Prizes and Awards

More prize announcements coming soon.

National Awards and Prizes

Grand National Champion 2025 

  • The Grand National Champion APEE

  • An exclusive pitch opportunity for the 48Hours Level Up Grant ($25,000) with Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga / New Zealand Film Commission. Read more here.

  • x1 year Digital Pigeon Freelancer subscription

Grand National Runner Up

Grand National Second Runner Up

14 (4th - 17th) Grand Finalists, including Sir Peter Jackson's Wildcards

Rubber Monkey Best Cinematography Award

Couch Kumara Best Comedy Award

  • $2000 cash prize and certificate

Best Solo/Duo Team - Chosen by Ant Timpson

  • $1000 cash prize and certificate

National Best School Team 

  • The National School Champion APEE
  • $1000 cash prize and certificate

Dame Gaylene Preston and WIFT Outstanding Female / Gender Diverse Filmmaker

  • $1000 cash prize and certificate

Wētā FX Best Animation Award

$1000 cash prize and certificate

National Best Director

National Best Performer*

National Best Script*

National Best Production Design

National Best Editing

National Best Original Score/Song*

National Best Sound Design

National Incredibly Strange Award

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Regional Awards 

Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Regional Winner

  • $1000 cash prize
  • $2000 ex GST rental voucher for PLS
  • x1 Screen Producers New Zealand Youth Membership for one year. The team at Spada will also host a special online Q and A with the winning producers to connect them to each other, and make sure they get the most out of the Spada membership.

Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Runner up

Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington Regional Winner

  • $1000 cash
  • x1 Screen Producers New Zealand Youth Membership for one year. The team at Spada will also host a special online Q and A with the winning producers to connect them to each other, and make sure they get the most out of the Spada membership.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington Runner up

Ōtautahi / Christchurch Regional Winner

  • $1000 cash
  • x1 Screen Producers New Zealand Youth Membership for one year. The team at Spada will also host a special online Q and A with the winning producers to connect them to each other, and make sure they get the most out of the Spada membership.

Ōtautahi / Christchurch Runner up

Across Aotearoa Regional Winner

  • $1000 cash
  • x1 Screen Producers New Zealand Youth Membership for one year. The team at Spada will also host a special online Q and A with the winning producers to connect them to each other, and make sure they get the most out of the Spada membership.

Across Aotearoa Runner up

Best School Team

Best Script*

Best Cinematography

Best Animation

  • x1 one year VFX Guild membership

Regional Manager's Awards

  • Te Whanganui-a-Tara - Rising Star
    $1000 cash prize from Screen Wellington

WIFT Outstanding Female / Gender Diverse Filmmaker

  • x1 one year membership of WIFT

Best Director

  •  1x year membership of DEGANZ

Best Performer*

Best Production Design

Best Editing

  •  1x year membership of DEGANZ

Best Sound Design

Best Original Score/Song*

Incredibly Strange Award

Best Disqualified Award

Best use of Genre and Elements

- *Best Script, Best Original Song/Score and Best Performer will only be awarded to human creators - to be eligible for these awards generative AI cannot be used to script, compose or perform. Please check in with your regional manager if you have any questions.

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Spot Prizes

Over the shoot weekend

 

- Keep your eyes on @48hoursnz instagram over the shoot weekend to be in to win.

  • 10 x double passes to Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours 
  • Free pizza from 48Hours!