Cryer
1978George Tumahai
1979Chic Littlewood
1980Peter Evans
Eddie Hegan
1981Marcus Craig
1982Don Linden
1983Russell Middlebrook
1984John Maybury Sr.
1985Toni Savage
1986Johnny Bond
1987Silvio De Pra
1988Ricky May
Alma Woods
1989Sylvia Rielly
1990Billy T. James
1991Debbie Dorday
1992Carl Doy
1993Rob Guest
Mary Throll
1994Rena Owen
1995Guy Cater
1996Keith Leggett
1997Paul Bennett
1998Malvina Major
1999Gerry Merito
2000Doug Aston
2001Gray Bartlett
2002Tom Sharplin
2003Jim Joll
2004Eldred Stebbing
2005Elaine Bracey
2006Alan Watson
2007Ray Woolf
2008Suzanne Lynch
2009Eddie Low
2010Gary Daverne
2011Shane Hales
2012Marian Burns
2013Larry Morris
2014Tina Cross
2015Johnny Devlin
2016Suzanne Prentice
2017Kevin Greaves

References

  1. ↑ "Friends on tour with country music lineup, Taranaki Daily News Online".
  2. ↑ "Amplifer News Story : Gary Daverne Benny Award".
  3. 1 2 3 "Voxy News - Eddie Low Honoured with Benny Award".
  4. ↑ "Jim Joll Biography".
  5. ↑ "Shen Yun Performing Arts Website, Gary Daverne".
  6. ↑ "VAC Website".
  7. ↑ "Suzanne Lynch Benny Award Article, Stuff.co.nz".
  8. ↑ "Eddie Low Benny Award, NZ Music News".
  9. ↑ "Ray Columbus Biography".
  10. ↑ "Chic Littlewood Biography - NZOnScreen".
  11. ↑ "Edgar Benyon Biography, Encyclopedia of NZ Biography".
  12. ↑ "Benny Awards Page, VAC Website".
  13. ↑ "Auckland City Library Records - Benny Award".
  14. ↑ "New Zealand Music Commission, Columbus Biography".
  15. ↑ "Benny Award". Variety Artists Club of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
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