Australian Idol winner Stan Walker will return to New Zealand fresh from his success this week to perform at the annual Maori Sports Awards tomorrow night. The 19-year-old Maori singer, born in Melbourne, raised in New Zealand, and living in Queensland, will perform at the black-tie ceremony at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in South Auckland.
Walker, who won a Sony Music recording contract, an $A200,000 ($NZ258,364) artist development fund and a car, will return to New Zealand with his mother, April, and his brother, Michael Anderson, who will back him up on guitar.
Dick Garratt, executive director of Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust which hosts the awards ceremony, said the world-class entertainment would complement the world-class field of finalists, which included Kiwis rugby league captain Benji Marshall and Silver Fern Temepara George.
NZPA