Lady Pippa Blake honoured as Kea Friend of New Zealand
Lady Pippa Blake honoured as recipient of 2017 Kea
Friend of
New Zealand
Award
Auckland, New Zealand: Friday
23rd June, 2017
Philanthropist and celebrated artist, Lady Pippa Blake, has been recognised as part of the 2017 Kea World Class New Zealand (WCNZ) Awards, becoming the first ever female recipient of the Friend of New Zealand title.
The sell-out gala dinner, held last night at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre, saw UK-born Lady Pippa commended for her ongoing work with the Sir Peter Blake Trust, which she established in 2004 in order to continue her late husband’s legacy.
Kea NZ CEO, Craig Donaldson, says the Awards celebrate the work of world-class Kiwis, and friends of New Zealand, who are helping to define our nation’s reputation on the world stage - with Lady Pippa being a prime example.
“Over the last 13 years, Pippa has dedicated herself entirely to driving the Trust’s growth, and inspiring our next generation of Kiwi leaders, adventurers and environmentalists.
“She has successfully transitioned the organisation from a coordinator of beach clean ups, to that of large off-shore expeditions. Their flagship event, the Sir Peter Blake Trust Leadership Week, has grown to include roughly 1000 events around the country – including the Dream Sessions, which connect inspirational New Zealanders with young Kiwis, to teach them to back themselves in achieving their dreams,” Donaldson concludes.
On the night, Lady Pippa received a Kea WCNZ Tall Poppy statuette, designed by Weta-workshop co-founder (and 2009 Supreme Award winner) Sir Richard Taylor.
In addition to the Friend of New Zealand Award, the ceremony celebrated two Supreme Award winners, Sir Peter Jackson and Lady Fran Walsh – for their significant work establishing New Zealand on the world stage as a top tourist destination, and location of choice for the international film industry.
Also recognised were six World Class New Zealanders, including award-winning choreographer Parris Goebel; businessman Sir Rob Fenwick; scientist and entrepreneur Dr Privahini Bradoo; leading scientist Dr Phil Rolston; founder of Wrightspeed Inc. Ian Wright; and chef Robert Oliver.
Judging panel Chair, and Kea Global Chairman Phil Veal, says, “As is the case every year, the Awards are a showcase of the very best talent New Zealand has to offer. Each of our winners were subject to a rigorous judging process, which assessed them against five core criteria.
“A big focus for us is on how they’ve contributed to New Zealand’s global reputation, building global connections for New Zealand, as well as how they’ve promoted the exchange of information, knowledge and skills about our country,” Veal concludes.
For more information about the Kea WCNZ Award winners, see below:
Sir Peter
Jackson:
• Director, screenwriter and producer
for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Hobbit
trilogy.
• Three Academy Awards, including Best
Director for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,
2003.
• Made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of
Merit, 2002.
• Knighted as a Knight Companion of the
New Zealand Order of Merit, 2010.
• Awarded a Hollywood
Walk of Fame star, 2014.
Lady Fran
Walsh
• Screenwriter for The Lord of the Rings
trilogy, and The Hobbit trilogy.
• Seven-time Academy
Award nominee, three-time winner for Best Picture, Best
Writing, and Best Music for The Lord of the Rings: The
Return of the King.
• Five-time BAFTA nominee, and
two-time winner for Best Film and Best Screenplay - adapted
for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the
King.
• Became a member of the New Zealand Order of
Merit, 2002
Lady Pippa
Blake
• Founded the Sir Peter Blake Trust in
2004.
• Patron to the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education
Centre, the Devonport Yachting Club, and the Blue Climate
and Oceans Project.
• Published author: Journey (2011)
& Parenting by the Stars (2014 -
contributor).
Dr. Privahini
Bradoo
• Winner of the Fulbright Platinum
Entrepreneurship Fellow scholarship.
• World Economic
Forum Young Global Leader.
• Distinguished Young
Alumni Award from the University of Auckland.
• Co-founder and CEO, Blueoak.
Parris
Goebel
• Founder of ReQuest and Royal Family
dance crews, Gold at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships,
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013, and Silver 2011 & 2015.
• Female Choreographer of the Year, World of Dance
Awards, 2014 & 2016.
• Young Leader Award, New Zealand
Women of Influence Awards, 2015.
• Young New Zealander
of the Year, Coca Cola Amatil New Zealander of the Year,
2014.
• Co-founder of Sisters United.
Dr.
Phil Rolston
• 42 years with DSIR Grasslands /
AgResearch in forages and forage seed research.
• China's highest award to foreigners, a Friendship
Medal, 1996.
• The NZ Institute of Agriculture and
Horticulture Technology Transfer Award, 2005.
• Researcher of the Year by the Foundation for Arable
Research, 2008.
• China International Science and
Technology Cooperation Award, 2015.
Ian
Wright
• Co-founded Tesla Motors in 2003.
• Created the fastest street-legal electric car in the
world - the X1.
• Bronze Power Generation Award, Edison
Awards, 2015.
• Silicon Valley Innovation &
Entrepreneurship Forum Award, 2015.
• Technology
Pioneer, World Economic Forum, June 2016.
Robert
Oliver
• Chef Ambassador of Le Cordon Bleu,
New Zealand / the Pacific Islands.
• Co-hosts Marae
Kai Masters, a Maori cuisine show.
• Best Cookbook in
the World, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Paris, 2010 Me'a
Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific
• Best
TV Chef Cookbook in the World, Gourmand World Cookbook
Awards, Beijing, 2013 for Mea'ai Samoa: Recipes and Stories
from the Heart of Polynesia.
Sir Rob
Fenwick
• Founding Director, Living Earth Ltd,
1993 - Present.
• Advisory Board Members, Westpac New
Zealand Limited, 2013 - Present.
• Special Advisor to
the Director General, Department of Conservation, 2010 -
Present.
• Sustainability Advisory Group Panel
Members, Air New Zealand, 2008 - Present.
• Chairman,
Antarctica New Zealand, 2007 - Present.
• Deputy
Chairman, TVNZ, 2004 - 2010.
• Inducted into NZ
Business Hall of Fame, 2016.
• Knighted Justice of
Order of St John, 2006.
• Knighted for services to
business and the environment,
2016.
-Ends-