Benny Award

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]

Benny Award
Benny Award
Awarded forA lifetime of excellence in variety entertainment
Date1969
CountryNew Zealand
Websitehttp://www.vac.org.nz

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, 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
Year Recipient
1969Edgar Benyon
1970Howard Morrison OBE
Oswald Cheesman MBE
1971Pat McMinn OBE
1972Lou Clauson QSM
Jon Zealando
1973Ray Columbus OBE
1974Les Andrews
Peter Newberry QSO
Sir John Rowles KNZM OBE
1975Phil Warren QSO
1976Rusty Greaves
Merv Smith QSM
1977Max Cryer MBE
1978George Tumahai
1979Chic Littlewood
1980Peter Evans
Eddie Hegan
1981Marcus Craig
1982Don Linden
1983Russell Middlebrook
1984John Maybury Sr.
1985Toni Savage BEM QSM
1986Johnny Bond
1987Silvio De Pra
1988Ricky May
Alma Woods
1989Sylvia Rielly
1990Billy T. James MBE
1991Debbie Dorday
1992Carl Doy ONZM
1993Rob Guest OBE
Mary Throll
1994Rena Owen
1995Guy Cater
1996Keith Leggett
1997Paul Bennett
1998Dame Malvina Major ONZ GNZM DBE
1999Gerry Merito
2000Doug Aston
2001Gray Bartlett MBE
2002Tom Sharplin
2003Jim Joll
2004Eldred Stebbing MNZM
2005Elaine Bracey
2006Alan Watson QSM
2007Ray Woolf MNZM QSM
2008Suzanne Lynch MNZM
2009Eddie Low MNZM
2010Gary Daverne ONZM
2011Shane Hales MNZM
2012Marian Burns MNZM
2013Larry Morris
2014Tina Cross ONZM
2015Johnny Devlin MNZM
2016Suzanne Prentice OBE
2017Kevin Greaves
2018Brendan Dugan
2019Dennis Marsh MNZM

References
  1. "Friends on tour with country music lineup, Taranaki Daily News Online".
  2. "Amplifer News Story : Gary Daverne Benny Award". Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  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". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  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".
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